A PRODUCT OWNER’S

GUIDE TO ROOTSTRAP
Exploring Agile & Scrum:
The Method to Our Madness (and Your Sanity)
 Table of Contents

Introduction
01

How does Rootstrap work?

03

The Old School Methodology: Waterfall

09

The Rootstrap Methodology: Agile

13

The Scrum Framework

19

How to be a Great Product Owner

27
Introduction

Software development is chaotic. 90% of all projects fail, or worse, run

out of money before they get a chance to succeed. An idea can sound
great in theory, but execution is an artform and can be fumbled easily.
(It’s no coincidence that 90% of all downloaded apps are used just once
before being deleted.) The truth is that most software developers simply
aren’t focused on meeting the needs of the current marketplace, and as
a result, most mobile app developments go bust. This can happen for
several reasons:

• Product Owners often receive little guidance

• It’s difficult to predict what users actually want
• Development problems may not be identified or remedied until it’s
too late
• It gets more expensive to pivot as time goes on
• Most developments end up with a poor user experiences
• And most developer contracts lock Product Owners into iron-clad
commitments, leaving little room for adaptation and creative exploration

Rootstrap, our Product Development Workshop, is how Neon Roots helps

you to avoid these common pitfalls. And while we can’t guarantee that
your app will succeed (no one can), we can teach you how to become a
better Product Owner. We’ll challenge your thinking and help you develop
the right mindset to build digital products with precise end-to-end
execution and world-class user experiences. This transformation into a
successful Product Owner will go hand-in-hand with turning your idea
into a clickable prototype (and using these skills for future iterations).
Let’s explore how this makes Rootstrap different from other development
firms.

Hint: It has everything to do with our methodology.

Why Rootstrap?

• Fail fast and improve faster

• Work within your budget
• Pivot early and often
• Ensure that you deliver value to
your customers
• And be prepared for the road ahead
HOW DOES ROOTSTRAP WORK?
 HOW DOES ROOTSTRAP WORK?

Now, you could take your idea to a tech shop, but they can only build
what you tell them. They can’t dig much deeper than that. Or, you could
go to a development agency, but since their agenda is to push features
(all the bells & whistles), you may end up with a product that doesn’t
properly serve your business, or the user. But the bigger issue with these
firms is how they work.

At Rootstrap, we don’t believe that a good product can be built by

spending 12 months in a conference room brainstorming features.
Instead, we argue that it’s the Product Owner’s mindset and a hands-on
development process that results in a strong Minimum Viable Product, or
MVP. Our goal is to achieve clarity by focusing on core features and
getting an MVP to market as soon as possible in order to collect
feedback from users. This feedback then serves as a guide for what to
do next, rather than using conventional wisdom, traditional strategies, or
just pure guessing. And we believe that it’s this MVP mindset which
separates the successful Product Owners from just some guy with an
app. It’s the cornerstone of our entire process.

But what does this process look like? First, our Development Team will
assist in identifying your key value prop, product features, and stake-
holders through in-depth research and consulting on user experience.
From there, we’ll define these variables and determine your brand’s
identity before moving on to design, which includes wireframing,
constructing a detailed technical architecture, and developing your
all-important prototype. This enables you to start testing your ideas right
away and discover roadblocks to success early and often. When it’s all
said and done, you’ll receive a proper blueprint for development, your
ideal prototype, and a clear understanding of how to approach the next
steps as a Product Owner. Of course, this all starts with methodology.
The Rootstrap Process

UNDERSTAND DEFINE IDEATE

Great For:
Those without prior startup or entrepreneurial experience
Transforming napkin sketches into development-ready prototypes
Correcting missteps on existing apps that haven’t been successful
Entrepreneurs seeking a collaborative environment for their concepts (as well
as a sanity check)
IDEATE PROTOTYPE VALIDATE

Rootstrap Highlights
• User-centric process
• Value-driven design
• Collaborative teamwork
• Lean & agile development
• Open standards & innovation
THE OLD SCHOOL METHODOLOGY: WATERFAL
TERFALL
Waterfall

