Joel Bennett - VP for Product - Metafora - Denver, CO

What is Product and why does it matter?

Product with a capital “P” is the focus on the collaborative approach to solving users problems through better, more enjoyable interactions with software. Product is the entire ecosystem of product dev, which includes product managers, software engineers, architects, customer service. If you can build a healthy ecosystem, this is how you innovate.

How do you leverage your product team to truly innovate?

Innovation comes from inclusivity, not exclusivity. This is where “Product” with a capital “P” is different from the product team. As you discover problems to be solved from market research, info from sales, feedback from operations team, carrier reps, outside investment, leadership, you should be developing solutions for those problems with input from all these areas as well.

Your product development team should be an integral part of this process. This is different from just giving your developers a list of things to do. The collaborative process is key to identifying the best possible solutions for the product you are building.

What are Software Development Best Practices?

Software development best practices are essential for creating high-quality products that meet customer needs. Best practices include things like code reviews, automated testing, continuous integration, and deployment, and version control.

By adopting these best practices, companies can reduce bugs and improve the quality of their products. They can also improve collaboration between developers and other stakeholders, making it easier to catch issues early in the development process.

Getting Buy-In?

Buy-in to making these changes is key. First, you need the organization to buy in. This is from the leadership level. Improving your SDLC best practices and getting teams more involved will raise your overall efficiency and allow you to deliver higher quality work at a faster pace. Think of it almost like applying automation to your development cycle. Everyone wants to identify automation tools, or ways to automate processes, and improving your team is the same.

Good developers will always buy-in to these improvements. Many times they’ll lead the effort to make them. While many individuals might be resistant to change, the best employees will embrace opportunities to improve their work.

Key Elements:

Discuss the importance of rapid development

Explore Software Development best practices

Explore the importance of a product ecosystem to lead innovation

Examine the risks and rewards associated with tech

Understand the roles & responsibilities that best facilitate an atmosphere of progress, innovation, and adoption

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JOURNAL: What Have You Learned