During this talk, I shared some insights on how we in the Product Lifecycle team use the Global Product Lifecycle to provide a lens into Product Strategy. This enables us to take a look closer into products in the portfolio and make decisions based upon Core, Adjacent and Transformational strategic decisions. At the practices level I also shared how Agile, Lean and Lean Startup are built into the product development practices and form the engine of product development. Behind the product lifecycle I also shared how we are developing a strategic knowledge network across the organisation to empower the enabling functions to work together and contribute to the product lifecycle. This is a direct systems thinking strategy, utilising the specialists skills to surfacing a network of key partners and individuals. Through this network we are able to increase the organisational capabilities to innovate, share knowledge and reduce waste. All of this supports the open source structure we are applying in portfolio governance to truly embrace a learning organisation.

1. Product Lifecycle
Developing An
Innovation Culture

2. Team

4. ● Approx 44,000 employees worldwide
● Institutional sales & print background
● The world’s largest publisher and learning company
● Operates in over 70+ countries
● Growth through acquisition
● 170 years old

5. Learner At
The Centre

6. The World Has Changed

7. SOFTWARE IS EATING
THE WORLD
Marc Andreesen

8. Larry Downes is co-author, with Paul Nunes, of Big Bang Disruption: Strategy in the Age of Devastating Innovation
Traditional Models Are Changing
Big Bang Market Adoption
Roger’s
Market
Segments

9. Investment Strategy
High Probability
Low Probability
Low Impact
Most
Organisations
High Impact
Start Ups

10. The good news is that big-bang disruptions hold immense
potential for those who can quickly learn the new rules of
unencumbered development, unconstrained growth, and
undisciplined strategy. Your current business may be replaced
by something more dynamic and unstable but also more
profitable. And the change will come not over time but suddenly.
Opportunity For Change
Larry Downes is co-author, with Paul Nunes, of Big Bang Disruption: Strategy in the Age of Devastating
Innovation
“
”

11. Governance
Capability to Innovate
New Ideas
Products
Long development time
18 months+
Bottleneck of ideas

13. Product Lifecycle

14. Key Questions
Can you
identify a
core user
problem
in a
target
market?
Are there real
customers who
get value from
your concept?
Is there a
viable business
model for this
product?
Can you
demonstrate
Product/
Market Fit
or validated
business
model?
How fast are
you growing
the business at
scale? Are you
continuing to
deliver
outcomes to a
broader user
set?
Are you delivering
revenue and outcomes
while reducing costs?
What residual
value can be
gleaned from the
business?
Idea Explore Validate Grow Sustain Retire

15. 15
Open Source Product Lifecycle Criteria V1.0
Learning about
practice
Common extensions
can be incorporated
into later versions

16. A Non Linear Process
Learn Build
Measure

17. http://www.ted.com/talks/linda_hill_how_to_manage_for_collective_creativity?language=en#t-168239
Product Development - Non Linear

18. Adaptive Strategy And The Product Lifecycle

19. Product Lifecycle - A Strategic Lens
Bansi Nagji &
Geoff Tuff
https://hbr.org/2012/05/
managing-your-innovation-
portfolio
Core Products
These are existing
products that are
optimized for existing
customers
Adjacent Products
These represent incremental innovation
targeted at adjacent markets
Transformational
Products
These represent breakthrough
innovation in which the company
develops new products for new markets
20%
of investments
are in adjacent
innovation
10%
of investments
are in
transformationa
l initiatives
70%
of investments
are safe bets in
core products

20. Product Lifecycle Principles
More Ideas, More Bets, More Tests
New Ideas
Not all the ideas
survive but all the
learnings are recorded
All the ideas are
quickly captured
and tested
One to three
months turnaround

21. Learn Fast Culture

22. Lean And Agile Adaptive Culture
Agile Principles
Ideas
Data
Data
Learn
Measure
Build
Data
Lean Startup

23. Principles & Metrics
● Quality at the front of the line
● Move from doubt to certainty
● Avoid waste
● Work in small batches
● Measure outcomes and
impact, not simply output
2011 2012 2013 2014
Time
Visits
1.000.000
Cumulative # visits
Monthly # visits

24. Principles Over Processes
Outcomes Over Outputs

25. Safe Environment To Try New Things

26. MVP - Product Growth
http://blog.mercdev.com/mvp-when-less-is-more/
Not like this…
Like this…

27. Business Model Innovation

28. Deliberate Diversity
Turning Sparks Into Fires

29. 29
London Food
17693 Restaurants
Top 10 food Cities Michelin Star
Yesteryear Today

30. 30
Startup Capitals Centred Around Diversity
http://startupblink.com/

31. Become Bilingual

32. Don’t Limit The Source Of Ideas

33. Companies Creating More
Sparks Leading To More Fires
33
Big investment in one spark
Smaller investments in lots of spark
Only takes one good spark
to start a fire

34. Product Lifecycle
Knowledge Network
Systems Thinking
Approach To Product
Development
Design
Lead has
been identified
Slice is engaged
with the lifecycle
Everything is wrapped
in Principles & Values,
Governance and Quality.
34

35. Roles
35

36. Leader/champion
UX
HE
School
NPS
XYZ
36

37.
Today Tomorrow
Decentralized
Network
Distributed
Network
37
Product team
has better
access to all
parts of the
business
Product team
has restricted
access to other
parts of the
business which
can hinder or
slow progress

38. 38
Don’t Leave
Serendipity
to Chance...
Deliberate Diversity!

39. 39
Key Ingredients
● Active vs Adaptive Portfolios
● Be Deliberate About Diversity
● Culture Eats Strategy For Breakfast
● Data Driven Decisions
● Experiment, Experiment, Experiment

40. Thank You
craig.strong@pearson.com
@craigstrong