Slides from my recent talk at the Lean/Agile Practitioners Meetup. Talk description: We take for granted that the systems we work on now are social systems. Sites like Amazon have used user-generated content for over 20 years. Twitter and Facebook are each about a decade old. But even though social systems are now commonplace, the methods we use to design, build, and launch them are still based on techniques we developed while working on last-generation technology. So how can product teams cope? As agile and lean practitioners know, iterative methods play an important part in our work on these systems. In recent projects, Josh Seiden has been working with teams to link these methods together in a “learning-from-live-systems” approach. In this talk, Josh will take a deep dive into a recent project that illustrates this way of working. Come hear how the team behind Taproot Plus was able to invent and launch an online marketplace for skilled volunteers in just a few months. Online marketplace projects like this one can easily burn through budget and never launch. Instead, we've been live since nearly Day One. Come see how our small team of designers, developers, and product managers has carefully launched and developed this new business in a way that minimized spend and risk, and maximized the chances of success.

1. @jseiden
LearningFromLiveSystems
Agile/LeanMeetUp
March5,2015
Josh Seiden
Principal
Neo New York
josh.seiden@neo.com
@jseiden

2. NEO: FULL-STACK INNOVATION
@jseiden

3. Me and my #hashtags
@jseiden
Josh Seiden
www.neo.com
@neoinnovate
@jseiden #leanUX
#NoEstimates
#leanUXbook

4. @jseiden
http://youtu.be/57dzaMaouXA

5. User proposes hashtag, 2007
@jseiden
“ how do you feel about using # (pound)
for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]? ”
- Chris Messina, Aug 23 2007

6. Twitter officially supports hashtags, 2009
@jseiden
“ how do you feel about using # (pound)
for groups. As in #barcamp [msg]? ”
- Chris Messina, Aug 23 2007
Twitter adds hyperlinks to all hashtags
used in tweets.

7. EMERGENCE
@jseiden

10. @jseiden
http://youtu.be/YpEJEVsIRYo

14. LEARNING FROM LIVE SYSTEMS:
1. THE BRIEF
2. CASE STUDY
3. KEYS TO WORKING THIS WAY
@jseiden

15. 1THE BRIEF
@jseiden

16. The Taproot Foundation drives
social change by leading,
mobilizing, and engaging
professionals in pro bono service.
@jseiden

17. CASE STUDY:
2-SIDED
MARKETPLACE.
@jseiden

18. CREATE AN ONLINE MARKETPLACE.
@jseiden
Skilled Volunteer Non-profit organization

19. @jseiden

20. @jseiden
?

21. PROJECT GOALS
Create a 2-Sided, Online Marketplace.
Desired Functionality:
A web-based “Marketplace” should allow users to identify their needs,
identify providers of desired services, get matched with qualified providers
of these services, initiate communication with these providers, access
project management guides and content provided, and report on the
success or failure of the project.
Desired Outcome:
Service seekers and service providers will be able to find each other in
greater numbers and complete more projects than would otherwise be
possible if they had to rely on the [existing offline] process alone.
@jseiden

22. 2CASE STUDY
@jseiden

23. WHAT
FEATURES
DO USERS
NEED?
@jseiden

24. Initial Project Timeline
@jseiden
RESEARCH PRODUCTION
8 weeks 12 weeks
GO
LIVE.
START
BUILD.
?

25. Project Timeline: Concierge MVP
@jseiden
RESEARCH PRODUCTION
8 weeks 12 weeks
GO
LIVE.
START
BUILD.

26. INDEX DETAIL
2 STATIC PAGES

27. Helpest

30. Metrics on Day 1
@jseiden
RESEARCH PRODUCTION
8 weeks 12 weeks
START
BUILD.

33. CURRENT STATUS
@jseiden

35. Projects posted: 280
Projects inquiries: 268
Total Inquiries: 936
Calls scheduled: 406
Project matches made: 134
STATE OF THE MARKETPLACE

36. DELIVERING VALUE
@jseiden
“[We were] thrilled to have the opportunity to work with a
videographer from the Marketplace to develop a short video
documenting our impact in the community. We planned to
showcase the video at our annual gala, but Pauline’s vision,
ambition and professionalism motivated us to not only hold a
screening, but submit the short documentary for a national
Sundance contest. Once again, kudos to The Marketplace for a
great match!”
“If i sound overenthusiastic, I just can’t tell you how happy we are
to have the [service provider] on board.”
“I’d love to [post more projects on [The Marketplace]. We are
thrilled and I’m looking forward to the next one.”

