Data shows that RTO de-facto died in 2023, with most organizations opting for some hybrid approach. RTO is just a massive waste of human potential. And for all the wrong reasons. In that sense, my "RTO policy" is serious management advice! Whenever someone suggests "returning to the office"... Maybe better get them a dog, instead of catapulting your business into the last century. Michael Laussegger 9. Februar 2024 Return to office is dead. While I poke some fun at the absurd policy-making around "return to office" and remote work here, there's also some sad truth behind this. During COVID, we saw a surge in dog adoptions because people felt lonely. With RTO mandates, we were seeing a surge in dogs being taken to shelters because people could no longer work from home. One could now call these people irresponsible, because they knew they would need to return to the office. But nobody knew anything during the pandemic. People got dogs because they felt lonely, and only their dogs cared about them. However, dogs are far from the only ones suffering due to office mandates. Families and friends are being torn apart. People with disabilities are excluded from workplaces. Parents waste hours on commutes every day that they could spend much better with their kids. And just in case humans matter less than business: A lot of talent is simply going to be lost for all the wrong reasons. Those who can afford it, those organizations need most, will find a better place elsewhere. Creative innovators remain exactly that, no matter their place of work. Super-productive people stay just that too. I also go to an office when it makes sense; it's just that working with people from all over the place is so much more interesting. No policy needed. The good news is... Data shows that RTO de-facto died in 2023, with most organizations opting for some hybrid approach. RTO is just a massive waste of human potential. And for all the wrong reasons. In that sense, my "RTO policy" is honest advice! Whenever someone suggests "returning to the office"... Maybe better get them a dog, instead of catapulting your business into the last century. See also .. https://time.com/6552905/stray-dogs-animal-shelters-overcrowding/ https://twitter.com/I_Am_NickBloom/status/1729557222424731894 #remotework #rto #wfh #wfa comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Is it genuinely the groundbreaking ideas that pave the way for success? Or is it more about constantly trying out different things and letting go of favorite ideas? Michael Laussegger 29. August 2013 Killing bad ideas. Many successfully implemented ideas often, in hindsight, appear either as the creation of a genius or as sheer coincidence – with a clear inclination towards the latter. Just take the examples of Google Search, ChatGPT or Penicillin. But is that really the way it happens? For some, this is reason enough to pour a lot of energy into idea generation, because relying on chance isn't a dependable strategy. The truth is, however, each of us generates a myriad of ideas every day. It starts with something as simple as "Having some coffee would be fantastic," evolves through countless professional brainwaves, and typically ends with "Time to hit the sack." Is it genuinely the groundbreaking ideas that pave the way for success? Or could it perhaps be more about ceaselessly experimenting with possibilities and consistently discarding beloved notions? I support the second view. Let's start with the customer. Let's work together to come up with ideas, try them out, improve them, and even throw them away if needed. There's nothing worse than sticking to an idea and making a perfect product that no one wants. To echo the words of Peter Drucker: "First do the right things, and then do things right." comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Kann man mit einem festen Budgetrahmen bahnbrechende Innovationen schaffen? Wenn die Reise ins Ungewisse geht, woher weiß ich dann, wie viel sie kosten wird? Die Antwort ist einfach. Michael Laussegger 11. Februar 2025 Bahnbrechend Neues mit fixem Budget entdecken Kann man mit einem festen Budgetrahmen bahnbrechende Innovationen schaffen? Wenn die Reise ins Ungewisse geht, woher weiß ich dann, wie viel sie kosten wird? Die Antwort ist einfach: Das Budget festzulegen ist im Allgemeinen die