MMFs, also known as minimal marketable products (MMPs), refer to the smallest subset of a product that can still be introduced into the market to deliver a certain utility. Similarly, an MVP is a product that provides the maximum value to the customers while remaining at its minimal functional size.
MMFs and MVPs provide the opportunity to test and validate the product and your assumptions about it, allowing for the early recognition of value and a more substantial risk management framework.
Why Focus on Small Releasable Increments?
Focusing on small releasable increments rather than full, large-scale products brings several benefits:
- Flexibility: It gives you room to adjust your direction in product development based on user feedback.
- Early Delivery of Value: It allows you to deliver value and gain feedback early in the project, improving the overall product quality and user satisfaction.
- Risk Management: It addresses risks earlier in the project lifecycle, increasing the project’s success rates.
| Large Increments | Small Increments | |
|---|---|---|
| Flexibility | Low | High |
| Early Delivery of Value | No | Yes |
| Risk Management | Slow/Inefficient | Efficient/Faster |
How to Organize Requirements into MMFs/MVPs Effectively?
- User Stories: User stories are an Agile staple that help divide large product features into smaller, manageable components.
- Epics: Epics, essentially a group of related user stories, can help you manage larger scales, which can then be broken down into smaller increments.
- Product Roadmap: It provides a high-level overview, helping you map out the MMFs/MVPs against project timelines.
- Backlog Prioritization: Using frameworks like MoSCoW (Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, Won’t Have) can assist you in identifying and prioritizing your MMFs/MVPs.
Using these methods, a potentially complex requirement can be transformed into manageable chunks. For instance, if a requirement was to “Redesign the company’s website”, it could potentially be divided into multiple MMFs:
- Redesign the homepage.
- Update the product pages.
- Simplify the navigation.
- Integrate a new customer service chat feature.
Each of these could then be released as a separate increment, tested, and refined based on user feedback, before moving on to the next one.
Conclusion
Organizing requirements into small releasable increments, and further into MMFs/MVPs, aligns well with Agile principles. It allows feedback-based iterations, brings value early in the project, and reduces risks, making your projects more resilient and user-oriented. As an Agile professional aiming to clear the PMI Agile Certified Practitioner (PMI-ACP) exam, mastering this strategy will undoubtedly be a pivotal factor in your success.
Practice Test
True or False: Small releasable increments can help in the early recognition and delivery of value.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: True
Explanation: Small releasable increments allow for more frequent delivery of value, quicker feedback and early recognition of any issues or refinements needed.
The development of minimally viable products (MVPs) is an approach of delivering the least amount of features that provide the most value. Is this statement true or false?
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: True
Explanation: An MVP is a version of a product with just enough features to attract early-adopter customers and validate a product idea early in the product development cycle.
Which of the following statements are true about minimally marketable features (MMF) and MVP in an Agile project?
- A) MMF and MVP are the same concepts.
- B) MVP allows the project to validate learning about the product hypothesis.
- C) MMF focuses on providing the smallest set of features that delivers value to customers.
- D) Both MMF and MVP aim to eliminate waste and maximize the amount of work not done.
Answer: B, C, and D
Explanation: MMF and MVP are different concepts but both aim to provide value early in the product development cycle. MVP is used to validate learning, while MMF focuses on delivering smallest set of features that provides value.
According to the Agile framework, when should the value be delivered to the customers?
- A) At the end of the project
- B) Whenever there is a significant change in the project
- C) As early as possible through small releasable increments
- D) After a complete detailed project plan is made
Answer: C
Explanation: Agile advocates for the early and continuous delivery of valuable software to the customers through small releasable increments.
Is it essential to plan for small releasable increments in agile projects?
- A) Yes, it is crucial to monitor the progress of the project
- B) No, as agile doesn’t require any planning
- C) Yes, it helps manage risks and uncertainties in the project
- D) No, as agile is more about spontaneous decision making without any planning
Answer: A and C
Explanation: Small increments help the team to monitor the project progress and manage uncertainties and risks, providing adaptability and responsiveness to changes.
Multiple Choice: What is the main purpose of organizing requirements into MMFs in an Agile project?
- A) To make the work easier
- B) To ensure that the project meets the expectations of the stakeholders
- C) To speed up the project execution
- D) To allow for early recognition and delivery of value
Answer: D
Explanation: MMFs are designed to allow for early recognition and delivery of value, thus ensuring that customer’s needs are met sooner.
