Myths of Product Development – Part 2

There are myths of product development that Quality can help with.

In the previous Part 1, we talked about how we cannot treat the product development process like a manufacturing process. But, there are ways we can apply Quality to the product development process without doing this. Quality can help with early concept development, to evaluate data, and to manage teamwork.

Listen to this Part 2 as we continue to unpack Harvard Business Review’s “The Six Myths of Product Development” by Stefan Thomke and Donald Reinersten. We review the final three of the six myths in the article, revealing the misconceptions around timing development cycles, getting things right the first time, and adding many features.

Discover how quality thinking and systems approaches not only enhances collaboration but also improves user experience from the ground up. By integrating insights from the concept phase, teams can make more informed and strategic decisions throughout the development lifecycle.

We review these fallacies in this episode:

A: “Processing work in large batches improves the economics of the development process.” (3:07)

B: “We will be more successful if we get it right the first time.” (6:02)

C: “The more features we put into a product, the more customers will like it.” (7:53)

How Quality during Design relates to these three myths. (9:45)

We conclude the episode with an overall review of the HBR article and final thoughts about Parts 1 and 2. (14:15)

Plan for smaller development ‘batch’ sizes, foster a culture of experimentation, and prioritize feature quality over quantity. When done, teams can drive meaningful change and deliver products that resonate with customers.

By adopting a systems approach focused on the user, teams can gather and prioritize information for design inputs. This proactive strategy ensures that products are not only functional but also delightful to use. By considering user experiences from the outset, teams can anticipate potential pitfalls and design solutions that address them effectively.

Quality tools and systems thinking can play a pivotal role in achieving this, by reshaping team practices. By integrating these approaches from the concept phase, teams can make more informed decisions throughout the development lifecycle.

The Harvard Business Review article:

Reinersten, Donald and Stefan Thomke. “Six Myths of Product Development.” Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2012/05/six-myths-of-product-development. Accessed July 1, 2024.

Six Myths of Product Development (hbr.org)