Topic

Define a Multi-value (minimums) Release Strategy

Response

Too often the technique of defining and creating a minimum viable product (commonly referred to as an MVP) proves to be too coarse of an instrument. Time and time again, Agile Teams working with their sponsors struggle to reach agreement on the context of their Minimum Viable Product (MVP), which also fails to gain feedback from a wide range of customers and users who have different needs and wants. For these reasons, the Monetical team promotes the adoption of a more enriched multi-value release strategy that aligns with segmentation based customer profiling.

A multi-value, minimum release strategy commences with a creation of a Minimum Testable Feature, progressing to a minimum releasable feature; prior to the definition and creating of a minimum testable product, consisting of multiple features. Finally, the definition and creation of a minimum releasable product.

The adoption of such a multi-value release strategy that places greater emphasis on customer centricity will ensure the Agile Team is constantly working on the high-value items first and promotes two of the Agile Principles:

We are delivering WORKING SOLUTIONS FREQUENTLY, from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, with a preference to the shorter.
We have mastered the ART OF SIMPLICITY, which is maximising the amount of work not being done.

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Agile teams and the wider organisation should be discouraged from using the term ‘MVP’. Because nobody can agree on its success criteria. Furthermore, it doesn’t promote a multi-value release strategy that encourages a PDCA cycle.

Segmentation Based Customer Model

Defining customers based on similar needs and wants, are referred to as segments. Developing a release strategy based on customer or user demographic, rather than behavioural characteristics simply delay value being gained by the majority of the users or increased investment costs attributed to multiple marketing strategies.

Minimum Release Cycle

A minimum definition cycle is a maturing of the minimum viable product (MVP) strategy. Its focus is on the deriving value for the new product or service based on a series a minimum release cycle. A minimum definition cycle consists of multiple stages

Minimum Testable Feature (MTF) Represents a small unit of value to the customer, for example, an ability to categorise your photos, or the ability to convert colour photos into black and white.
Minimum Testable Product (MTP) (Release) Once a series of approved, tested Features have been complete the opportunity to make available a minimum testable Product becomes viable. For example, bringing together a series of Features that interact with one another to enable extensive user and application interaction testing to be carried out.
Minimum Releasable Feature (MRF). Once the team has gained the confidence from the initial Feature testing and the latest minimum testable product, the team can confidently make the release available to the market or general user base.
Minimum Releasable Product (MRP)(Release) Building on the success of the minimum releasable Feature the team can consider a Minimum Releasable Product. It is at this stage the team and organisation must consider the characteristics of the user or customer base. In particular, whether the initial target is focused on a single segment or the broader market or user base.
Minimum Lovable Product (MLP). Finally, a Minimum Lovable Product is one that consist of all the features for all of the market or user base. In reality, continuing to invest in a product or offering that reaches this level of maturity is rare. More often that not, the team or organisation has identified a more lucrative opportunity or pressing problem to address. And therefore, in the face of diminishing returns for continuing on their current release strategy they decide to divert future investment in an alternative product or project.

Discover more

Additional information, including working examples and templates are available in the Monetical knowledge base.