Don’t wait until it’s finished.

The traditional approach to product development involves building a complete product before attempting to sell it to customers. This approach is often taken by sales departments, as they prefer to have a tangible product that they can market to potential customers.

However, in agile software development, the product is never truly finished, and waiting for a fully polished product before attempting to sell it can be a mistake. Agile development is based on the principle of delivering value to the customer as quickly as possible, often through a series of small, iterative releases.

By waiting for a complete product, sales departments may miss out on valuable feedback from early adopters that could be used to improve the product. Additionally, customers may lose interest in the product if they must wait too long for its release, or if they find that the product does not meet their needs or expectations.

In contrast, by selling the product as early as possible, agile software development teams can quickly gather feedback from customers and use that feedback to improve the product. This approach also allows the development team to iterate on the product more quickly, adjusting based on customer feedback and ensuring that the final product meets the needs and expectations of the target audience.

Waiting for a finished product before attempting to sell it may be a mistake in agile software development. Instead, it is often better to sell the product as early as possible, gather feedback from customers, and iterate on the product to ensure that it meets the needs and expectations of the target audience.

In agile software development, waiting for a finished product before attempting to sell it to customers is not an effective approach. Instead, there are several things that you can do to ensure the success of your product and maximize its potential in the market.

1. Sell the product as early as possible: In agile development, it’s important to get feedback from customers as early as possible to ensure that the product meets their needs and expectations. This means that you should start selling the product even before it’s finished. Early adopters can provide valuable feedback that can help you improve the product and better meet the needs of your target audience. Sell what you have!
2. Gather feedback and iterate: Agile development is based on an iterative approach, where you continuously gather feedback from customers and use that feedback to make improvements to the product. Once you’ve started selling the product, it’s important to gather feedback from customers and use that feedback to iterate on the product. This approach allows you to make changes quickly and ensures that the final product meets the needs of your target audience.
3. Prioritize features based on customer feedback: When developing a product in an agile environment, it’s important to prioritize features based on customer feedback. By listening to your customers, you can identify the features that are most important to them and prioritize those features in your development process. This approach ensures that you’re developing a product that meets the needs of your target audience and provides the most value to your customers.
4. Work closely with product management and sales: In an agile development environment, it’s important to have strong communication and collaboration between the development team, product management, and sales. Product management plays a critical role in defining the product strategy and ensuring that the product meets customer needs, while the sales team is responsible for effectively marketing and selling the product. By working closely with these teams, you can ensure that the product is effectively positioned in the market and that the sales team has the resources they need to be successful.

The sales team plays a critical role in providing feedback on the product and ensuring that it meets the needs of the target audience. By selling the product as early as possible, the sales team can gather valuable feedback from early adopters and use that feedback to inform future product development. At the same time, the sales team must also be able to effectively market and sell the product, which requires a deep understanding of the product’s features and benefits.

MMP

A minimum marketable product (MMP) is a product that has just enough features to satisfy early customers and provide feedback for future development. The sales team plays a critical role in the development of an MMP, as they are responsible for understanding the needs of customers and communicating those needs to the development team.

To effectively communicate their expectations for an MMP, the sales team should follow these best practices:

• Clearly define the target market: The sales team should have a clear understanding of the target market for the product. They should identify the specific needs and pain points of the target audience and communicate those needs to the development team. By clearly defining the target market, the development team can focus on delivering the features that are most important to the target audience.
• Prioritize features based on customer feedback: The sales team should gather feedback from customers and use that feedback to prioritize features for the MMP. They should identify the minimum set of features that are necessary to satisfy early customers and provide feedback for future development. By prioritizing features based on customer feedback, the sales team can ensure that the MMP meets the needs of the target audience.
• Set realistic expectations for the product: The sales team should set realistic expectations for the MMP, both in terms of the features that will be included and the timeline for development. They should communicate the benefits and limitations of the product to customers and manage their expectations accordingly. By setting realistic expectations, the sales team can avoid disappointment and ensure that customers are satisfied with the product.
• Collaborate closely with the development team: The sales team should collaborate closely with the development team throughout the development process. They should provide feedback on features and functionality and communicate any changes in the market or customer needs. By working closely with the development team, the sales team can ensure that the MMP meets the needs of the target audience and is effectively positioned in the market.
• Continuously gather feedback and iterate: Once the MMP is released, the sales team should continue to gather feedback from customers and use that feedback to iterate on the product. They should identify areas for improvement and communicate those improvements to the development team. By continuously gathering feedback and iterating on the product, the sales team can ensure that the product evolves to meet the changing needs of the target audience.

In summary, to effectively communicate their expectations for an MMP, the sales team should clearly define the target market, prioritize features based on customer feedback, set realistic expectations for the product, collaborate closely with the product management and development team, and continuously gather feedback and iterate. By following these best practices, the sales team can ensure that the MMP meets the needs of the target audience and provides a strong foundation for future development.