True or False: In an Agile project, small releases can increase the project risk.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: False
Explanation: Small releases actually reduce the risk, by enabling early feedback and continuous improvement, which contributes to the success of the project.
Multiple Choice: What do MVPs provide in an Agile project?
- A) A final product
- B) Early market feedback
- C) Detailed project plan
- D) Maximum profit
Answer: B
Explanation: MVPs are designed to provide early validation of hypotheses about the product and market, creating room for immediate learning and iterative improvement.
True or False: In Agile, all requirements need to be delivered as part of the final product.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: False
Explanation: Agile teams work to deliver the most valuable features early and continuously, rather than delivering all requested features in the final product.
Multiple choice: Why are small releasable increments beneficial in an Agile project?
- A) They increase the speed of the project
- B) They increase the value delivered to the customers
- C) They reduce the project risk
- D) All of the above
Answer: D
Explanation: Small releasable increments increase speed of delivery, provide frequent value to customers, and reduce project risk by allowing for early feedback and course corrections.
Interview Questions
What is a minimally viable product (MVP) in Agile project management?
A minimally viable product (MVP) in Agile project management refers to the most basic version of a product that still delivers value to the customer and can collect user feedback for future product development.
Can you define the term “minimally marketable features” in Agile methodology?
Minimally Marketable Features, in Agile methodology, are subsets of functionality that add value for the customer. They are small enough to be implemented in a single iteration and released separately to the market.
What are the benefits of releasing small increments in Agile?
Releasing small increments in Agile provides potential benefits such as earlier return on investment, faster feedback, and reduced risk as changes can be incorporated in subsequent increments based on user feedback and changes in market conditions.
How does organizing requirements into minimally viable products contribute to early recognition of value?
Organizing requirements into minimally viable products allows teams to develop and release features faster. This enables earlier recognition of value because customers can start using and benefiting from the product sooner and provide crucial feedback for further development.
Why are minimally marketable features important in Agile Project Management?
Minimally Marketable Features are important because they allow the team to deliver value to the customer quickly and continuously, rather than waiting until the end of the project for a single large release.
How does the practice of releasing small increments reduce risk in project management?
The practice of releasing small increments reduces risk by allowing for frequent customer feedback, validation of assumptions, and corrections of potential issues at an early stage, reducing the risk of building a product that does not meet market needs.
How does a team prioritize minimally marketable features in Agile?
Teams commonly use prioritization techniques like MoSCoW (Must have, Should have, Could have, and Won’t have) or value-based prioritization to determine which minimally marketable features to work on first in Agile.
How does the concept of MVP align with the Agile principle of delivering early and continuous value?
The concept of MVP directly aligns with the Agile principle of delivering early and continuous value by focusing on developing key functionalities first, thereby delivering a usable product to the customers as soon as possible.
Can you define the ‘Iterative’ approach in small increments release?
The Iterative approach in small increments release involves developing and releasing smaller portions of the product in each iteration, with additional features added in subsequent iterations based on customer feedback and adjustments.
What are the potential challenges of implementing the release of small, incremental MVPs?
Some potential challenges could include customer dissatisfaction with an incomplete product, increased pressure on teams for frequent releases, potential increase in cost associated with multiple iterations, and potential difficulty in managing feedback from multiple incremental releases.
How are MVPs and MMFs related and how are they different?
Both MVPs (Minimally Viable Products) and MMFs (Minimally Marketable Features) aim to deliver value quickly and gather user feedback. However, an MVP is a product with minimum features to satisfy early customers and provide feedback for future product development, while an MMF is a subset of features that has enough value to be worth marketing on its own.
How can a PMI Agile Certified Practitioner ensure early delivery of value using the approach of releasing small increments?
They can ensure early delivery of value by focusing on customer’s priorities, developing minimally viable products, using feedback to guide future iterations, and utilizing an iterative approach to deliver continuous value through small and incremental improvements.
What is the role of customer feedback in the development and release of small releasable increments?
Customer feedback plays a significant role as it helps validate if the small releasable increments are delivering value to the customers. It also guides the next steps in product development, ensuring that the product meets the customers’ needs and expectations.
How does the development and release of small releasable increments align with the Agile Manifesto?
The development and release of small releasable increments aligns with the Agile Manifesto’s principles of valuing individuals and interactions, customer collaboration, responding to change, and continuous delivery of valuable software.
Can you provide an example of a minimally viable product?
A classic example of a minimally viable product is a basic version of an app that performs one key function. Its primary purpose is to satisfy early adopters and collect feedback for the app’s future development.
extutorials.com