Scientific Thinking for Product Teams

This session explores an approach for product teams to adopt Scientific Thinking (ST) as a way of work. Many teams use an Agile framework in an ill-formed product setup. This renders any Agile framework used by teams into pointless mechanical activities. Overall team’s outcomes are affected by wastes injected by these activities. Moreover, the experimental mindset needed for innovation is replaced by deterministic risk avert delivery.

“Scientific Thinking(ST) involves continuous curiosity about a complex world we can't control or predict and us to want to take the next step to understand a little better.” Mike Rother

ST is a way for product teams to work together to tackle ever-increasing complexity. Complexity results from interactions of parameters related to technology, requirements, technical skills, market conditions, partnering, platforms, team setup, legacy interfaces, dependencies, and more.

Common Agile practices as successive refinements are meant to mitigate risks and resolve blockers “before” the team committing on the work. Trying to get upfront answers for all team questions is futile because we can only learn on the work when we start doing it.

Agenda

1. 10 min: Brief overview on Toyota Kata to realize Scientific Thinking
2. 30 min: Approach to adopt ST by product teams

• Type of Work
• Standardizing Work
• Breaking-down backlog-items based on Knowledge Threshold
• Progress in doing the work one step at a time

3. 20 min: How ST approach help in evolving various Agile ceremonies?
4. 10 min: Team-leader/manager as the coach
5. 10 min: How this approach helps with psychological safety and team empowerment?
6. Q&A

We plan addressing some topics from the above agenda and other ST related ones in future sessions.