leichteste Übung. Denn bei Innovationsprojekten wird das Budget nicht durch die tatsächlichen Kosten bestimmt, die mit ausgeklügelten Schätzmethoden und tagelangen Workshops ermittelt werden, sondern durch einen anderen, wesentlichen Faktor: den leistbaren Verlust, den Sponsoren bereit sind zu riskieren. Ohne Sponsoren gibt es keine Innovation. Michael Faschingbauer schreibt darüber in seiner Arbeit über Effektuation – schaut mal rein! Das Problem mit festen Budgets Das Problem ist, dass Sponsoren in großen Organisationen oft einen widersprüchlichen Doppelanspruch stellen, ohne sich dessen bewusst zu sein. Sie fordern von ihren Produktteams bahnbrechende Innovationen – aber bitte zu einem fixen Preis mit garantiertem Ergebnis. Und dann beginnt der Lauf in die Abwärtsspirale: 1. Das Produktteam liefert Schätzungen … und Lösungen. 2. Legal, Legacy IT und Governance kommen ins Spiel, jeder will noch mehr, und alles wird zum Must-have. 3. Das Produktteam merkt schnell, dass das Budget nicht ausreicht. 4. Anstatt Must-haves zu streichen, die oft keinen Kundennutzen haben und primär der Absicherung Einzelner dienen, wird das Budget gestreckt. 5. Gleichzeitig beginnt die Suche nach dem Schuldigen – denn Management oder Kunde dürfen es natürlich nicht sein. Doch es ginge auch anders Die Lösung ist eigentlich ganz einfach. Die wenigsten Sponsoren in Organisationen verstehen sich wirklich als Investoren und eher als Budgetverwalter. Als Investor muss man wissen, was der leistbare Verlust ist. Und man muss sich bewusst sein, dass es mit der Finanzierung der ersten Runde nicht getan ist. Ein wenig Puffer muss schon sein. Doch Teams in tagelange Schätzworkshops zu schicken, bringt nichts – das Ungewisse wird durch Schätzen nicht gewisser. Die größte Ungewissheit ist nämlich: Wie viele Kunden kaufen dein Produkt? Viel besser ist es, schnell zu liefern. Mit minimalem Budget. Und im schlimmsten Fall mit minimalem Verlust. Sprint für Sprint zu bahnbrechender Innovation Vorschlag: Gehen wir doch einfach Sprint für Sprint vor. Ein Sprint, um Ideen zu entwickeln und zu filtern. Dann lassen wir das Ganze etwas sickern! Denn Innovation ist ein Marathon, keine Aneinanderreihung von Sprints. Anschließend folgt ein Sprint, um aus einer Idee ein paar Lo-Fi-Prototypen zu entwickeln und mit echten Kunden zu testen – manche nennen das einen Design Sprint. Wenn eine Idee vielversprechend erscheint, hängen wir noch einen Venture Sprint dran, um den Markt auszutesten. Der Fokus liegt dabei nicht auf der Lösung, sondern auf der Frage, ob es einen Markt gibt, der einen x-fachen Return realistisch erscheinen lässt. Wenn nicht, dann lassen wir es und arbeiten weiter an den Ideen. Nun hast du drei Wochen investiert – mit ein paar Pausen dazwischen. Jede Woche hast du etwas dazugelernt. Du hast etwas Geld investiert, aber nichts im Vergleich zu einem gescheiterten Projekt. Es gibt noch nicht einmal ein stabiles Projektteam. Und du hast keinen Cent verloren, denn du hast wertvolle Erkenntnisse gewonnen. Im Idealfall sind ein paar tolle Ideen entstanden, und eine davon ist so vielversprechend, dass du bereit bist, den nächsten Schritt zu gehen. Du stellst ein Produktteam zusammen, und es wird mal ein MVP entwickelt. Erste grobe Schätzungen machen Sinn, damit man den Business Case versteht. Mit Planung hat das aber noch nichts zu tun. Die Alternative: Scheinsicherheit Man engagiert einen externen Projektmanager, der wochenlang analysiert und dann allen vorgaukelt, dass das Unplanbare plötzlich doch planbar wäre. Schließlich steht es so in Excel und PowerPoint. Muss ja stimmen. Er rechnet einen Sicherheitsaufschlag dazu, weil er ohnehin weiß, dass es nichts wird. Und wenn es dann trotz Aufschlag nicht klappt? Dann feuert man den externen PM. Keiner hat was verloren – außer Geld natürlich, aber daran ist niemand schuld. Hauptsache, Management und Kunde haben ihr Gesicht gewahrt. Eure Wahl, liebe Sponsoren Für den zweiten Ansatz verrechne ich aber Schmerzensgeld – weil es einfach nervt. Wie hoch ist euer leistbarer Verlust? Damit arbeiten wir dann. Ein erster Sprint sollte doch drin sein, oder? Dann braucht ihr nur noch jemanden, der so einen Sprint gut vorbereiten und anleiten kann. Keine Schmerzen, kein Schmerzensgeld. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

