The Waterfall process still is a big thing.

Every company has retired from the waterfall process. In this modern world, everyone is experiment-led driven. The so-called Product-driven culture.

Cut the crap. I'm pretty sure you've heard that "oh, yeah, we're a product-driven company and blah blah blah." and thought that your next job would be in a company that would take all decisions based on what the user wants or needs, right? The so dreamed perfect world.

Welcome to the real world. It wouldn't be too nasty to say that a few of the big techs you know are still using the waterfall process. I'm not saying they're not product-driven, but... unfortunately, there are a few types of leadership that follow the "do what I say" approach. You either do it or fight against it.

Don't panic. Many are product-driven as well.

Many project managers actually continue setting up projects accordingly to the waterfall model even if they are supposed to use iterative models like the Lean Startup one: build - measure - learn. The assumption behind the waterfall model is that we can know all of the critical factors upfront to do Big-Design-Up-Front and then continue. The ultimate goal is to "mitigate" risks.

And it is fine, actually. In a series of situations, the waterfall process fits perfectly with the type of leadership you deal with.

On the flip side, when disciplines and teams are aligned there is less value placed on which person or discipline “made the call.” Over time, teams move quickly, learn together, get through iteration cycles effortlessly, spend more time producing high-quality results that reach users, and less time with endless battles. These high-performing teams align on The User.

Ideally, the most important driver of decisions isn’t one person or discipline in your organization. It should be your user. Your job is to help them navigate. The Auto sector is a very traditional market where you'll see "old school" leaders still concentrating the decisions on what they think is best.

What do I do? I bring our customers and data to the center of my conversations.

Cash Data is King

If you get yourself into a position where frustration is predominantly hunting you down due to decision roadblocks all the time, you might want to start asking better questions to your team. 

Consider three important factors: (1) Ask "why" questions more often. (2) Make high-quality decisions. (3) Make balanced decisions that start with users.

1) and (3) are as simple as that. (2) High-quality product decisions are:

• User-centric: Not just listening to what users say or watching what they do, but understanding how they think and feel.
• Considered: Consider the secondary and tertiary effects. You should proactively seek input from relevant stakeholders.
• Balanced: It’s good for the user, good for the business overall, and technically feasible.
• Timely: They don't take long, but they aren't rushed either. 
• Calculated: It’s important to take risks, but don’t bet the farm unless it’s absolutely necessary. Start small and learn.
• Communicated before and after action: They are stated as clearly as possible up-front, before taking action.
• Monitored. They are tracked closely to manage both positive and negative effects.

Very few companies stand the test of time. With limited time and resources, I hear people saying “can we really afford to invest this much time, thoughts, and energy into this? My 20 years of experience tells me that we should like this”

The bottom line is that building great products is hard work. And it’s work that never ends if you’re doing it well. 

JP Paiva

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