Design sprints introduce experimentation and the scientific method to the world of digital product development. Like experimentation, the process is not about success or failure. It’s really about validation, getting quickly to the point of success or failure with considerably less investment of time, resources, and money, and Jonathan Courtney knows this from experience.
In this episode, hosts Sean and Joe catch up with Jonathan Courtney, co-founder and CEO of AJ&Smart. AJ&Smart is a 21-person product studio in Berlin, Germany that has facilitated more than 200 design sprints since 2016, with Jonathan being involved in about 100 of these. A product designer by training and trade, he commands attention through the engaging, humorous, and impassioned way he talks about using the design sprint process to help companies that struggle with defining their product goals. In fact, sometimes a design sprint is about deciding that the product shouldn’t go to market, and that’s okay.
Listen to this episode to hear from Jonathan about:
- Exercises you can add to your sprints to make them run more efficiently
- How to identify what does – and doesn’t – warrant a design sprint
- Differences between the North American and European product and design landscapes