How to Approach Mobile Strategy
Content
Enoch James
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HO W TO APPR OACH
M OB ILE S TR ATEG Y
D r a f t 1 :D ec 21 , 2 01 5
Enoch James
Mobile Strategy Consultant
Enoch James
CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT: DO NOT SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION
A P R O CE SS. A N A R T.
ASKING QUESTIONS
The start of any project begins with questions. Lots of questions. With a wide-eyed perspective,
the goal at the beginning of the project is to discover all of the key factors guiding and
influencing the project. The more clarity and parameters that are set early in the process, the
more quickly a solution can be reached - avoiding unnecessary exploration down wrong paths.
Asking questions is equally analytical and creative. Certainly we must discover the facts and
factors which are known, but from each of these we must also make extrapolations and
continue to dig into related paths and questions.
Clients will rarely be forthright and clear at a level of depth that allows us to offer real value
and insights—relying on this shallow information will severely limit out ability to lead and
innovate. Our imperative is to dig, dig deeper, and finally dig a little deeper still.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
This may seem obvious, but it’s an important place to start. What is the problem the client is
trying to address with their project? Are they improving something or simplifying a process?
Are they giving a new service or feature or tool to their clients? Are they trying to build brand
awareness in a new area? Are they trying to bring their web content to mobile users?
More often than not, the client has not considered their project as a Solution to a Problem, and
immediately we can reframe the project and illustrate our unique perspective.
WHAT IS THE GOAL?
Different from the Problem/Solution question is the idea of the project’s goal. For some clients,
the goal may be different than we expect. May be they wish to gain as many users without
regard to profit. Maybe they are more interested in the analytical data of their users than the
scale of the audience.
It is our role as Strategist to discover or clarify the Goal for the project so that everyone agrees
what will be measured as a success.
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WHAT ARE THE ASSUMPTIONS?
All projects begin with assumptions made by a client which must be validated and understood
so as not to rely too heavily on possible weak or incorrect presumptions. Common types of
assumptions include:
Our users mostly own Apple devices.
Our app must be free to gain a market share.
Our project must duplicate all the features form the website.
Our internal IT (web) team can build the APIs
While a client will rarely provide these assumptions, it is our role to specifically define and
articulate these, raising questions around each to be certain these are fair starting points.
WHO IS THE USER?
Generalizations are often made about who the user of the finished app will be. Apps will be
used by kids, parents, businesses, clients, etc. These are very broad definitions of the users and
do not provide much insight into actual use. As a strategist, our role is to dig deeper into these
user definitions and find the special characteristics of that users which could influence
whether they are aware of the app, need the app, want the app, would use the app, would use
all the app’s features and would find high value in the app - worthy of them spending money
on it. A better definition of the user of an app might be:
PRIMARY USERS:
Parents of children with Type I Diabetes.
Parents with a technology-friendly attitude. Parents with an active online social network.
iOS (iPhone) users 80% / Android users (20%) Middle to upper class.
SECONDARY USERS:
Children & young adults ages 8-20 with Type I Diabetes. Young adults with an active online
social network.
Young adults involved in their self-care of Diabetes.
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WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT MOBILE IN THIS PROBLEM/
SOLUTION?
One thing we can never lose sight of during the exploration of the project potential is the
direct correlation of the project to the mobile experience. This experience encompasses the
nature of the mobile device and the use of the app in a mobile (away from the desk) situation.
Things to consider:
UNIQUENESS OF MOBILE DEVICE
Geo-location data available
Touch interface Accelerometer control / data
Camera available (photo + video) Audio recording available
Screen scale
Out of pocket use (quick access)
Inconsistent access to hi-speed internet
Interaction with mobile communications (SMS / iMessage / telephone)
UNIQUENESS OF MOBILE USE
Active environment (vs. focused desk environment)
Short attention likelihood
1-handed use
Public use (privacy sensitivity)
From these starting points, our role is to ask questions and delve into all possibilities which
might come from deeply understanding the project in these contexts.
WHAT CAN TECHNOLOGY ADD?
Although it may seem obvious, one of our primary goals is to add value to the project because
of the technology possibilities of mobile. As such, duplicating an existing web experience does
not add much value - especially as the browser capabilities of mobile devises is already on-par
with desktop experiences. The goal should be to identify and leverage a unique value add
element which the mobile tech makes possible above and beyond any existing, traditional
references. This added value can become the basis for the entire project (exclusive to the
mobile solution) or be an expanded feature which mobile facilitates. Either way, it is a key
highlight of the project’s definition.
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WHAT ALREADY EXISTS?
It’s very important to understand and delve into the elements of the project which already may
exist. What technology has already been built? Have any studies or research been performed
on the market or users? How far has this project gone into the company hierarchy? Is a budget
established for the launch, marketing, maintenance, upgrades? Again, we rarely receive a clear
picture on these topics form the client and must ask the right questions to get a full picture of
what work has or has not been done prior to our engagement.
WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE PROJECT?
What is the biggest risk? Where is the most potential for difficulty? What are the client’s top
fears for complexity or failure? All of these angles and concerns are best approached and
confronted early in the project. By acknowledging upfront that there are risks, concerns,
difficulties to be faced we given an honest assessment to our clients and ultimately build a
higher level of trust based on this forthright approach. No project ever goes perfectly smooth
and having this discussion in anticipation of that likely problem will minimize the impact later.
HOW WILL THE PROJECT BE PROMOTED?
