Scaled Agile SAFe-APM - SAFe Agile Product Manager (APM 6.0)

A portfolio canvas is a visual tool that defines and communicates the value streams, solutions, customers, budgets, and key activities and events of a SAFe portfolio. It describes how a solution fits into the overall strategy by showing the value proposition, the customer segments and relationships, the key performance indicators, and the alignment with the strategic themes and the portfolio vision. A portfolio canvas provides business context by helping the portfolio stakeholders understand and align on the portfolio strategy, and by guiding the Agile teams and ARTs in delivering value to the customers and the enterprise.

References:

Portfolio Canvas: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the concept and purpose of the portfolio canvas, and how it can be used to define and manage the portfolio strategy and execution.

What is SAFe Portfolio Canvas : What are its Sections and Blocks: This article from StarAgile provides a detailed guide on how to create and use a portfolio canvas, with examples and templates for different types of portfolios.

The chasm is the gap in the technology adoption lifecycle between the early adopters and the early majority. The early adopters are visionaries who are open to trying new technologies, whereas the early majority are pragmatists who are more cautious and skeptical. The chasm occurs due to the different expectations and requirements of these two groups. A product that appeals to the early adopters may not appeal to the early majority, who value reliability, compatibility, and convenience over novelty and differentiation. Therefore, a product needs to cross the chasm by finding a niche market, establishing a clear value proposition, and creating a strong word-of-mouth.

References:

Crossing the Chasm & Scale Your SaaS: This article from Userpilot provides a practical guide on how to cross the chasm and scale a SaaS product, with examples and tips on finding product-market fit, defining a beachhead market, and creating a whole product.

Crossing the Chasm in the Technology Adoption Life Cycle: This article from Business to You explains the concept and purpose of the technology adoption lifecycle and the chasm, and how they can help marketers understand and target different customer segments.

Outcome metrics are the metrics that measure the impact and value of a product on the customers and the business. Outcome metrics help product managers to guide the evolution of the products by focusing on the desired outcomes and benefits, rather than the outputs and features. Outcome metrics also help product managers to validate the assumptions and hypotheses behind the product strategy, and to iterate and improve the product based on customer feedback and data.

References:

Outcome Metrics - Scaled Agile Framework

5 Essential Metrics for Product Managers

Output vs. Outcome Metrics: What’s the Difference? | ProductPlan

A measurement that can help drive Value Stream innovation and improvements is the percentage of Customers activating the product. This metric indicates how many Customers are actually using the product after acquiring it, and how well the product meets their needs and expectations. A high percentage of Customers activating the product means that the product delivers value and solves a problem for the Customers, and that the Value Stream is aligned with the Customer-centric mindset. A low percentage of Customers activating the product means that there is a gap between the product offering and the Customer demand, and that the Value Stream needs to innovate and improve the product design, delivery, and marketing.

References:

Value Stream KPIs - Scaled Agile Framework

The Four Most Useful Value Stream Metrics in Software

What is an example of a measurement that can be used to help drive …

A value exchange pivot is a type of pivot that changes the way customers pay for the product or service, or the way the business generates revenue from the product or service. A value exchange pivot would indicate that customers want to pay in a different way, because it reflects a change in the customer preferences, behavior, or expectations regarding the payment method, frequency, or amount. For example, a business may pivot from a one-time purchase model to a subscription model, or from a fixed-price model to a pay-per-use model, based on the customer feedback and data.

References:

Pivot: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework defines the concept and purpose of pivot, and how it helps to validate or invalidate the assumptions and hypotheses of a product or service using experiments and feedback.

The 10 Types of Startup Pivots: This article from Forbes provides an overview of the 10 types of startup pivots, and how they can help entrepreneurs adapt and innovate in response to the market and customer needs. It also provides some examples of successful pivots by well-known companies.

The Golden Circle is a framework developed by Simon Sinek that suggests that the most effective way to communicate a product or service to prospective customers is to start with the “why” - the core purpose, belief, or cause that drives an organization or individual. By explaining the “why” before the “how” (the strategies and methods) and the “what” (the products, services, or offerings), the communicator can inspire and connect with the customers on a deeper level, and differentiate themselves from the competitors who focus on the features or benefits of their products or services.

References:

Frameworks for Setting Company Priorities: The Golden Circle: This article from Geckoboard explains how the Golden Circle can help organizations align their actions and strategies with their purpose and values, and communicate them effectively to their customers and stakeholders.

How to Use the Golden Circle in Business: This article from ActiveCampaign provides a detailed guide on how to apply the Golden Circle to various aspects of business, such as marketing, sales, customer service, and leadership.

Golden Circle: A different approach for a unique value proposition: This article from ThePowerMBA illustrates how the Golden Circle can help businesses create a unique value proposition that resonates with their customers and stands out from the crowd.

Retainment is the category of a new feature that aims to keep existing customers loyal and satisfied with the product or service, and prevent them from switching to competitors or alternatives. Retainment features can include loyalty programs, referral incentives, customer feedback mechanisms, personalized offers, and improved customer service. Retainment features can help the business reduce customer churn, increase customer lifetime value, and enhance customer advocacy.

References:

Feature Categories: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the concept and purpose of feature categories, and how they can help product teams prioritize and communicate the value of features. It also describes the four main feature categories: new business, up-sell, operational efficiency, and retainment.

How to Stop Losing Customers: 6 Proven Ways | Pressfarm: This article from Pressfarm provides some practical tips and examples of how to stop losing customers and increase customer retention, such as staying connected, offering excellent customer experience, and providing value-added services.

Personas are fictional characters that represent the ideal customers or users of a product or service. They help product teams understand and empathize with the needs, goals, and preferences of their target segments. Personas can help define the features and benefit hypothesis of a product’s strategic intent, which is the assumption that a certain set of features will deliver a specific benefit to the customers or users. By using personas, product teams can validate their feature and benefit hypothesis with real user feedback, and prioritize the features that deliver the most value and satisfaction to their personas.

References:

Personas: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the concept and purpose of personas, and how they can be used in a SAFe context to support customer-centricity, design thinking, and lean UX.

Strategic Intent: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework defines the concept and components of strategic intent, and how it guides the portfolio vision, lean budget guardrails, and portfolio backlog.

Feature and Benefit Hypothesis: This article from the Scaled Agile Framework describes the concept and process of feature and benefit hypothesis, and how it helps product teams test and validate their assumptions about customer value.

Buy a Feature is a research game that is primarily used to better understand the priorities of Solution requirements. Buy a Feature is a collaborative prioritization technique that involves giving participants a fixed amount of virtual money and a list of features or requirements with different costs. The participants then have to decide which features or requirements they want to buy, either individually or in groups. The game reveals the preferences,trade-offs, and consensus of the participants, as well as the relative value and importance of each feature or requirement.

References:

Buy a Feature - Scaled Agile Framework

Buy a Feature - Innovation Games

What Innovation Game is primarily used to better understand the priorities of Solution requirements?