Experts love to claim “Mobile changes everything” – see for example this presentation from Andreessen Horowitz.
We’ve shared a lot of data about whether and why ‘this time is different’. But beyond that, why is the tech market opportunity larger than any time in history (no, really!)? One word: mobile.
In this update of his past presentation on Mobile Eating the World — delivered this month at Andreessen Horowitz’ annual investor meeting — a16z’s Benedict Evans shares just how and why mobile changes everything. Because tech is outgrowing the tech industry.
But this could be misleading. Mobile should not change what business you do, but it could provide a new or improved way for you to do your business. If your business is selling widgets, then your mobile project should help you sell more widgets – if it doesn’t, then why are you proposing it?
Businesses are made up of a web of different elements e.g. sales, marketing, tech, finance, legal, investors, business partners and customers (see next section). These are commonly referred to as stakeholders. If a mobile project is in the business interest, then it will affect any number of these groups.
Whichever team is driving the project, each of these stakeholder groups should be consulted to properly identify the disparity of expectations, objectives, opportunities and risks associated with the project. This will ensure the project is properly scoped from the start, reducing costly and time consuming additions and subtractions further down the line.
Put together a stakeholder Q&A and ensure you have written responses from all parties. This generic stakeholder interview template from UX Apprentice is a good starting point for this process.
Explains Handley:
I’ve always started with the discovery phase of the strategic process with an inward look to gain brand / business understanding – i.e. what “fits” the culture, vision, guiding principles for the business.
Often this is seen purely from the aesthetics / UI / design perspective i.e. whatever we build has to look “right” – but it should be more than this. A company’s culture often guides what type of risk it is prepared to take which in turn guides what type of functions you propose / build (more complex, less complex, more innovative etc).
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