From An Idea to a Product

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The talk I gave at Startup Village Weekend, 27th Jul 2013

Transcript of From An Idea to a Product

FROM AN IDEA TO A PRODUCT

Vishnu Gopal

WHY?

ANYBODY CAN HAVE AN IDEA

AN ENTREPRENEUR DEVELOPS AN IDEA INTO A

PRODUCT

IT’S THE PRODUCT THAT THE ENTREPRENEUR SELLS, NOT

THE IDEA

Idea Product?

ARCHITECTS DESIGN

CIVIL ENGINEERS BUILD

SOFTWARE ENGINEERS PROGRAM

ABOUT ME

Vishnu Gopal

Wrote the first line of code for SlideShare Inc.

Worked at Datasift Inc.

Degree in Human-Computer Interaction from UCL

MOBME WIRELESS

CTO, MobME Wireless

Internet & Mobile company

Promoter of Startup Village

We invest in & mentor startups :)

SOFTWARE ENGINEERS PROGRAM

DO NOT JUMP INTO CODE

WOULD AN ARCHITECT DESIGN WITHOUT FIRST

EXPLORING THE SITE?

WOULD A CIVIL ENGINEER BUILD WITHOUT A PLAN?

TECHNICAL FOUNDER STEPS TO START

Start by learning the best language out there.

Use the best coolest sounding libraries available.

Use the cloud!

.... PROFIT!

BUSINESS FOUNDER STEPS TO START

Start by researching the most money making business idea.

Implement it as fast as possible!!

Use the cloud!

.... PROFIT!

IF YOU DO THIS, YOU ARE IN FOR A WORLD OF PAIN :)

Technical Founders

Business Founders

Product

TO BUSINESS FOUNDERS: YOU CAN’T BUILD A

TECHNOLOGY PRODUCT WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING

TECHNOLOGY

BUSINESS FOUNDERS EXPECTATIONS

Can create a simple HTML page.

Knows how web browsers and the Internet works.

Can speak knowledgeably about technology tradeoffs.

Understands and speaks the lingo.

Values technical cofounders.

TO TECHNICAL FOUNDERS: YOU CAN’T BUILD A BUSINESS

PRODUCT WITHOUT UNDERSTANDING BUSINESS

TECHNICAL FOUNDERS EXPECTATIONS

You should know how a balance sheet works.

You can measure business metrics

Can speak knowledgeably about market conditions.

Understands and speaks the business domain lingo.

Values business cofounders.

Technical Founders

Business Founders

Business Product

Tech Product

TECHNOLOGY IS NEVER, EVER THE NECESSARY OR

SUFFICIENT CONDITION FOR SUCCESS

TECHNOLOGY DECISIONS AND ACTIONS MUST EXIST

WITHIN THE LARGER BUSINESS CONTEXT

BREAK 1: QUESTIONS?

DO NOT JUMP INTO CODE

WIREFRAME

WIREFRAMESTART BY DRAWING “WHAT CUSTOMERS WILL SEE” ON PAPER

DRAW A WIREFRAME FOR A WEBSITE

“SEARCH ENGINE FOR CARS”

Googlehttp://carzsearch.inCarzSearch

Type a car name, make or model to start search. Search

Popular Cars

HOME PAGELIKE GOOGLE, BUT WITH POPULAR CARS AT THE BOTTOM

Googlehttp://carzsearch.inCarzSearch

Ford Search

Results (20 total)

...

Ford FiestaFord Camry

SEARCHINGTHIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN USERS START SEARCHING

Googlehttp://carzsearch.inCarzSearch

Diesel Search

Results (20 total)

...

Search Diesel Cars only

FILTERINGUSERS CAN TYPE IN COMMON SEGMENTS TO FILTER

Googlehttp://carzsearch.inCarzSearch

Search

Results (290 total)

...

diesel x

FILTERED SEARCHAFTER APPLYING A FILTER, THEY CAN SEARCH AGAIN

YOU CONNECT WIREFRAMES TOGETHER TO CREATE A

PRODUCT NARRATIVE

& FROM THE PRODUCT NARRATIVE, YOU START IDENTIFYING TECHNICAL

REQUIREMENTS

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS OF CARZSEARCH

Search engine that is really fast!

