"In God we trust, all others must bring data!"
The above quote from Edwards Deming highlights one of the crucial principles in empirical product development.
Empirical product development (aka Empirical Process Control or Empiricism) is about making decisions based on observation, experimentation, and evidence rather than on theoretical models, assumptions, or mere intuition. In the context of Scrum, it means planning and adjusting product development (including internal processes) based on real-world data and feedback, ensuring that the product evolves in response to actual user and customer needs and market conditions.
This empirical approach is well-suited for environments characterised by significant uncertainty and unpredictability concerning what needs to be built and how it should be built. This uncertainty is induced by diverse factors like market conditions, ever changing requirements, changing technologies, competition, and other variables.
One of the most powerful ways to leverage empirical product planning is by tapping into user feedback. Your users are a goldmine of insights that can steer your product development in the right direction. By collecting, analysing, and acting on user feedback, you can identify pain points, uncover unmet needs, and prioritize features that will truly resonate with your audience.
In an upcoming post I will share three techniques we used at Microsoft to apply empiricism. If you are curious to learn about that, click the like ❤️ button below the article. (Well, isn't this an empirical approach to delivery blog content to you!!)
Now your turn, test your empirical skills:
Let's say your team is gearing up to launch a new app in a competitive market. How can empirical product planning assist you in analysing competitors, identifying unique selling points, and adapting strategies in real-time? Add your thoughts in comments below.
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