ANALYZE

DESIGN

BUILD

TEST

PUBLISH
PRODUCT
 THE OLD SCHOOL METHODOLOGY: WATERFALL

Heralding from the industrial era, where building products often went
hand-in-hand with manufacturing and construction, the Waterfall
Methodology is a step-by-step process that requires completing one
step before moving on to the next. Often, it’s accompanied by extensive
paperwork, contract negotiations, and bureaucratic processes. But the
true downside is that products are often tested towards the end of the
process - after the majority of your time, money, and energy have been
invested, and often right before you expect to ship. And in the world of
software design, where everything is in constant motion and consumers
are actively abandoning anything even remotely antiquated, this system
simply doesn’t work. The truth is that digital Product Owners can’t afford
that kind of gamble, which is why Rootstrap follows a completely
different methodology.

“The approach that you took and the guidance you provided
throughout the Rootstrap process has been phenomenal.

I’m looking forward to continuing as partners!”

Tony Robbins
THE ROOTSTRAP METHODOLOGY: AGILE
LE
THE ROOTSTRAP METHODOLOGY: AGILE

This system for software development began to gain traction in the

late 1990s, but the term itself wasn’t introduced until 2001 with the
Agile Manifesto, which outlined the following core values:

Individuals & Interactions vs Processes & Tools

Working Software vs Comprehensive Documentation

Customer Collaboration vs Contract Negotiation

Responding to Change vs Following a Plan

In other words, the hallmarks of Agile software development are close

collaboration, constant communication, incremental deliveries of a
working product, cross-functional & self-organizing teams, and a
successful product development without chaos. And that’s exactly
what the Neon Roots reputation is built on.

Software development is full of uncertainties, and no one has perfect

foresight at the beginning of a project. The goal is to prepare for this
uncertainty and master short iterations, which allow for issues to be
identified and addressed early in the development process. To accom-
plish this, our Agile Development Teams repeat the Waterfall process
with each iteration, which we call Sprints.
The Benefits

• Increased transparency
& collaboration
• Timely feedback throughout
the process
• Clear expectations that can be easily
communicated and tracked
• Rapid delivery times for
high-quality software
• Value-driven design
(not agenda-driven)
• Ability to smoothly implement
important changes
• Greater chance of meeting
expectations across the board
Agile Sprints

Sprint 1 Sprint 2

PRODUCT
INCREMENT

Each Sprint allows the Product Owner (you) and the Development Team
(us) to test features along the way, rather than at the end of the process,
as was done in the industrial era. And since the final product isn’t
released in a big, surprising reveal, the Agile methodology results in
much greater satisfaction for both you and your target audience.
Sprint 2 Sprint 3

PRODUCT
INCREMENT

ANALYZE, DESIGN, BUILD, TEST, PUBLISH

THE SCRUM FRAMEWORK
 THE SCRUM FRAMEWORK

Scrum is the most popular of the Agile methodologies, and it’s the
method of choice for Rootstrap. In our experience, this process delivers
the highest business value in the shortest amount of time.

Scrum In a Nutshell

• Iterative and incremental method

• Uses self-organizing &
cross-functional teams
• Allows for frequent inspections
and feedback loops
• Promotes collaboration and the
ability to respond to changes
• Encourages experimentation for
surprising solutions
• Minimizes, or even eliminates,
mismatches between expectations
and final product output by delivering
features early & often
How Scrum Works with Rootstrap

As we’ve discussed, the Rootstrap workshop isn’t focused on developing

apps. That aspect is firmly in the hands of Neon Roots, our development
agency. However, Rootstrap is the catalyst for becoming an effective
Product Owner with an MVP mindset, able to provide products that users
actually want. In order to accomplish this quickly with a cost-effective
product strategy, Rootstrap helps you fine-tune your ideas, understand
your place in the market, and test a development-ready prototype at
limited risk. More importantly, this workshop will help you develop a
personalized process for managing your product, adapting to market
shifts and pivoting as needed within the digital space.