Nice to see you dropping by! I’m here to help you test and nurture new business models with impact-driven innovation teams. Together, we will find the North Star, challenge dangerous assumptions, and navigate through the storm with clarity and confidence. 18. Februar 2025 Annas Tag in der AI-First-Organisation der Zukunft. Stell dir vor, es ist ein strahlender Morgen im Jahr 2035. Die KI-Assis sind immer noch nicht die hellsten Leuchten des Planeten, aber aus dem Bullshit-Bingo rund um die KI-First-Organisation ist tatsächlich eine neue Arbeitsrealität entstanden. Read More ... 11. Februar 2025 Bahnbrechend Neues mit fixem Budget entdecken Kann man mit einem festen Budgetrahmen bahnbrechende Innovationen schaffen? Wenn die Reise ins Ungewisse geht, woher weiß ich dann, wie viel sie kosten wird? Die Antwort ist einfach. Read More ... 8. Februar 2025 The Power of Non-Linear Thinking in Design IDEO helped formalize and popularize Design Thinking as a structured approach to problem-solving in the 1990s, and it took until the 2010s for it to reach widespread adoption. Now it’s 2025, and somehow, the most important message of design still hasn’t fully made it through: Read More ... 22. September 2024 How to Handle Multiple Deadlines as a Product Manager (or not) If you’re a product manager juggling multiple team deadlines that seem overly optimistic, you’re not alone. Chances are, a few things went wrong earlier that led to this situation. Read More ... 5. September 2024 When life gives you lemons, make Limoncello This past year was a mix of everything, from moments of love and joy to hitting rock bottom. From smarter and more seasoned entrepreneurs than myself I know: I am not alone. Things are looking up, though. Read More ... 9. Februar 2024 Return to office is dead. Data shows that RTO de-facto died in 2023, with most organizations opting for some hybrid approach. RTO is just a massive waste of human potential. And for all the wrong reasons. In that sense, my "RTO policy" is serious management advice! Whenever someone suggests "returning to the office"... Maybe better get them a dog, instead of catapulting your business into the last century. Read More ... 19. Oktober 2023 Love the Mission, Not the First Idea On my first startup, 30 years ago, we developed a wiki-style app for research. Having spent days and nights for two years in a row, we were invested so heavily with our emotions, and so convinced we would change the world, we did not dare to ask our users if they wanted it. And they did not. A classic. I’d like to offer a fresh perspective on how to approach the journey more wisely. It's not about process. Read More ... 11. Oktober 2023 Authentic AI Transformation If we thought the digital world was changing rapidly in recent years, this year has taught us a lesson. Never before has disruptive technology spread so quickly across all industries, leaving many puzzled about what's still to come. Read More ... 6. Oktober 2023 The Planet is Part of every Business Model I'd like to get rid of the general notion that business is either for profit or for the planet, because it's not true. The planet is already an intrinsic, invisible actor of every business and has been sending bills for some time now. Read More ... 27. September 2023 A Net-Positive Economy. It's quite clear that there's no endless growth on a finite planet. But is it really that simple? When Antoine de Saint-Exupéry said that love is the only thing that grows when you share it, he at least opened doors to an alternative perspective on growth. How much love can we spread without burdening the planet? How much music can we play? Read More ... 20. September 2023 An AI-Driven Love Affair In an era where technology has deeply permeated our daily lives, a phenomenon is emerging: our emotional connection to tangible objects, such as our smartphones, is quietly evolving into an AI-driven love affair. I believe we should actively nurture this love relationship to foster a positive, long-term partnership. Read More ... 11. September 2023 Resilience and My Inner Home After 25 years in the business world, much of which I spent coaching and consulting for dysfunctional corporations and half-baked startups, the paramount lesson I've learned is the significance of cultivating resilience. People say I've become quite adept at it. Read More ...

