A new kind of launch.

On a fine Monday morning, you come into the office, login into your email and find this launch mail from one of the teams-

Launched: < Team name> launches ‘30% reduction in idea evaluation time’

What thoughts come into your mind when you see something like this? I would feel a sense of strange relief when I see an improvement like this verbalised proudly like a feature launch. It would conjure images of an team focussed on first principles and second order thinking. An everfresh bunch of people building products they believe in and who would stick together when times get tough.

Pace of innovation matters. Pace of quality innovation matters more. Pace of quality innovation that continuously improves matters most.

Like it or not, innovation is determined by a process. A process set in place by product teams. The process itself can have flexibility and autonomy. But it has to be built-in. Of all the furiously innovative teams, some have cultures nurtured consistently over a period of time. Other do it via an established process (which in turn becomes culture). While others do both. But all do it deliberately. A decision to make a part of the product lifecycle process-free is also a process. No consistently successful team leaves innovation to hope. Because hope is not a strategy. Process determines the quality of product you are willing to tolerate in a measurable way. Process determines what you are asking your team to focus on. In many ways, process also determines discretionary* effort by the team. *Discretionary effort: Doing more than the basic required, out of ones own accord, to build products that are delightful and margin enhancing over a long period of time)

So basically, ‘Process’ is larger than its sounds. In need, scope and importance. Furiously innovative teams embrace and continuously improve it.

So today, let’s start announcing a different kind of launch, mixed in with launch of features. A type of launch that improves and evolves the way products get built itself.

Here are some thoughts on the email subject-lines of these new kind of launch emails:

Launched: <North star metric here> version 2.0 based on evolved customer behaviour

Launched: <Your team> launches 30% reduction in idea evaluation time

Launched: One year license for the team for instant usability testing

Launched: Templates for direct communication with <Insert name of CxO, VP, Director etc.>. No sign-off needed.

Focussing on continuous and visible improvement in product development process over a consistent period of time will build strong fundamentals that will outlive individuals and trends. Announcing it will infuse more focus and energy in your team to keep improving every day, week and month; eventually create an inimitable advantage that lead to magical products.

Happy building.

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