Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner (A-CSPO)

practice at least two techniques of product discovery.

Concepts

In this post, we will delve into two practical techniques of product discovery: User Interviews and Prototype Testing. We will also illustrate how these techniques run in practice, and why they are significant for any Scrum Product Owner.

Part 1: User Interviews

User Interviews are direct conversations with potential or existing users of a product. They provide valuable insights into customer needs, preferences, problems, and behaviors, which can drive product development.

The Scrum Product Owner uses this method to unearth the users’ unarticulated needs, and understand the context in which the product would be used. This information is then used to make informed decisions about what should be built and how it should work.

A good User Interview sets a clear objective, asks open-ended questions, and listens actively to the users. Techniques like note-taking or recording the interview can help capture details accurately for later analysis.

Here is a simplified example of how this might look in practice:

Objective: Understand how small business owners manage inventory
Interview Questions:

Can you describe your current process of inventory management?
What tools or software do you use?
Where do you encounter problems or frustrations?
How do changes in inventory levels affect your business?

Based on the answers, the Scrum Product Owner can look for recurring themes, identify pain points in inventory management, and devise suitable product features.

Part 2: Prototype Testing

Prototype Testing, another useful discovery technique, involves presenting an early model of the product to users to identify issues or potential improvements.

This technique allows the Scrum Product Owner to validate assumptions, test product functionality, and gather user feedback before the final product is built. It reduces the risk of producing an unwanted or ineffective product, and ensures that the final product meets user needs and expectations.

The Prototyping Process can be divided into three main stages:

Developing the Prototype: This step involves creating a simplified representation of the final product.
Conducting the Testing: Users interact with the prototype while observers take notes on their behavior and feedback.
Analyzing the Results: The feedback gathered is used to identify potential areas for improvement.

For instance, let’s take a mobile app designed for learning languages:

The Scrum Product Owner presents users with a clickable prototype, including features like interactive lessons, chatbots for practice, and progress tracking. Users navigate through the app while sharing comments and reactions. The Scrum Product Owner then consolidates this feedback, identifies recurring issues or recommendations (like difficulty navigating the lessons or a suggestion for voice recognition feature), and incorporates them into the product backlog.

In conclusion, both User Interviews and Prototype Testing are powerful tools for Scrum Product Owners. They allow an empirical understanding of the user, enable validation of assumptions, and provide feedback to guide the product development. As a result, these discovery techniques significantly increase the possibility of delivering a product that genuinely fulfills user needs. A mastery of these techniques will undoubtedly be beneficial for those striving to excel in the A-CSPO exam.

Answer the Questions in Comment Section

True or False: Product discovery is about creating a product without user involvement.

True
False

Answer: False

Explanation: Product discovery entails understanding the needs of users, market, business and technology so that the product is both valuable and usable.

Which two of the following are popular techniques of product discovery?

a) User Personas
b) Story Mapping
c) Code Review
d) Technical Analysis

Answer: a) User Personas, b) Story Mapping

Explanation: User personas and Story Mapping are both techniques used in product discovery to understand user needs and scenario construction respectively.

True or False: The Lean Startup methodology is a product discovery technique that helps understand the market needs.

True
False

Answer: True

Explanation: The Lean Startup methodology stands for continuous innovation and can be used as a product discovery technique to understand what products the market needs.

In context of product discovery, which of the following statement(s) are true?

a) Prototyping involves creating a basic version of the product
b) Only product owners handle the product discovery process
c) MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is a product discovery technique
d) Customer feedback is not an important aspect of product discovery

Answer: a) Prototyping involves creating a basic version of the product, c) MVP (Minimum Viable Product) is a product discovery technique

Explanation: Prototyping and developing MVPs are techniques used to test hypothesis during product discovery. This process should not be limited to the product owner exclusively. Customer feedback is a vital element of product discovery to ensure the product meets the user’s needs.

Is Customer Journey Mapping a technique of product discovery?

Answer: Yes

Explanation: Customer Journey Mapping is a technique that visualizes how a customer interacts with a product, helping teams understand and cater to user needs during product discovery.

True or False: Business Model Canvas doesn’t contribute to product discovery.

True
False

Answer: False

Explanation: Business Model Canvas is a strategic management tool that can be used in product discovery to visualize and develop new or existing business models for the product.

What is the main goal of product discovery?

a) To identify possible failures
b) To understand user needs
c) To test technology competency
d) All of the above

Answer: b) To understand user needs

Explanation: The main goal of product discovery is to understand what users need or want, although it may also be used to identify potential failures or understand technological competencies.

True or False: Product backlog is a part of the product discovery process.

True
False

Answer: True

Explanation: The product backlog is a list of features, functions, requirements, enhancements, and fixes to be done on a product and forms part of the product discovery process.

Which of these techniques involve visual representation in product discovery?

a) Customer Interviews
b) Surveys
c) Feature Canvas
d) Focus Groups

Answer: c) Feature Canvas

Explanation: Feature Canvas is a visual tool used during product discovery to help teams understand the features a product needs.

Is Competitive Analysis a part of Product Discovery Process?

Answer: Yes

Explanation: Competitive Analysis serves a crucial role in the product discovery process as it allows teams to understand the competitive landscape, guiding feature development and product differentiation.

True or False: Product Discovery is a one-time event in the product development cycle.

True
False

Answer: False

Explanation: Product discovery is not a one-time event. It is an ongoing process that continues even after the initial development of the product to continue delivering value to the user.

Which product discovery technique is centered around the conversation with potential users?

a) Competitive Analysis
b) User Interviews
c) Customer Surveys
d) Usability Testing

Answer: b) User Interviews

Explanation: User interviews is a technique employed in the product discovery phase to gather in-depth insights from potential users about needs, behaviours, and attitudes.