Prioritizing Value Over Speed in Product Development

Agile Alone Won’t Save Your Product: Here's Why

Why do some launches fail despite meeting deadlines and budgets? The problem stems from three main reasons: either prioritizing delivery speed over value, confusing strategy with planning, or both. The most common issue in product and service development is creating solutions that no one needs. Measuring success based on speed or the number of features launched is another trap, often resulting in many unsuccessful solutions. Meeting deadlines also guarantees nothing if the problem to be solved hasn’t been clearly defined first.

In fact, methodologies like Agile or Scrum don’t help determine what to build, nor do they ensure value for users. So, how can you foster a culture that genuinely prioritizes the customer? To promote customer-focused teams, the approach must shift from "how much we build" to "what impact we create."

• Process: Agile and Scrum alone are not enough. You must define what to build and when. Encourage discovery practices and ensure teams understand the problem they are solving.
• Strategy: Instead of measuring the number of deliveries, measure the impact on customer satisfaction, retention, or other key metrics that reflect the solution's value.
• Culture: Foster a culture that supports learning, experimentation with prototypes, and taking risks to iterate based on discoveries.

Meeting deadlines is important but doesn't guarantee success without a clearly defined problem. Focusing on building value, not just deliverables, is what truly matters.

by David Almazán