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📍 Amsterdam, NL

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Portfolio

About me

📍 Amsterdam, NL

Contact

Portfolio

About me

Contact

Portfolio

About me

Contact

Product culture

Transforming a startup that worked as an agency to an organisation that places product & customers in the centre.

Introduction

The Fabricant digital fashion startup started as an agency type of company trying to satisfy each B2B customer's different requests while struggling to build a successful & coherent digital product.

One of my goals when I joined was to help leadership transform the organisation to one that thinks and collaborates like product companies do.

I helped them achieve transformation through evangelising design thinking, agile development, and facilitating the development of a more collaborative culture that bridges the gap between disciplines. My experience with facilitating workshops and creating processes helped us transform the company into a truly product driven organisation.

Introduction

The Fabricant digital fashion startup started as an agency type of company trying to satisfy each B2B customer's different requests while struggling to build a successful & coherent digital product.

One of my goals when I joined was to help leadership transform the organisation to one that thinks and collaborates like product companies do.

I helped them achieve transformation through evangelising design thinking, agile development, and facilitating the development of a more collaborative culture that bridges the gap between disciplines. My experience with facilitating workshops and creating processes helped us transform the company into a truly product driven organisation.

Introduction

The Fabricant digital fashion startup started as an agency type of company trying to satisfy each B2B customer's different requests while struggling to build a successful & coherent digital product.

One of my goals when I joined was to help leadership transform the organisation to one that thinks and collaborates like product companies do.

I helped them achieve transformation through evangelising design thinking, agile development, and facilitating the development of a more collaborative culture that bridges the gap between disciplines. My experience with facilitating workshops and creating processes helped us transform the company into a truly product driven organisation.

Design Thinking

Using the Double Diamond design thinking framework, I identified the most relevant activities for our company and devised an ideal process for implementation.

After assessing the company's design maturity, I shared the benefits of design thinking in planning, design, and development. I presented a process proposal to our leaders individually to gather feedback and then to the entire company.

I continuously engaged with different team members to adapt and integrate design thinking and collaboration.

Ultimately, we embraced the new processes and refined them together. It was rewarding to see colleagues take initiative and further integrate design thinking into their daily work.

Design Thinking

Using the Double Diamond design thinking framework, I identified the most relevant activities for our company and devised an ideal process for implementation.

After assessing the company's design maturity, I shared the benefits of design thinking in planning, design, and development. I presented a process proposal to our leaders individually to gather feedback and then to the entire company.

I continuously engaged with different team members to adapt and integrate design thinking and collaboration.

Ultimately, we embraced the new processes and refined them together. It was rewarding to see colleagues take initiative and further integrate design thinking into their daily work.

Design Thinking

Using the Double Diamond design thinking framework, I identified the most relevant activities for our company and devised an ideal process for implementation.

After assessing the company's design maturity, I shared the benefits of design thinking in planning, design, and development. I presented a process proposal to our leaders individually to gather feedback and then to the entire company.

I continuously engaged with different team members to adapt and integrate design thinking and collaboration.

Ultimately, we embraced the new processes and refined them together. It was rewarding to see colleagues take initiative and further integrate design thinking into their daily work.

Agile Roadmapping

One of my first initiatives was to change the company's approach to roadmaps. Previously, we created detailed long-term roadmaps with minimal input from the development team, leading to unrealistic goals and incoherent strategic decisions.

We shifted to agile roadmaps, keeping high-level items for the distant future and focusing on details for near-term tasks. For long-term planning, we relied on a clear vision and strategy.

With support from our product owner, Ruzica Rose, and discussions with the leadership team, we transitioned to this new strategic planning. Over time, the organization favored these lightweight roadmaps, and leadership found the new strategy and vision easier to communicate to investors.

Agile Roadmapping

One of my first initiatives was to change the company's approach to roadmaps. Previously, we created detailed long-term roadmaps with minimal input from the development team, leading to unrealistic goals and incoherent strategic decisions.

