Running Lean, 3rd Edition

Chapter 11. Run a 90-Day Cycle Review

At the end of the 90-day cycle, irrespective of where your customer factory metrics end up, you need to get your team together for a 90-Day Cycle Review Meeting.

This is where you review what you did and what you learned, and decide on what’s next. A common regret many teams have is waiting too long to pivot their idea. They hang on to a failing idea or validation campaign in the hopes that things will eventually turn around, until it’s too late. The 90-day cycle review (Figure 11-1) keeps you accountable by forcing you to confront the reality of the present and make decisions for the next cycle—either stay the course (persevere), pivot, or pause.

Figure 11-1. The 90-day cycle review

Steve Calls a Pre-Review Meeting Just with Mary

“What happens if we don’t hit our 90-day OKR? I know we only need to sign up two customers…but what if no one signs up?” Steve asks Mary.

“First, I want to remind you that you don’t just need to sign up two customers, you need to build a system (a customer factory) for repeatedly signing up two customers per month for the next several months,” Mary responds.

Steve laughs nervously. “That’s right, and that’s an even scarier thought. If we don’t close any customers, is that OK? Can we extend our traction roadmap timelines?”

“You tell me,” Mary says. “Remember that your traction roadmap represents your minimum success ...