The Google Ventures Design Sprint

We have all heard about it - the lean startup approach of getting from an idea to launch as fast as possible in order to learn from your customers and adapt the product until you reach a product-market-fit. 

 

Last week, we were able to attend a Google Ventures workshop with our Gymhopper-Team. The workshop focused on the design sprint process. Similar to the lean startup approach, your goal is to gather customer feedback and find out whats good and what needs to be fixed. However, the design sprint process is much shorter and provides you with valuable feedback within 5 days.

 

Here are the key take aways from last week's workshop:

The Process it self is quite simple you go directly from idea to learn - in detail the process looks like that:

Map --> What's the most important part in the process? Focus!

Sketch --> Get all kinds of people in the room (CEO, CFO, CTO, Sales, etc.)

Decide --> Note & Vote

Prototype --> Tools: KeyNote and Keynotopia

Test --> Make sure meetings are scheduled to put pressure on

• Test = Interviews --> 5x one on one interviews, record it, work on it, test diferent approaches and you will pretty soon see what works and what doesn't - the goal is to see what's good and keep it and also see the usually much longer list of what needs to be fixed so something you can start working on right after the 5 interviews
  
• Don't use Group Brainstorming
• Don't have more than 7 people involved in mapping/sketchin
  
• Decision Making Process:
  
• • Get everyone's input but don't waste time on group discussions
  • Collect democratic votes
  • CEO decides whatever he thinks is bests
  • --> Called Note & Vote Process
• When working on the prototype, split the tasks (someone does all the writing, others are actually building it in keynote, someone else is preparing for the interviews etc.)
  
• Key Rules during the sprint: NO phones, laptops etc. unless absolutely needed (e.g. for building a prototype), be focused!, use a TIMER for better focus
  
• Tips for creating a good Sprint process:
  
• • Create time pressure
  • Prototype realistic facade (product doesn't have to work properly)
  • Quick 1:1 customer tests for better insights
  • Question your own ideas and the ones of colleagues

Check out www.gv.com/sprint for more information.