We shifted to agile roadmaps, keeping high-level items for the distant future and focusing on details for near-term tasks. For long-term planning, we relied on a clear vision and strategy.

With support from our product owner, Ruzica Rose, and discussions with the leadership team, we transitioned to this new strategic planning. Over time, the organization favored these lightweight roadmaps, and leadership found the new strategy and vision easier to communicate to investors.

Agile Roadmapping

One of my first initiatives was to change the company's approach to roadmaps. Previously, we created detailed long-term roadmaps with minimal input from the development team, leading to unrealistic goals and incoherent strategic decisions.

We shifted to agile roadmaps, keeping high-level items for the distant future and focusing on details for near-term tasks. For long-term planning, we relied on a clear vision and strategy.

With support from our product owner, Ruzica Rose, and discussions with the leadership team, we transitioned to this new strategic planning. Over time, the organization favored these lightweight roadmaps, and leadership found the new strategy and vision easier to communicate to investors.

Value Proposition Canvas

Transitioning from an agency to a product company, refining the value proposition of our digital product was crucial. I organised workshops to help leadership refine their ideas around business, product, technology, and customers.

One key workshop was the value proposition canvas. We identified two distinct customer groups: end users and B2B customers, primarily large fashion brands. Focusing on the B2B segment, we developed a hypothesis on the most important issues we could solve and how to generate value for them. This was based on research I conducted with colleagues and customer representatives.

Value Proposition Canvas

Transitioning from an agency to a product company, refining the value proposition of our digital product was crucial. I organised workshops to help leadership refine their ideas around business, product, technology, and customers.

One key workshop was the value proposition canvas. We identified two distinct customer groups: end users and B2B customers, primarily large fashion brands. Focusing on the B2B segment, we developed a hypothesis on the most important issues we could solve and how to generate value for them. This was based on research I conducted with colleagues and customer representatives.

Value Proposition Canvas

Transitioning from an agency to a product company, refining the value proposition of our digital product was crucial. I organised workshops to help leadership refine their ideas around business, product, technology, and customers.

One key workshop was the value proposition canvas. We identified two distinct customer groups: end users and B2B customers, primarily large fashion brands. Focusing on the B2B segment, we developed a hypothesis on the most important issues we could solve and how to generate value for them. This was based on research I conducted with colleagues and customer representatives.

Business Model Canvas

To avoid our business model to be taken as self evident, I organized and facilitated a Business Model Canvas workshop for the leadership team.

In preparation, I identified and analyzed the most relevant and successful business model patterns in the market. This analysis helped guide the leadership team through potential decision points likely to arise during the workshop.

By the conclusion of this multi-day workshop, our leadership team had developed a clearer, shared understanding of the various options available for generating value and revenue and came away with an actionable list of decisions they would have to make in the coming period.

Business Model Canvas

To avoid our business model to be taken as self evident, I organized and facilitated a Business Model Canvas workshop for the leadership team.

In preparation, I identified and analyzed the most relevant and successful business model patterns in the market. This analysis helped guide the leadership team through potential decision points likely to arise during the workshop.

By the conclusion of this multi-day workshop, our leadership team had developed a clearer, shared understanding of the various options available for generating value and revenue and came away with an actionable list of decisions they would have to make in the coming period.

Business Model Canvas

To avoid our business model to be taken as self evident, I organized and facilitated a Business Model Canvas workshop for the leadership team.

In preparation, I identified and analyzed the most relevant and successful business model patterns in the market. This analysis helped guide the leadership team through potential decision points likely to arise during the workshop.

By the conclusion of this multi-day workshop, our leadership team had developed a clearer, shared understanding of the various options available for generating value and revenue and came away with an actionable list of decisions they would have to make in the coming period.

User Research

Although the company had a strong relationship with its user community, there was no systematic research effort or information sharing across the organisation. Believing that common knowledge is crucial for collaboration in a complex environment, I initiated several changes.

