Reducing Product Risk and Removing the MVP Mindset: What Makes Us Feel Good About Our Work?

Reducing Product Risk and Removing the MVP Mindset: What Makes Us Feel Good About Our Work?

Introduction:
When it comes to building products, reducing risk and ensuring customer satisfaction are crucial. However, the approach we take to de-risking projects should vary depending on the type of customer we're building for. Additionally, understanding what makes people feel good about their work can provide valuable insights into motivating teams and fostering a sense of ownership. In this article, we will explore the connection between de-risking products and creating a fulfilling work environment.

Understanding Customer Needs:
While users of products can provide valuable feedback about their problems, we cannot solely rely on their input to come up with solutions. Users are often unreliable narrators of their own behaviors and preferences. Henry Ford famously said, "If I'd asked customers what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse." Instead, we should regularly talk to customers about their problems and then infer solutions ourselves. This highlights the importance of being excellent product thinkers and not solely relying on customer feedback.

Investment and Iteration:
Cody's design quality framework emphasizes that the level of investment before a product reaches a customer is tied to how confident we are in understanding the problem and the viability of the solution. Initial releases may not have all the features and functionalities teams desire, but through continuous iteration, this can be addressed. The key is to provide value to users as soon as possible, even if it means starting with a minimum viable product (MVP) or minimum viable feature (MVF). These iterations allow us to prove that our ideas solve a problem and subsequently invest more to reach the product's full potential.

The Role of Regular Releases:
Releasing products regularly not only provides value to users but also helps de-risk the technical aspects of the product. By releasing incrementally, we can observe how the product scales or breaks, rather than discovering issues all at once. This iterative approach allows us to make necessary adjustments and course corrections along the way, reducing the overall risk and increasing the chances of success.

What Makes Us Feel Good About Our Work:
In a separate study, it was found that people value what they put effort into more than things evaluated externally. This highlights the importance of recognizing and acknowledging the effort individuals put into their work. Shredding someone's effort in front of them or ignoring their performance can significantly diminish their motivation and sense of fulfillment. Whether someone loves their work or not, there is no correlation between their passion and the joy they derive from it.

The Connection Between Effort and Connection:
People feel a stronger connection to something when they have put effort into it. This connection is not present when something is too easy or requires no effort. For example, in a study involving building Bionicles, it was found that those who had a meaningful experience built more Bionicles compared to those in a Sisyphus-like condition. Even though the Bionicles would be destroyed soon, the small meaning derived from the activity made a significant difference. This correlation between effort and connection demonstrates the importance of investing time, energy, and effort to make people care more about their work.

Acknowledgement and Recognition:
Ignoring someone's performance or simply scanning their work without providing feedback can be as detrimental as shredding their effort in front of them. Taking the time to acknowledge and recognize the work individuals put into their tasks can dramatically improve their motivation. Even a simple "Uh huh" can have a significant impact on how people perceive their work and their sense of pride in it.

Adding Effort to Create Value:
In a study involving cake mix, it was discovered that people felt a stronger connection to the cake when they had to add eggs and milk to the mix. Without this effort, the cake felt impersonal and lacking in ownership. This humorous yet important point highlights the need for individuals to put some level of effort into their work to feel a genuine connection and pride in what they create.

The Power of Ownership and Pride:
When people put effort into something, they not only value it more themselves but also assume that others would value it more as well. In a study involving origami, builders valued their creations more than those who only evaluated them externally. The builders believed that their view of the world was shared by others, leading them to think that everybody else would love their origami creations as much as they did. This perspective sheds light on the importance of ownership, pride, and the intrinsic value individuals find in their work.

Conclusion:
Reducing product risk and fostering a fulfilling work environment are interconnected. By understanding how customers' needs and preferences cannot solely drive product development, we can focus on iteratively providing value to users while de-risking technical aspects through regular releases. Simultaneously, recognizing and acknowledging the effort individuals put into their work can significantly enhance their motivation and connection to the tasks they perform. To apply these insights, here are three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Regularly engage with users to understand their problems, but don't rely solely on their feedback to come up with solutions. Be an excellent product thinker by inferring solutions yourself.
2. Invest in iterative releases to prove that your ideas solve a problem and to de-risk the technical aspects of your product. Release incrementally to observe scalability and make necessary adjustments along the way.
3. Acknowledge and recognize the effort individuals put into their work. Even small gestures of feedback and appreciation can have a significant impact on motivation and pride.

By incorporating these principles into product development and team management, we can reduce risk, create meaningful products, and foster a work environment where individuals feel valued and motivated to excel.