In the transformational journey towards product thinking, it’s natural to feel a bit unsettled. Questions arise:
- What happens to governance in a product model?
- How do we manage budgets and timelines without the hard edges?
- What do we do with existing structures, workflows, and approvals?
- Are we losing control?
These are valid concerns. But rather than diving too deeply into the mechanics of the shift, I’d like to offer an analogy to help frame our thinking.
Project thinking: building the house
Imagine a new house being built. It requires careful planning, architecture, and engineering. There are constraints on materials, cost, and time. Council approvals, safety standards, and structural integrity must all be considered.
This is classic project thinking:
- A fixed goal
- A defined start and end
- Success measured by how closely we stick to the plan
At the end of the project, the house is built. It stands firm. Then the keys are handed over…
Product thinking: making it a home
For the people who move in, their journey is just beginning.
Now comes the landscaping, the paint colours, the furniture, the artwork. A deck gets added. The extra room becomes a nursery. The kitchen gets updated. Over time, things wear out, break, or are simply no longer fit for purpose.
This is product thinking:
- A living, evolving relationship with what we’ve built
- Continuous improvement based on real use
- Iterations driven by need, feedback, and future vision
The key difference? People. Real users. Their needs evolve, and so must our solutions.
Rethinking MVP: From minimum to meaningful
Along the way, we often hear the term MVP – Minimum Viable Product. The intent is good: deliver something simple that works, get it into users’ hands, and improve from there.
But too often, “minimum viable” gets misinterpreted as “barely functional”. The result? Something cold. Clinical. Joyless.
Let’s reframe that.
What if MVP stood for Maximal Valued Product?
Not everything, but everything that matters most - is done well. The things users truly need, delivered with care, warmth, and usability. Because even in a first release, we can still deliver something great, not just viable.
We’re not skipping the pool and giving people a hole in the yard. We’re giving them a space to splash, laugh, and feel joy, even if the landscaping comes later.
Where to from here?
Embracing product thinking doesn’t mean abandoning structure. It means extending our commitment beyond delivery to value, experience, and evolution. It means designing for real users, not just requirements.
In our journey, we’re not demolishing the old house. We’re moving in, listening, and shaping it into a home—together.
A project is when we build things. A product is when we build experiences.