Google I/O 2014: Perfectly Executing The Wrong Plan

Watch the talk: http://youtu.be/9TJTbRw4ri8

App developers ask themselves excellent questions about their users: Do people need my app? Can people use my app? Why do people sign up and then not use my app? However, app developers answer their excellent questions in invalid and unreliable ways. It is shocking to see how much effort app developers put in writing elegantly structured, refactored code, with good unit test coverage in an agile environment, and yet, their apps fail miserably.

This talk will inspire developers to implement valid and reliable ways to answer their most burning questions. It’ll help them validate or invalidate their assumptions on their own—cheaply, and quickly, by using simple user research techniques with a main goal in mind: developing apps people need, want, and enjoy.

Transcript

1. Perfectly Executing The Wrong Plan +Tomer Sharon @tsharon
2. Photo
3. Model and a Google Search software engineer:
4. Model and a Google Search
5. Photo by Stephen Dobeck
6. Logo design by Guy Carmeli
7. WILL AND DANA ARE FAILING Photo by Stephen Dobeck
8. Photo credit: Getty Images
9. Photo credit: Getty Images
10. Photo credit: Getty Images
11. Photo credit: Getty Images
12. +Tomer Sharon @tsharon leanresearch.co
13. 6 BIG PROBLEMS Photo credit: Getty Images
14. 1. PROBLEM Photo
15. Are people interested enough to give us their email address?
16. 2. LEARNED FROM FRIENDS Photo
17. 3. LISTENED TO USERS Models and Google Search software engineers: Angela Chang, Andrei Matei, & Ivo Popov
18. DON’T LISTEN TO USERS Photo credit: Getty Images @tsharon
19. OBSERVE BEHAVIOR Photo credit: Getty Images @tsharon
20. Models and Google Search software engineers: Angela Chang, Andrei Matei, & Ivo Popov
21. BAD AT PREDICTING THE FUTURE Photo credit: Getty Images
22. GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHEAT… Photo credit: Getty Images
23. WHAT WE SAY, WHAT WE DO Photo credit: Getty Images
24. “WOULD YOU USE OUR APP?” Models and Google Search software engineers: Angela Chang, Andrei Matei, & Ivo Popov
25. 4. DIDN’T TEST RISKIEST ASSUMPTION Photo credit: Getty Images
26. Smartphone owners are aware of their ineffective note-taking habits. note.io’s riskiest assumption
27. 5. BOB-THE-BUILDER MENTALITY Photo @tsharon
28. 6. PERFECTLY EXECUTE THE WRONG PLAN Photo
29. PROBLEM MARKET PRODUCT Credit: Laura Klein,
30. WHAT ARE THEY DOING WELL? Photo
31. Interviews with 150 app developers (Sharon, 2015 - expected) Who are my customers? Do people need my product? Is the product usable? Is the product better than the competition? Is the product getting better? Do people want the product? 0% 25% 50% 75% 100% 78% 84% 86% 89% 95% 97% Questions app developers ask about users
32. UNDERSTAND PRIORITIES Photo
34. EXECUTING THE RIGHT PLAN Photo by Stephen Dobeck
35. LEAN USER RESEARCH Photo by Stephen Dobeck
36. PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO PRODUCT USERS, THEIR PERSPECTIVES, AND ABILITIES TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE RIGHT TIME. Photo credit: Getty Images @tsharon
38. OBSERVATION EXPERIENCE SAMPLING FAKE DOORS Photo credit: Getty Images
39. EXPERIENCE SAMPLING Photo credit: Getty Images
40. Photo credit: Getty Images
41. OVER AND OVER Photo credit: Getty Images
42. goo.gl/fw9gD Photo credit: Getty Images
44. A GREAT QUESTION Photo credit: Getty Images
45. NEEDS FEATURES PAINS DELIGHTS Photo credit: Getty Images
46. OBSERVATION EXPERIENCE SAMPLING FAKE DOORS Photo credit: Getty Images
47. OBSERVATION Photo credit: Getty Images
48. Photo credit: Getty Images
49. OBSERVING LISTENING NOTICING GATHERING Photo credit: Getty Images @tsharon
50. PAYING ATTENTION Photo credit: Getty Images
51. ROUTINES INTERRUPTIONS ANNOYANCES DELIGHTS TRANSITIONS Photo credit: Getty Images
52. FEATURES ASSUMPTIONS PROBLEMS WORKFLOWS GOALS Photo credit: Getty Images
53. OBSERVATION EXPERIENCE SAMPLING FAKE DOORS Photo credit: Getty Images
54. FAKE DOORS “FAKE IT ‘TILL YOU MAKE IT” Photo credit: Getty Images
56. Photo credit: Getty Images
58. Photo credit: Getty Images
59. OBSERVATION EXPERIENCE SAMPLING FAKE DOORS Photo credit: Getty Images
60. PROVIDE INSIGHTS INTO PRODUCT USERS, THEIR PERSPECTIVES, AND ABILITIES TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE AT THE RIGHT TIME. Photo credit: Getty Images @tsharon
61. Explode What helicopters do in movies With permission from truthfacts.com
62. Photo credit: Getty Images
63. +Tomer Sharon @tsharon leanresearch.co ! ! ! ! goo.gl/kvZ4OD Big thanks to Stephen Dobeck, Roman Nurik, Frank Romano, Jac de Haan, Guy Carmeli, Angela Chang, Andrei Matei, & Ivo Popov
64. Photo credit: Getty Images YOU DON’T HAVE TIME TO WORK ON THE WRONG APP
65. Photo credit: Getty Images PERFECTLY EXECUTE THE RIGHT PLAN