The Principles of Product Development Flow

This book challenges the conventional wisdom in product development by highlighting the flaws in current practices, such as maximizing capacity utilization and eliminating variability.

It introduces a new approach based on solid economics and real science, focusing on controlling invisible and unmanaged queues that undermine product development performance.

The book provides 175 underlying principles organized into eight major areas, including improving economic decisions, managing queues, reducing batch size, applying WIP constraints, accelerating feedback, managing flows in the presence of variability, and decentralizing control.

It draws on insights from lean manufacturing, telecommunications, and computer operating systems to create flow in product development processes, leading to significant improvements even in mature processes.