5⁵. Rapid innovation methodology #1
Simple experiments, not a grand strategy — part 1
A methodology built for Platform Engineers
The 5⁵ methodology I will describe in this article is original, it has not been previously published. I propose here a concrete modus operandi to animate your busy teams while leaving them a maximum of autonomy. It can also be seen as a way to see things in a new light, or to question assumptions and challenge the status quo.
Creativity
The methodology is designed to give teams the time and space to think creatively and come up with new ideas that can improve the platform. It is distinct from the concept of agility which is focused on making teams more productive. Agility is a way of working which focus on delivering value quickly and continuously through short iterations. The goal of agility is to enable teams to respond quickly to changing requirements, and to deliver working software as soon as possible.
Innovation
In contrast, the 5⁵ is focused on taking the time to imagine how to do things differently. It is about setting aside dedicated time and resources for experimentation and idea generation, with the goal of coming up with new and innovative solutions to the problems that the ‘platform’ is facing.
Creativity is the ability to generate new and original ideas, while innovation is the process of taking those ideas and turning them into something that has value, such as a new product, service, or process. 5⁵ is a tool for evaluating ideas, identifying the best ones, implementing them successfully as experiments and always stay flexible. I designed it for engineering platforms, but it can be easily adapted.
In a nutshell,
5⁵ — No more than 5 days to come up with a portfolio of 5 genius experiments that cost no more than $5,000 (each) and take no longer than 5 weeks to run by 5 different leads.
A combination of creativity, short planning, and execution… It starts with a 5-day challenge, which pushes a team to think outside the box and come up with innovative experiments. Their goal is to craft a portfolio of 5 remarkable experiments that are both value, cost and time efficient.
By setting a cost limit of $5,000 per experiment, the team will have to think creatively and come up with ideas that can be executed within this budget. They could use the money to investigate new technologies that could be beneficial to your platform, such as artificial intelligence or machine learning. They could use it to hire a developer with specific skills. Or invest a little bit in what seems to be necessary to make the experience happen.
By setting a time limit of 5 weeks, the team will have to work efficiently and make sure that their ideas can be implemented within this time-frame. It is therefore necessary to be very precise, because it’s short and as I said Platform Engineer are generally busy people. You have to consider that what you do is disposable. And that on the 5 experiments that we are going to do… only one will have to succeed to consider that the whole process is a success.
Failures and learnings are celebrated as well as successes.
If the assumptions made during the elaboration of the portfolio prove to be beneficial to the improvement of the product, that is great. The team is under no obligation to continue working on the experiment after the 5 weeks!
The team will be composed of 5 different leads that will work together to come up with the best ideas possible. And each of them will be responsible for an experiment. Regularly changing the leader of an experiments can bring a number of benefits:
- Fresh perspectives & different approaches to problems
- Improved collaboration between participants
- Flexibility, adapt to changing circumstances and requirements
5⁵ — Lead waves of changes
Teams are often loaded with goals and objectives that they need to achieve, and they may have no time or resources to work on issues that they feel are important. This can lead to a lack of focus on innovation and new ideas, as the team is primarily focused on meeting their existing goals and objectives.
Leave behind old problems and their ties. Ready for whatever comes our way.
I have enjoyed defining a methodology for fostering innovation in my team. It provides a structure to pursue technological improvements by also bringing in new ideas. The method of creating the necessary time for the team to make things happen. A framework for innovation can help to prioritize and focus resources on the most promising areas of development. This will help foster collaboration and communication within a team and/or your organization, which can lead to the development of new and improved products and processes for your platform.
It’s up to you to try
I hope you enjoy the 5⁵. It can help your company grow and compete in a rapidly changing technology landscape by always providing…
>> The best platform for your product teams!!
Is your team ready to take their platform engineering to the next level? Without establishing a grand strategy in advance? Please read the 2nd part of this article .
To know how to concretely launch your experiments, read this second article, ‘Harnessing creativity and winning with 5⁵’. If you found the 5⁵ helpful or interesting, please consider using it with your colleagues! — Clement Hussenot
