Intro to Product Development for Consumer Apps. Learn how to build a high-quality consumer app, from the eyes of a Project Manager. This simple guide shows you how we built Klooff, the internet's pet network. BUILD PRODUCTS PEOPLE LIKE. Created by Mario Encina, Head of Product at Klooff. www.linkedin.com/in/marioencina

1. Intro to
PRODUCT
DEVELOPMENT
Learn how to build consumer apps, through the eyes
of a Project Manager.
November 2013

2. This is how we built Klooff, the internet’s pet network.
Our method applies to basic and complex consumer apps. We suggest you start executing as
quickly as possible and fix the car while you’re on the road! The best time to get started is now.
*Launch: December 2013

3. Project Manager Role
Design
Development
PM
What does the
Project Manager
do?
Business

4. Overview
1. Wireframes
2. Design UI/UX
3. Define Technology
4. Define Project Scope
5. Documentation (Functional Specifications)
6. SCRUM + Sprints

5. 1. Wireframes
Important Questions
Objectives?
“What do we want the user to do? What do you get out of it?”
Features?
“What does the user need, in order to get what he wants?”
Screens?
“What’s the simplest way to use this?”
Elements?
“What do the screens need to let the user reach the objectives through
the Features?”
User Flows?
“What is the path of least resistance, that connects all of the above?
!
!
Execution
!
!
Paper and pen
PPT
Balsamiq
Materials (Post its, play-dough)
Rapid Prototyping (see Tom Chi)

6. 1. Wireframes
To build good wireframes, prioritise:
User Flow
!
Objectives
Features
Screens
Elements

7. 2. Design UI/UX
Important Questions
Look and feel?
“How do we want the user to FEEL?”
Form follows function?
“Is the design adequate for the user’s objectives?”
Formats?
“Are we being consistent with file naming and formats?
Are we making the PM’s and Dev’s job easier?”
!
!
!
!
Moodboards
AI
Execution PSD
Dropbox
Naming

8. 2. Design UI/UX
2.1 Dropbox
1. Organise your files by
screens, it’s easier.
2. Be extra careful when
naming them.
3. Be consistent and keep
version control.

9. 3. Define Technology
Important Questions
Purpose of each tech?
“Why are we choosing this technology and not another one?”
Right fit?
“Is this the best tech for our product, stage, team, budget?”
Support?
“Does this technology have a strong community, libraries?”
Feasible?
“Is it realistic for us to use this?”
Cost-effective?
“Does this tech fit our budget and deadline?”
Scalable?
!
“Will it let me scale from 1-1M users?
!
***Should I even worry about this right now?”
!
Maintenance?
Execution
Performance?
!
Speed?
!
!
Research
Stack Exchange
Wikipedia
Quora
Networking
Blogs
Similar Products

10. 4. Project Scope
Important Questions
Features?
“Am I including absolutely ALL my features?
Am adding things that weren’t considered?”
Time?
“Are we dealing with a time deadline or deliverable product deadline?”
Money?
“Am I getting charged per hour, per sprint, per project?
What happens if it takes longer? What happens if it’s not what I expected?”
Team?
“Is the team 100% dedicated to me? Do I know who they are and what their roles are?
How often do I interact with them? Do I interact with everyone?”
Legal?
“Did my attorney revise the SOW and Contract thoroughly?
Am I aware of the risks implied and the consequences?”
Statement of Work
!
Spreadsheet
Execution
Contracts
!
Lawyers

11. 4. Project Scope
4.1 Project Scope: Feature Spreadsheet
1. This document will command how your final product will work.
2. You are going to commit to what’s written here.
*Be as clear and
specific as you can, but
use simple language.
!
Assume your
counterpart has never
used an app before.

12. 5. Documentation
Important Questions
Priority? Urgent vs Important
“Are we doing what’s urgent or just important?”
Structure?
“Am I being consistent with the structure of my documentation?”
Communicating clearly?
“Is it easy to look back and understand progress at each stage?”
Record?
“Am I keeping record of all deliveries, versions, notes,
conversations?”
Language?
“Am I being technical enough? Am I being simple enough?”
!
Total Control?
“Do I have TOTAL CONTROL of every moving part involved
in this project? ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING???”
Execution
Feedback
Google Docs
Basecamp
Trello
Phone
Skype
Hangouts
Test Plan

13. 5. Documentation
5.1 Documentation: Spec Sheets
1. Separating the project into 3 layers has helped me keep very close
monitoring of the project progress. Every screen should have 3 layers:
1. Elements Layer
2. Functional Layer
3. Features Layer

14. 5. Documentation
5.1.1 Elements Layer

15. 5. Documentation
5.1.2 Functional Layer

16. 5. Documentation
5.1.3 Features Layer

17. 6. SCRUM + Sprints
Important Questions
MVP?
“How should my MVP look like?
Can I take ingredients off the hotdog and still call it “hotdog”?”
Team?
“How should my team be structured for best output?
Should we add/remove team members?”
Time?
“How often do I want deliveries? How long should sprints be?
Daily? Weekly? Monthly? Feature-based?”
Priority?
“Should we build new features, fix bugs, our iterate/test existing features?”
KPIs?
“How am I measuring progress? What are the best Key Performance Indicators”
!
!
!
Pivotal Tracker
Execution Basecamp
Asana

18. About me
!
I’m not a developer.
I’m not a designer.
I’m a finance guy that loves building product.
!
Learning is what I enjoy most. I encourage anyone who wants to build product to simply
start doing it. You don’t need to know everything; the best time to start is now!
!
Build products people love using.
Build simple experiences that make people happy and engaged.
!
Hope this is helpful!
!
!
Mario
Head of Product at Klooff
me@klooff.com

19. Suggested Reading
www.joelonsoftware.com
www.stackexchange.com
http://developer.linkedin.com/blog
http://instagram-engineering.tumblr.com/
Book: ReWork
!
Actually, don’t read too much!
Start executing now.

20. THANK YOU!
!
!
!
Jane Chung
Alejandro Russo
Mario Encina
The Klooff Team
!