I took Amrita Kulkani’s Research to Product class in my final semester of grad school and thought this is garbage. Why did I take this class anyway? I know why! I wanted to take an easy 1.5 credit class that would bring my total credit to 18 credits even though I only needed 13 credits to complete the semester - yes I know! The burnout was real each semester but in reality, I WANTED the maximum ROI from the $$$ I was shelling in tuition fees.
For anyone in the receiving end of any product, we might learn about the product Life Cycle, but very rarely do we imbue the full Life Cycle of thinking of the product from an idea to execution and then launch - at least not for me.
After 8 weeks of working on developing this framework, I have a richer experience and understanding of how to conceptually and realistically think of how to go from 0-1 or what it means to optimise a product after launch.
I have a richer understanding of WHAT the goals of each phases are, WHO is needed in making each goal possible, WHAT resources are needed to persist from one phase to the next, and more importantly HOW do we create alignment between people to create amazing product experiences.
Key Learnings for me whiles working on the EDBO Cascade Framework:
- As a researcher and strategist, I have a better understanding of where I come in the process of any product project on my desk. Whether I come in at the Explore phase or even the Optimise phase, I have a richer understanding of how to contribute value.
- Working on developing this framework has better helped me be more tactical in communicating to companies and project owners how to strategically turn products from concept to a beloved product experience and creating that much needed alignment between all the stakeholders involved in the making of a rich Product Experience
