Tips and Tricks to reduce TTM (time-to-market)
Iliya Valchanov
14 replies
Reducing time-to-market is crucial for every company.
Here are the benefits of fast TTM:
→ Faster time from idea to production (due to less overengineering)
→ Lower cost of final feature (due to less rework)
→ Higher retention (due to increased loyalty)
Here are my thoughts on this:
Build new features as simple as possible. Literally, get them to working prototypes. Then give the feature to a select few of your customers.
Prepare a script and ask questions like:
→ "Where would you expect to see this feature?"
→ "Do you imagine doing thing X in this way?"
→ "What else do you want to do with this?"
If you can create a mock UX, even better.
The feedback will literally do the rest of the work.
Here are several examples from our procut:
→ Change of subdomain.
For 1 year we were manually doing this. About 1% of our customers requested it. The question was coming up too often, so now everyone can do it themselves.
→ Ability to be booked for a meeting after X hours.
0.04% of our customers cared about it. Not worth it. Now X is configurable on the backend, but you need to contact support to do it.
→ Ability to be booked for Y days in the future.
0.03% of our customers cared about it. Not worth it. Y is configurable on the backend but you need to contact support to do it.
To keep the product simple and reduce TTM of other features, we continuously monitor user engagement. We identify the most proactive users and contact them for feedback. They are the people who need them the most, so they get to polish them the way they want.
We benefit in multiple ways, mainly due to the lower TTM.
Our customers?
Those who really need the feature, get it faster.
Those who can afford to wait, get it perfect.
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What are some ways for your to reduce TTM?
Replies
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Katya Vaptsarova [Team-GPT] @katya_vaptsarova
I can't agree more. The continuous monitoring and the regular feedback meetings are very important for a lower TTM.
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As a customer facing person, as much as I would like for us to have all these features I do understand that it's impossible to have everything. Some things are just not worth making for just a couple of people, and the key is to prioritize the things that are actually used and needed.
Great content, thank you for sharing!
Long TTM is always a problem for me. My ideas are often too big and I'm trying to release the perfect version to impress users.
I think having a social media following is a huge help, since I can discuss my idea with different people and get feedback on what is necessary!
@aghhelmut I understand. I highly recommend this book 'The right it' (which is the definitive book on pretotyping). Here's a link https://www.amazon.com/Right-Man...
ty for sharing!
Just thought, when you are going to decrease TTM, seems good to don't forget about the quality of your changes and the part of successful changes. (cuz often, some research steps on the contrary – increase TTM).
What do you think about it?
@jungle_explorer Yes absolutely. The biggest trade-off is between TTM and quality. One advice that I've received many times was: 'don't focus too much on how the product looks in the beginning.'
The reason is that it will surely change later on, so this was time wasted, which just increased your TTM.
A lot of very good and important points! Thanks!
For me it's these:
- keep it simple (don't overengineer, it takes time to design and debug), just include what is needed
- set up a priority list if possible agreed with your customers, balance with 'ease of implementation'
- reuse existing working blocks/modules etc - 'polishing' can be done later
- do a strict monitoring on your development process, include milestones, track them and get 'Early Warnings', which help to react fast
- this requires an open and trustworthy relationship with co-workers, designers etc so that small delays don't become BIG
- keep the team (and if possible your customers) informed and involved. A big problem for A, might be easy to solve for B, or even OK with the customer.
@iliya_valchanov I forgot one more important point:
Incentivized KPIs, with a mix of personal but more important team- and organizational targets. This helps to focus the energy and ensures people help each other
Killing legal busywork is a great way to reduce TTM! Magistrate is helping users do just that
Reducing time-to-market (TTM) is important for businesses as it allows them to get their products to market faster and increase their competitive advantage. Here are some tips and tricks to help you reduce TTM:
Prioritize and focus on the most important features: Focus on the most important features of your product and prioritize them in your development process. This will help you reduce TTM by ensuring that you are working on the most critical aspects of your product first.
Adopt Agile development methodologies: Agile methodologies, such as Scrum and Kanban, can help you reduce TTM by enabling you to iteratively develop and test your product in short sprints. This allows you to get feedback and make adjustments quickly, reducing the time it takes to get your product to market.
Use collaboration tools: Collaboration tools such as project management software, communication platforms, and shared calendars can help teams work more efficiently and reduce TTM. These tools allow team members to communicate and collaborate on projects in real-time, eliminating the need for time-consuming meetings and reducing delays.
Automate repetitive tasks: Automating repetitive tasks can help you save time and reduce TTM by freeing up resources that can be redirected to more important tasks. This can include tasks such as testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Focus on efficiency: Streamline processes and eliminate waste to reduce TTM. This can include improving the efficiency of your development process, reducing the number of approvals required, and minimizing the number of bugs in your code.
Leverage existing technology: Consider using existing technology, tools, and components to reduce the time it takes to build your product. This can include using open-source software, pre-built components, and cloud-based services.
Conduct regular reviews: Regular reviews can help you identify and address any bottlenecks in your development process, reducing TTM. These reviews should be conducted regularly and should involve all members of the team.
Implementing these tips and tricks can help you reduce TTM and bring your products to market faster, allowing you to increase your competitive advantage and drive growth.
great insight! Thank you fro sharing it :)