How to Deal with a Product Setback
You do everything you can to avoid them, but sometimes, product setbacks just happen. And they happen to everyone. Just look at Apple. One of the world’s most successful tech companies recently announced that they were abandoning their eagerly anticipated AirPower project because they couldn’t achieve results that they deemed satisfactory.
This is an extreme example, but it just goes to highlight that tech products, particularly those in their infancy, are susceptible to all manner of setbacks and delays. Apple’s move to pull the plug on AirPower was highly unusual, and it doesn’t mean that all setbacks will result in a product being shelved.
Knowing how to respond to issues throughout your product timeline — from inception to a release — is a key component in tech development. We’ve laid out some tips to help you navigate any bumps in the road you may come across while developing your products.
Analyse the Entire Product, Not Just the Fault
The problem with product setbacks, especially in the world of tech, is that they’re often deceptive. What looks like a simple fault or oversight can often mask a far deeper issue, such as problems with the backend of a system or other fundamental areas of the product.
Instead of focusing on the individual faults one at a time, make a concerted effort to analyse the entire product at a base level. This may be time consuming, but you could very easily discover more problems beneath the surface, thereby saving yourself time, money and embarrassment in the long run.
Know When to Start Again
It can be difficult to accept, but sometimes in the development of a product, the faults are so deep rooted that it will take more resources to correct the issues than it would to start the project again.
If it turns out that the product needs a complete and fundamental overhaul, this can be a good opportunity to implement increased functionality and flexibility from the beginning. Be sure to consult with the entire team to try and find ways of capitalising on the setback to make the product better.
Be Transparent with the Entire Team
If you’re creating a product entirely on your own, this is less of an issue. However, where a development team is involved, it is important that the details of the product setback are fully communicated to everyone involved.
Scrum masters and project managers may need to enact plans for their teams to analyse and report on their recent work, to try and get a better understanding of the factors that contributed to this product setback. Again, this may save time and money going forward, as inefficient or incorrect practices within certain teams may be discovered in this period of analysis.
Seek Outside Assistance
Getting independent assistance on a setback may be a step to take if you and your team are having trouble with identifying what exactly went wrong. External consultants can bring fresh perspectives to your business operations and development process, making them a valuable resource to utilise at any point in a product’s development cycle.
If Necessary, Address the Setback Publicly
Again, this will depend on the size and scope of the product, and the team developing it. If you have set a release date that is not going to be met, then you will need to issue some kind of statement to customers and investors.
Mainstream products have been known to be affected by release delays, with reasons including supply problems with essential components. The important thing is that you maintain the trust of consumer base by keeping them well informed, and reassured that this setback will result in a stronger final product.
Don’t be Disheartened
Discovering mistakes can be tough, but it’s far better to discover them ahead of time when the product is still in development, than when it’s been released and it’s your customers getting a nasty surprise.
Don’t let your self confidence be hit. Take pride in the fact that you were conscientious and thorough enough to spot the flaw, and then work hard to learn from it. In doing so, you will demonstrate to your team and to yourself that product setbacks aren’t the end of the world; that they can be effectively addressed and overcome.
