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Product Management

Feature Kickoffs

A feature kickoff, sometimes called a product kick-off or a project kick-off, is a meeting and process that explains to relevant stakeholders the plans, goals, and context for the team's work on a new feature. It's usually conducted by a product manager, but not always. It can include an explanation of the problem space, a breakdown of user stories, competitive offerings vs. our differentiation, and scoping.
What You'll Learn

  • Intro to Feature Kick-Offs

    Feature Kick-Offs are essential for successful product development, as they provide a clear direction and vision for the team to follow.

    • Atlassian logo
      Feature Kick-off Meeting

      Atlassian, Editorial Team, Atlassian

      Atlassian's team explains what a feature kick-off meeting is and why it is worth having. Their kick-off meeting includes: • Feature overview • Team feedback • User journey walkthrough • Critiques and alternate solutions

  • Kick-off Meeting Purpose

    The purpose of a Kick-Off Meeting is to align stakeholders on the goals, objectives, and deliverables of a project, as well as to establish communication and collaboration strategies.

    • TIER Mobility logo
      How to conduct collaborative feature kickoffs

      Andrew Quan, VP of Product, TIER Mobility

      Andrew describes a process for a collaborative kick-off that that inspires each team member, aligns goals across teams, and forms a realistic action plan to follow. He outlines a template for a workshop with four parts: • Part One: Identify your stakeholders • Part Two: Presentation — Set Context and Priorities • Part Three: Workshop — Diverge and Converge • Part Four: Technical Discussion

  • Agendas and Templates for Kick-Off Meetings

    Agendas and templates for Kick-Off Meetings should be tailored to the specific project and team, with a focus on clarity, engagement, and action items. Best practices include setting expectations, assigning roles, and providing context.

    • Cockroach Labs logo
      Running a Successful Feature Kick-Off

      Diana Hsieh, Product Manager, Cockroach Labs

      Diana's current and evolving kick-off format includes: • Why are we building this feature? • User stories • Competitors / market offerings • Customer stories • Feature scoping / acceptance criteria

    • GitLab logo
      GitLab Kickoff Meeting Process

      GitLab, Editorial Team, GitLab

      GitLab's kickoffs cover standard components, such as problem statements and designs, but have a unique twist: they are recorded and posted for external viewing by customers and the GitLab community.

    • EY logo
      Product Design Kickoff Checklist

      Matthew Voshell, Head of Experience Design, EY

      Matthew provides a product designer's perspective on kickoffs, and explains 4 pieces of research collateral to present: Product Stories, Personas, Workflow Diagrams, and Product Story Maps.

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