First, I organised surveys and user interviews to better understand our user base. I used periodic campaign releases to engage with current and potential customers and set up a research system in Airtable to track and share data, observations, and insights.

Second, I established the Research Guild, a recurring meeting and Slack channel for all team members interacting with users. This cross-functional group met biweekly to share insights, plans, and coordinate efforts.

Third, we adopted hypothesis-based development and user testing for significant design questions. After each campaign, we shaped and prioritised hypotheses, putting them through the Double Diamond design thinking process. We tested designs early and often with lightweight prototypes to ensure we invested in solutions valuable to both users and the business.

User Research

Although the company had a strong relationship with its user community, there was no systematic research effort or information sharing across the organisation. Believing that common knowledge is crucial for collaboration in a complex environment, I initiated several changes.

First, I organised surveys and user interviews to better understand our user base. I used periodic campaign releases to engage with current and potential customers and set up a research system in Airtable to track and share data, observations, and insights.

Second, I established the Research Guild, a recurring meeting and Slack channel for all team members interacting with users. This cross-functional group met biweekly to share insights, plans, and coordinate efforts.

Third, we adopted hypothesis-based development and user testing for significant design questions. After each campaign, we shaped and prioritised hypotheses, putting them through the Double Diamond design thinking process. We tested designs early and often with lightweight prototypes to ensure we invested in solutions valuable to both users and the business.

User Research

Although the company had a strong relationship with its user community, there was no systematic research effort or information sharing across the organisation. Believing that common knowledge is crucial for collaboration in a complex environment, I initiated several changes.

First, I organised surveys and user interviews to better understand our user base. I used periodic campaign releases to engage with current and potential customers and set up a research system in Airtable to track and share data, observations, and insights.

Second, I established the Research Guild, a recurring meeting and Slack channel for all team members interacting with users. This cross-functional group met biweekly to share insights, plans, and coordinate efforts.

Third, we adopted hypothesis-based development and user testing for significant design questions. After each campaign, we shaped and prioritised hypotheses, putting them through the Double Diamond design thinking process. We tested designs early and often with lightweight prototypes to ensure we invested in solutions valuable to both users and the business.

Culture, Values, & Habits

Organisational transformation is most enduring when it originates from within. While the team was open to embracing a product culture, it was crucial for them to personalise it.

To facilitate this, I proposed to HR and led a workshop during one of our retreats to collectively define our culture, anchoring it in our core values and the specific habits that support them.

The workshop noticeably boosted morale, and it was gratifying to see how the defined values and habits became part of our daily vocabulary and took on a life of their own. Some had a lasting impact, while others were ready to be redefined at our next retreat. Most importantly, people began to feel a sense of ownership and influence over the culture in their workplace.

Culture, Values, & Habits

Organisational transformation is most enduring when it originates from within. While the team was open to embracing a product culture, it was crucial for them to personalise it.

To facilitate this, I proposed to HR and led a workshop during one of our retreats to collectively define our culture, anchoring it in our core values and the specific habits that support them.

The workshop noticeably boosted morale, and it was gratifying to see how the defined values and habits became part of our daily vocabulary and took on a life of their own. Some had a lasting impact, while others were ready to be redefined at our next retreat. Most importantly, people began to feel a sense of ownership and influence over the culture in their workplace.

Culture, Values, & Habits

Organisational transformation is most enduring when it originates from within. While the team was open to embracing a product culture, it was crucial for them to personalise it.

To facilitate this, I proposed to HR and led a workshop during one of our retreats to collectively define our culture, anchoring it in our core values and the specific habits that support them.

The workshop noticeably boosted morale, and it was gratifying to see how the defined values and habits became part of our daily vocabulary and took on a life of their own. Some had a lasting impact, while others were ready to be redefined at our next retreat. Most importantly, people began to feel a sense of ownership and influence over the culture in their workplace.

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