Hello

16years

18months

Auftragstaktik

Auf・trags・taktik(Mission tactics)

LEAN UX:5 Lessons From

The Prussian Army

Background

Origins of Auftragstaktik

Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke, the Elder

Auftragstaktik• Missions over plans

• Intent over orders

• Trust and independence

Origins of Lean UX

Classic startup

DiscoveryResearch Design Build Test Launch

12 months

Better

Research

Design

Test

Launch

Build

Lean startup

Research

Design

Test

Launch

Build

Research

Design

Test

Launch

Build

Research

Design

Test

Launch

Build

Research

Design

Test

Launch

Build

12 months

Minimise risk

Minimise risk

Agile

Research

Design

Test

Launch

Build

Research

Design

Test

Launch

Build

Research

Design

Test

Launch

Build

Research

Design

Test

Launch

Build

2 months

Lean UX

Lean UX• Working software over big deliverables

• Collaboration over negotiation

• Respond to change over following plans

Five lessons

Copyright © iQ Content Ltd. Confidential

1) Interaction design 23/02/2009 24/03/2009

1.1) Finalise sitemap BB 23/02/2009 27/02/2009

1.2) Define application flows BB 24/02/2009 27/02/2009

1.3) Review application flows BB; PTSB 27/02/2009 27/02/2009

1.4) Create wireframes (brochure)

BB; AT 02/03/2009 06/03/2009

1.5) Review wireframes (brochure)

iQ; PTSB 06/03/2009 06/03/2009

1.6) Create wireframes (forms) BB; AT 09/03/2009 13/03/2009

1.7) Review wireframes (forms) iQ; PTSB 13/03/2009 13/03/2009

1.8) User testing (forms) BB; AT 16/03/2009 20/03/2009

1.9) Finalise specification BB; AT 18/03/2009 24/03/2009

1.10) Deliver functional spec BB 24/03/2009 24/03/2009

2) Graphic design 23/02/2009 24/03/2009

2.1) Create design concepts (1) DJ 23/02/2009 27/02/2009

2.2) Review design concepts (1) DJ; iQ; PTSB 02/03/2009 02/03/2009

2.3) Create design concepts (2) DJ 02/03/2009 06/03/2009

2.4) Review design concepts (2) DJ; iQ; PTSB 06/03/2009 06/03/2009

2.5) Create detailed designs (1) DJ 09/03/2009 13/03/2009

2.6) Review detailed designs (1) DJ; iQ; PTSB 13/03/2009 13/03/2009

2.7) Create detailed designs (2) DJ 16/03/2009 20/03/2009

2.8) Review detailed designs (2) DJ; iQ; PTSB 20/03/2009 20/03/2009

2.9) Deliver fInal designs DJ 24/03/2009 24/03/2009

3) Build 12/03/2009 24/04/2009

3.1) HTML/CSS templates FAB 12/03/2009 01/04/2009

3.2) Install T4 on server1 FAB 30/03/2009 30/03/2009

3.3) Install T4 on server2 FAB 31/03/2009 31/03/2009

3.4) CMS configuration FAB 02/04/2009 10/04/2009

3.5) UAT test scripts BB 08/04/2009 14/04/2009

3.6) UAT testing FAB 15/04/2009 23/04/2009

3.7) LAUNCH FAB 24/04/2009 24/04/2009

4) Content framework 23/02/2009 10/04/2009

4.1) Content meetings/sitemap review

RS; AT 23/02/2009 27/02/2009

4.2) Gather source material PTSB 23/02/2009 06/03/2009

4.3) Deliver content schedule RS 04/03/2009 04/03/2009

4.4) Create content RS 02/03/2009 12/03/2009

4.5) Review content RS; PTSB 13/03/2009 27/03/2009

4.6) Finalise content RS 30/03/2009 06/04/2009

4.7) Content migration iQ 06/04/2009 10/04/2009

Task Assigned Start End

February 2009 March 2009 April 2009

Feb16 Feb23 Mar2 Mar9 Mar16 Mar23 Mar30 Apr6 Apr13 Apr20 Apr27

PTSB.ie Project Plan (Feb 25)

1: Avoid long-term plans

No plan survives first contact with customers

No plan survives first contact with the enemy

Missions over plans

DiscoveryMobilise Logistics Engage MissionImprovise

Missions over plans

DiscoveryResearch Design Prototype MissionImprovise

Lesson #1• If you see a long detailed plan, question it

• If you create a long detailed plan, question yourself

• Advocate for smaller, iterative plans instead

2: Define a mission

Missions over plans

North Africa 1942

Missions over plans

North Africa 1942

Missions over plans

France 1940

Missions over plans

France 1940

“Gentlemen, I demand that your divisions completely cross the German borders,

completely cross the Belgian borders and completely cross the River Meuse. I don't care

how you do it, that's completely up to you.”

Kurt Zeitzler Chief of Staff, 1st Panzer Army

Mission

DiscoveryResearch Design PrototypeMission

Improvise

Mission

DiscoveryResearch Design Prototype

Make it incredibly easy to share, store and synch files. With

100% reliability. Improvise

Mission

DiscoveryResearch Design Prototype

All the music. In all the world. On all

devices. All the time.Improvise

Lesson #2• Define a clear mission

• Mission = the problem you are trying to solve

• Focus on achieving mission, not following plan

3: Embrace the chaos

Blitzkrieg

Schwerpunkt

Focus resources OpportunitiesSchwerpunkt

Schwer・punkt(Weighty)・(point)

Product/market fit

Focus resources OpportunitiesProduct/market fit

Crack the nut

Focus resources OpportunitiesSolve theproblem

Making software is messy

Product

Executive

IT

Legal

Marketing

Dev

Sales

UX

Comp-liance

Ops

Support

Collaborative design

Collaborative design

Collaborative design

Lesson #3• Take off your headphones

• Embrace the much wider team

• Harness the collective brainpower

4: Be open to change

Sacred cows

General Melchett

Sacred cows

Big Design Up Front

• We know best

• Only designers can design

• Let us figure it out

• Embrace our big deliverable

Lesson #4• Climb down from the ivory tower

• Be humble

• You can learn a lot from others

5: Give teams autonomy

“You must avoid countermanding orders: unless the soldier can see a

good reason for benefit, he becomes discouraged and loses confidence”

…or else lead from the front

Leading from front

• 220 Germany Army generals died in combat

• 13 US Army generals died in combat

Lesson #5• Give autonomy

• (Or seek autonomy)

• Or else join the fighting yourself

Competitive advantage

German soldiers

• Worth roughly 1.5 US soldiers

• Inflicted casualties at 50% higher rate

• True when attacking or defending

• Outnumbered or with numerical advantage

• When they had air superiority and when they didn’t

• When they won and when they lost

Source: Colonel Trevor Dupuy

Why did they lose the war?

Thanks!

@colmanw