Filtered searches

Responsive UI

Store and retrieve quickly images and other details of cars

FROM TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS, YOU MAP TO

THE BEST TECHNOLOGY

MAP REQUIREMENTS TO PRODUCTS

Search engine that is really fast!

Filtered searches

Responsive UI

Store and retrieve quickly images and other details of cars

THIS GUY IS TALKING A LOT, WHEN IS HE GOING TO TALK

ABOUT PROGRAMMING?

PROGRAMMING?MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO FOCUS ON FOR A TECHNICAL

FOUNDER

30%20%

20%

10% 20%

Design Wireframing Architecture Programming QA

THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT THE CRAFT OF

PROGRAMMING

ARCHITECTS DESIGN

CIVIL ENGINEERS BUILD

SOFTWARE ENGINEERS PROGRAM

HOW IS PROGRAMMING DIFFERENT?

WE WORK WITH COMPUTERS THAT ARE INFINITELY

MALLEABLE.

OUR BARRIERS TO CHANGE ARE FEW

WHILE ARCHITECTS & CIVIL ENGINEERS HAVE TO BE

REALLY SURE ABOUT DESIGN BEFORE BUILDING, CAN WE

BE LESS SO?

Googlehttp://carzsearch.inCarzSearch

Search

Results (290 total)

...

diesel x

Ad

CARZSEARCH ADSWE WANT TO MAKE MONEY, SO LET’S HAVE ADS!

Googlehttp://carzsearch.inCarzSearch

Search

Results (290 total)

diesel x

Ad

INFINITE SCROLLINGTEST OUT NEW INTERACTION PATTERNS

“NOTHING IS CONSTANT BUT CHANGE”

-HERACLITUS

WE HAVE A CRAFT THAT IS SO RESPONSIVE TO CHANGE

WIN!

IT’S WONDERFUL, BUT ONLY IF YOU WORK TO ITS

STRENGTHS

DON’T APPROACH PROGRAMMING LIKE

ARCHITECTURE. THE “DESIGN” IS NEVER SET IN STONE.

DESIGN IS A MOVING TARGET. SO LET’S OPTIMIZE FOR IT.

THE BETTER WAY IS AGILE

AGILE MANIFESTO

THE MOST IMPORTANT IMPACT OF AGILE ON

SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN A REINFORCED

BELIEF IN THE IMPORTANCE OF OF AUTOMATED SOFTWARE TESTING.

THE BEST WAY TO WRITE SOFTWARE IS TO WRITE TESTS

FIRST.

TEST-DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT.

TDD.

Requirements

Program

QA & Test

Deliver

Requirements

Program

QA & Test

Deliver

More Requirements

Program

QA & Test

Deliver

A A+B

Requirements

Program

QA & Test

Deliver

Requirements

Program

QA & Test

Deliver

A A+B

Requirements

Program

QA & Test

Deliver

A+B+C

Requirements

Program QA & Test

Deliver

QA & TESTING IS CONTINUOUS AND OUTSIDE THE LOOP

TDD IS CRUCIAL, BUT THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER THINGS THAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

ABOUT.

CONTINUOUS INTEGRATION

SCRUM

KANBANRESPONSIVE DESIGN

LEAKY ABSTRACTIONS

MYTHICAL MAN-MONTH

LEAKY ABSTRACTIONS

DEVOPS

CONTAINERIZATIONHORIZONTAL SCALING

BDD STORYBOARDS

USABILITY

APPROACH PROGRAMMING LIKE A CRAFTSMAN

CONSTANTLY TRYING TO IMPROVE.

ALWAYS TRY TO LEVEL-UP!

IT’S THE PRODUCT THAT THE ENTREPRENEUR SELLS, NOT

THE IDEA

TO TRANSLATE IDEAS INTO GOOD PRODUCTS, WE NEED

GREAT CRAFTSMEN.

QUESTIONS?

PHOTO CREDITS

Slide 7

Slide 8

Slide 16

Slide 30