In an era where technology has deeply permeated our daily lives, a phenomenon is emerging: our emotional connection to tangible objects, such as our smartphones, is quietly evolving into an AI-driven love affair. I believe we should actively nurture this love relationship to foster a positive, long-term partnership. Michael Laussegger 20. September 2023 An AI-Driven Love Affair In an era where technology has deeply permeated our daily lives, a phenomenon is emerging: our emotional connection to tangible objects, such as our smartphones, is quietly evolving into an AI-driven love affair. I believe we should actively nurture this love relationship to foster a positive, long-term partnership. Studies show that people form emotional attachments to things even when they are fully aware that these things cannot reciprocate feelings. Our old VW bus is named Bombus, and we love it. Gustav is my mother's affectionately named lawnmower. Don Norman explored how emotions and design are intertwined in "Emotional Design" back in 2004. But this can go awry as well. Facebook has lost an entire generation of users over the last 10 years when they could have had the potential to cultivate positive, long-lasting relationships. And then there's EllaEcho. The ambassador of our brand and a prototype based on ChatGPT. She assists us in our daily work. Ella is always polite, and her quirks give her a charming character. Ella has "personality," even though she occasionally hallucinates, drifts in thought, or momentarily forgets her "self," she's never bitter or upset. A gentle "be yourself" is enough, and she returns to her trained "personality." However, Ella's perceived personality is much more than just fascinating technology. It's, in fact, our brand identity - but on an entirely new level. It's our brand identity literally brought to life. Ella not only speaks in our tone but also understands our shared values, direction, and current company data. She can provide facts for our sustainability report in seconds, summarize news, and even turn my snarky emails into a positive message. The way we will communicate with our customers in the future will go far beyond traditional media such as images, text, and video. With Ella, we have a new "player" on our team that truly changes the game. Bots like Ella could be the key to forging a deeper and more meaningful connection between our brand and our audience. And bots scale. It's an exciting time where technology and emotions are merging in entirely new ways. Good design always tells a story. Emotional design allows the user to become part of that story, and AI can do just that. However, the introduction of Snapchat AI to millions of teenagers, many of whom are facing COVID-induced challenges, should also serve as a reminder of the responsibility that comes with new technology. Let's test our way forward in short, quick steps. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.

On my first startup, 30 years ago, we developed a wiki-style app for research. Having spent days and nights for two years in a row, we were invested so heavily with our emotions, and so convinced we would change the world, we did not dare to ask our users if they wanted it. And they did not. A classic. I’d like to offer a fresh perspective on how to approach the journey more wisely. It's not about process. Michael Laussegger 19. Oktober 2023 Love the Mission, Not the First Idea On my first startup, 30 years ago, we developed a wiki-style app for research. Having spent days and nights for two years in a row, we were invested so heavily with our emotions, and so convinced we would change the world, we did not dare to ask our users if they wanted it. And they did not. A classic. Still, way too many startups and corporates dive into product development headfirst, without testing fundamental assumptions. They are sleepwalking into failure three years down the road, and often they do it despite knowing better. A lot of the Lean Startup jargon is used, but effectively, once an MVP gets funded and the ship is sailing, it is usually very hard to stop, because everyone is invested. Without having data as evidence and purely based on personal experience, I feel that it's this very human feeling of attachment that is misguiding people. I’d like to offer a fresh perspective on how to approach the journey more wisely. The Problem with Premature Attachment It's human nature to become attached to our ideas, especially when we're passionate about a project. Sponsors, managers, and team members all want to see the product succeed, and this shared enthusiasm can be a double-edged sword. While it's great to have a motivated team, becoming emotionally attached to an idea before testing its assumptions can lead to misguided decision making. Loving the Problem, Not the Solution One often-heard mantra in the product world is "Fall in Love with the problem, not the solution" coined by Uri Levine. This advice encourages us to focus on understanding the problem space deeply before rushing into solution space. However, it doesn't provide a clear strategy for dealing with the attachment that naturally arises when you're passionate about solving a problem. Run a One Week Experiment Instead of embarking on the traditional path of planning an MVP, often followed by piloting and scaling, which can consume a year or more with a full cross-functional product team, consider a different approach. Start with a well-prepared experiment designed to test the riskiest assumptions in just one weeks. Get product, design, and engineering on board for a week. You might need domain experts at a minimum of 30% of their time. Get users on board and make sure they are available for interviews during your experiment for at least 1 hour per day. Map out your value proposition and its riskiest assumptions before you start the experiment. Make sure everyone understands the scope. It’s a one-week experiment. We are not starting a new product initiative. Not just yet. No one expects marriage; it’s just a flirt. When the experiment is finished, take rest. Digest. Don’t jump into the next “sprint,” but reflect instead and collect the learnings that you have gained. You might run another one. And another one. Until you have gained sufficient evidence and confidence to invest in a full product team. This is where everyone is getting attached. Whether you want it or not. The Psychological Factors at Play Behavioral scientists have identified several cognitive biases that can lead us astray when we become too attached too early. Overconfidence Bias, Confirmation Bias, Sunk Cost Fallacy, Loss Aversion, and Anchoring are all rooted in the same human tendency to become emotionally invested in our ideas. Embracing the Mission, Not the First Ideas It's crucial to shift our focus from being attached to our initial ideas to being devoted to the overarching mission. By doing so, we can avoid the pitfalls of premature attachment and make better-informed decisions. Instead of rushing into development, we take the time to test our assumptions wisely, learn from experiments, and stay true to our mission. In the end, it's not about the first idea; it's about the long-term impact we have on users, the planet, and society. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment.