Project Management. Sprint Framework

Hello there, so this is my latest article on what I’ve learnt so far at CXL institute and it is going to be a continuation of last weeks article. So let’s get right to it!

Alright, so last week I talked about people and priorities along with the framework and steps involved, this week I will do the same with processes as I round up my scholarship opportunity at CXL institute.

Processes

Processes involves how we actually figure out how to operationalize, it is where we set and build our framework. The framework I will discuss under processes is the sprint framework which is also the framework used at CXL, so it is one that works. First, you start with a heavy map phase where, ultimately, once you figured out what your initiative is going to be, you then do all of your research and you set your targets for what the goal and the targets will be that will achieve that particular objective. You then sketch it and you ultimately create what the plan is going to look like for achieving it. You'll move into the decision phase where you storyboard and you create your overall plan of what it's going to look like. You then prototype it. You build just enough of the thing so that you can move into the test phase and test it on real users and real customers. So the sprint framework consists of map, sketch, decide, prototype, test and results. The map where you research, you set your targets, then you've got sketch, where you pitch ideas and you vote. You then decide what your actual plan is going to be. You prototype, you build the thing just enough so that you can then test it. Do interviews, set out how might we's, prioritize, and then eventually, launch the thing.

Sprint: Map

Like I said, the map is where you research and set your targets. when it comes to the map phase of the sprint structure, it's really important to use research so that you create measurable, achievable targets that outline and solve for micro-problems. And so ultimately, set you up to create a more successful, winning campaign. Research is key to eliminating assumptions from your marketing projects overall and getting you better results.

Sprint: Sketch

The sketch is where you pitch ideas and you vote. You then decide what your actual plan is going to be. It is really the most creative part of the Sprint structure. And so really what you do is you pitch your ideas as a team and then you vote. it's really important that you go into some detail but not too much. You draw diagrams when needed. But it's also really important to think about the fact that when you get into the voting phase of this particular section of the Sprint structure. When you get to the voting phase, you have to remember, you do pick one objection. You pick one route and that is what sets you up for the decision and planning that will ultimately slight other ideas. So not all ideas can be winners. But it sure is the most creative phase, and it's when you come together as a team to spend time pitching ideas on how you want to tackle your problem and objective, and ultimately set out to plan and create your decisions for the next phase of your campaign.

Sprint: Decide

This is a really critical aspect of the Sprint framework and so, once you've voted and pitched all of your ideas, you really create the overarching campaign plan. the decision phase is really when you take your plan, you create a high-level overview of what that looks like, but then you really drill down and you get into the specifics of what every week you and your launch squad will be focused on.

Sprint: Prototype

So, after you've decided and scoped everything and everything seems right or you had to maybe throw a few ideas out the window because they weren't within scope, you really go and you build the prototype. And the whole point of scoping and prototyping in fact is actually to just build enough, so that when you get to the next phase, it's just enough to be tested, so it's usable enough but it doesn't need to be perfect. It is just about building enough so that you can get right into the next phase and making sure that enough people look and are using it the way that you want them to. It removes assumptions on it will be interpreted and how it'll be used, and helps in making a campaign that relies less on assumptions, and more on research and actual feedback.

Sprint: Test

The test phase is the final phase of the sprint structure. And so after you built your prototypes, this is when you actually take them and interview customers and have them test them out. This phase is really critical to bringing research back into the fold, making sure that you're creating a campaign that removes assumptions and can tell you how someone mayor may not interpret your message in order for you to tailor it so that it's way more effective and way more results oriented going forward.

Sprint: Results

So, after executing the entire Sprint structure, and implemented it all, we've tested all of our feedback, all of our prototypes. This is when we go back to the table, we rebuild it all according to the feedback we got, and we will launch the product or campaign.

That’s it for this article, what an amazing opportunity it has been to learn a lot about growth marketing. I hope you have enjoyed my articles so far some of the knowledge and insights about Growth Marketing.

If you want to learn more in detail about growth marketing or any other marketing course, feel free to visit CXL Institute website. They have a wide range of marketing courses and top 1% professionals in different fields of marketing that impact first class knowledge. You can also apply for their mini-degree scholarship programs just like i did.