37. 3KEYS TO WORKING THIS WAY
@jseiden

38. KEYS TO WORKING THIS WAY
1. FUND OUTCOMES
2. CREATE THE CONVERSATION
3. PROGRAMS, NOT PROJECTS
4. CREATE A SANDBOX
5. CREATE A CULTURE OF YES
@jseiden

39. 3.1 FUND OUTCOMES
@jseiden

40. PROJECT GOALS
Create a 2-Sided, Online Marketplace.
Desired Functionality:
A web-based “Marketplace” should allow users to identify their needs,
identify providers of desired services, get matched with qualified providers
of these services, initiate communication with these providers, access
project management guides and content provided, and report on the
success or failure of the project.
Desired Outcome:
Service seekers and service providers will be able to find each other in
greater numbers and complete more projects that would otherwise be
possible if they had to rely on the [existing offline] process alone.
@jseiden

41. PROJECT GOALS
Create a 2-Sided, Online Marketplace.
Desired Functionality:
A web-based “Marketplace” should allow users to identify their needs,
identify providers of desired services, get matched with qualified providers
of these services, initiate communication with these providers, access
project management guides and content provided, and report on the
success or failure of the project.
Desired Outcome:
Service seekers and service providers will be able to find each other in
greater numbers and complete more projects that would otherwise be
possible if they had to rely on the [existing offline] process alone.
@jseiden

42. OUTPUT vs. OUTCOME
@jseiden

43. 3.2 CREATE THE CONVERSATION
@jseiden

45. @jseiden
http://youtu.be/xLl8-eJfVME

46. 46

47. 47
Smule was founded [by Jeff Smith] and a group of Stanford and Princeton
music PhD’s, including Dr. Ge Wang… a Stanford professor at the Center for
Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA) and director of the
Stanford Laptop Orchestra. It also turns out that Sonic Lighter is not Smule’s
end goal. Rather, its a demonstration app for a new audio programming
language called ChucK.
- TechCruch, Sept 26, 2008

48. COMMUNITY MANAGER

49. 3.3 PROGRAMS, NOT PROJECTS
@jseiden

50. What’s Wrong With This Timeline?
@jseiden
RESEARCH PRODUCTION
8 weeks 12 weeks

52. Changes to funding models
• No more “projects.” Think standing programs, standing teams.
• New contract models with vendors: fee for service, vs. fee for
deliverables
• Regular funding reviews based on outcomes.
@jseiden

53. 3.4 CREATE A SANDBOX
@jseiden

54. SANDBOX: A SAFE PLACE TO PLAY
1. INFRASTRUCTURE: Releases, A/B Testing, Feature flags.
2. CULTURE: Permission to experiment and fail.
3. BUSINESS RULES: Understand the limits. Negotiate boundaries.
4. BRAND PROTECTION: Respect for the brand.
@jseiden

55. 3.5 CREATE A CULTURE OF YES
@jseiden

57. Ideas emerge everywhere
@jseiden

58. KEYS TO WORKING THIS WAY
1. FUND OUTCOMES
2. CREATE THE CONVERSATION
3. PROGRAMS, NOT PROJECTS
4. CREATE A SANDBOX
5. CREATE A CULTURE OF YES
@jseiden

59. THANK YOU!
@jseiden
www.leanuxbook.com
www.neo.com

60. ATTRIBUTIONS
• Incognito designed by Alen Krummenacher from the
thenounproject.com
• Computer designed by Edward Boatman from the
thenounproject.com
• Cloud designed by Edward Boatman from the
thenounproject.com
• Smartphone designed by George Agpoon from the
thenounproject.com
• Building designed by Mundo from the
thenounproject.com
@jseiden