The first step is simply to develop the proper mindset, then to construct
an architecture for your idea to build on, and finally, to map out the
release plan for product milestones. All of this will prepare you for the
reality of managing a digital product every day, and by the end of this
process, you’ll be able to confidently exert creative control over the
development of your MVP, as well as any future ideas you may have up
your sleeve. But to better understand this transformational workshop, it’s
best to get an idea of the role Scrum plays in our process.

First and foremost, your concept is your brainchild, and as the Product
Owner, you need a prototype that’s ready for development. The first step
is to draft a Product Backlog, listing all of the features and functionalities
you’d like your mobile app to have. This list is typically written from the
perspective of your customer, and items are often referred to as “User
Stories.”

Next, you’ll head to the Sprint Planning Meeting with the Development
Team. This is the first major activity in Scrum, and will mark the beginning
of each Sprint interval. The goal of these meetings is to produce the
Sprint Backlog - a unique checklist for each Sprint that assigns items
from your original Product Backlog to be completed during that
Scrum

PRODUCT
VISION
BACKLOG

SPRINT PLANNING / REFINEMENT

SPRINT BACKLOG

DAILY
SCRUM

SPRINT
1-4 WEEKS

SPRINT
REVIEW

PRODUCT
INCREMENT
SPRINT RETROSPECTIVE
specific interval. This is the responsibility of the Dev. Team, who’ll also
handle Backlog Grooming to ensure that the product’s development
stays aligned with your vision. Over time, Team Members may add,
remove, or even split items on the Backlog as needed. Of course, you -
the Owner - have final say on your product’s development; but it’s up to
the Team to decide how best to accomplish the necessary tasks within
the confines of each Sprint.

During every Sprint, the Dev. Team will also meet daily to discuss what
they accomplished yesterday, what they plan to accomplish today, and
what impediments they’re currently facing. New tasks may be added to
the Sprint Backlog, and Team members are expected to volunteer their
services & expertise to these items, without incurring Technical Debt.
Known as Daily Scrum, or Stand Up, these meetings are open to Product
Owners, but are managed by the appointed ScrumMaster. These “servant
leaders” will act as your translator for all things technical, while also
ensuring that the Team stays organized, on schedule, and aligned with
the Sprint Goal.

Once a Sprint ends, the ScrumMaster and Dev. Team will meet with you
for a Sprint Review, which will include a live demonstration of your
product thus far. Being that the aim of each Sprint is to deliver a product
increment that’s ready to be shared with customers or stakeholders, you
should feel comfortable both inspecting the commitments made by the
Team, and determining whether or not they’ve been completed. After-
wards, the ScrumMaster and Dev. Team will meet for a Retrospective to
reflect on how they executed the Sprint, and where they can improve
moving forward. Once this process is complete, the next Sprint begins,
and the cycle is repeated until your product has been successfully
developed.
How to be a Great Product Owner

• Put more emphasis on business value over architecture.

• Accept the uncertainty of estimates, which are merely
guideposts - not commitments.
• Avoid perfectionism with Backlogs, as they fluctuate over
time, eventually including all tasks or issues - even the ones
we haven’t discovered yet.
• Relax into our adaptive approach, which allows for the
product to evolve and unfold naturally over the course of
the development process. We’ll have a solid plan, but we also
accept that plans can change.
• If you choose to participate in Daily Scrum Meetings, arrive
on time as meetings are only around 15 minutes. If you must
cancel an appointment at the last minute, plan on having a
representative attend for you.
• Help us define what “Done” looks like so that we can meet
your expectations and have a chance to exceed them.
• Trust the process. This is about more than delivering an app.
We’re here to make you a better Product Owner, which is the
key to future success.
A Neon Roots Company

Thank you

If you’re ready to take your idea to the next level, we’re ready to get you
there. Reach out to us for more details and information on how Rootstrap
can help you succeed.

[email protected] / +1-888-978-6306
R O O T S T R A P. C O M