Adopting Conscious Risk-Taking as Product Manager
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Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Perustieteiden korkeakoulu |
Master's thesis
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Author
Date
2023-08-22
Department
Major/Subject
Information Networks
Mcode
SCI3047
Degree programme
Master’s Programme in Information Networks
Language
en
Pages
68+3
Series
Abstract
Software Product Managers are responsible to beacon product teams in the ambiguous and uncertain terrain of software product development. Thereby, they face the risk to design software products and services that fail to meet the needs of its users. To prevent that their work must be based on sufficient knowledge of the user’s domain, processes, and workflows. However, this expertise might not always be available. In such cases, experimentation could be utilized to systematically derive and validated assumptions Product Managers and the product teams have about the users. This thesis therefore aims to investigate the potential of experimentation to learn about users and thereby mitigate software product design risks. An exploratory interview study with seven practitioners was conducted to collect qualitative data about how Product Managers utilize experimentation, and how and under what circumstances it can support to mitigate software product design risks. The collected data was analyzed using thematic analysis as a qualitative data analysis method. The research results provide insights about the use of experimentation from three perspectives – how product initiatives are assessed, how the overall experimentation process is practiced, and how these practices are embedded in the organization. Further, six actionable findings are formulated to guide Product Managers in clarifying assumptions and uncertainties they have about initiatives they pursue, to reduce accompanying risks. The thesis leaves its readers with a better understanding of the role and responsibilities of Product Managers in the context of experimentation, as well as with practical suggestions for conducting successful risk mitigation with the help of experimentation. Especially the assessment considerations and the concept of conscious risk-taking pave new avenues for future research.Description
Supervisor
Fagerholm, FabianThesis advisor
Fagerholm, FabianKeywords
software product management, continuous experimentation, initiative assessment, conscious risk-taking, user value creation, exploratory interview study