It is important to understand how and where the app will be promoted and introduced to the
market from the very beginning. This can be an opportunity to tailor the solution even more to
lend itself to this promotion and introduction. Raising this question also makes it clear that
building the project is only the beginning of the greater process of getting into use. While we
normally expect the client to be responsible for this promotion stage, it can serve as an
opening for further consulting and services for marketing.
WHAT KIND OF LIVE ANALYSIS IS EXPECTED OF THE PROJECT?
Although we know of this as analytics, clients may sometimes be unaware of this industry
jargon.
Analytics are a means to an end: How are users interacting with out app? It is important to
understand what the client hopes to be able to read form the project in data collected
specifically from the use and engagement. If the client is unaware of this ability or the detail
which is availability, this provides another opportunity to educate them from our position of
expertise.
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WHO MAKES DECISIONS FOR THE CLIENT?
Finally, we must always understand the nature of the decision-making process within the
client. Oftentimes all stakeholders in the project are not involved early on and it is discovered
later that a decision-maker has specific needs/wants for the project. Our role at this stage is to
understand how the organization is structured and how the process will unfold for reaching
decisions and approvals.
RESEARCH
After gathering as much information as possible from direct interaction with the client, the
next step for the Strategist is research. While some initial research may have been done prior to
engaging with the client. now is the time to dig deeper and more specifically.
THE CLIENT
Based on the client’s own presentation and answers to our questions about the Problem/
Solution and Goal for the project, now is the time to understand the context of these goals and
intents. How does the project relate to the company at large and/or the team within the
company? How is this mobile initiative positioned within the company - is it an experiment or
a new direction? Has the company made other inroads into mobile outside this project? How
does the company promote its other existing projects? How is the company perceived in the
mobile and social spaces? Understanding the context of the company and project will provide
key insights into opportunities (and concerns) which can influence the strategic
recommendations.
THE INDUSTRY
The client has most likely shared their own perspective of their industry, but it’s important to
take another perspective and research the industry ourselves. The goal is to best understand
other activity in the same industry related to mobile initiatives and projects. Have other
companies in the same industry entered this market? Are there trends in the industry that lend
themselves to mobile? Who is the gold-standard for quality and experience in the industry?
Additionally, it is important to be able to understand and ideally use industry-specific
terminology.
The more research we do into the industry, the more comfortable we can be in discussions
with the client.
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THE AUDIENCE
With a good understanding of who and where in the market the client is targeting, it is
necessary to also dig deeper into learning about this specific target audience. For this, nothing
can be better than actually speaking with real potential users. Discussing the potential
functions and features can start a conversation that may uncover unknown wants or needs that
are new to us and the client. Short of discussing with actual potential users, exploring the
current options which potential users have can shine a light on the existing solutions.
THE APP STORES
Continuing the research into the existing App Stores will highlight the existing state of the
market from the perspective of users. The goal is to attempt to discover all direct and related
competitive apps which should be studied. Oftentimes clients will share some examples of
what they perceive to be their competition on the App Stores, but its our responsibility to
smartly search and try and discover other apps which may be derivative or related. Creative
searching from multiple angles will usually turn up a few projects of which the client is
unaware. All of these can then be compared on features, pros & cons to see where the client’s
vision may overlap or exceed the existing options. Lastly,it’s incredibly important to read there
views of the top-selling apps in the market to gauge what strengths and weaknesses are
getting attention from users.
TECHNOLOGY
A few different angles should be considered when researching the technology relevant to the
project:
MOBILE PLATFORMS
device hardware - relevant functions/limitations by device
device software - relevant functions/limitations by device
Next-generation expectations / rumors
INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY
Database integration - existing or to be built
3rd party APIs or integrations to be implemented
Hardware components involved (stylus, bluetooth device, etc.)
CLOUD TECHNOLOGY
Web services - existing structures and formats
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Platform solutions (iCloud, etc.) Server requirements & specifications
Much of this research is ongoing by any Strategist who is expected to be aware of and familiar
with all areas of mobile technology. For a particular project, the research would focus in and
identify the details of the relevant technology on which only general knowledge my otherwise
have been available.
TRENDS
Most markets or product categories will have a history or previous products and innovations
which can suggest a trend which can be identified. Trends may suggest that Apps are getting
more simple or more complex, that the solutions are more customizable or that the experience
is more social (tied to Twitter or Facebook) or integrated with new platforms and technologies
(iCloud, Dropbox, etc.) Our goal is to understand the previous solutions and iterations that
have set the bar for the current users and look ahead to where these trends can guide the new
solution.
VERIFY ASSUMPTIONS
Lastly, as part of our research we must do everything we can to verify the validity and
applicability of assumptions made by the client. Confirming these is the goal, but sometimes
they can be shown to be unsubstantiated and more of a guess than anything. In these
situations, there role of the Strategist is to correct these assumptions and present a more
accurate definition of the accepted framework for the project.
INSIGHTS
With all of our questions answered and research performed (and likely during both of these
phases) the focus of the Strategist settles on reaching insight into where this project can be
improved, aimed in the right direction and ideally elevated to a new level of value. This is the
magic of Strategy and often difficult to align into a logic or plan. Insights are derived from
clearly understanding the full scope of the project, understanding the full context of the
industry, market and users, and ultimately finding a missing link that can be an opportunity
unseen to the others involved.
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Insights cannot be forced or calculated. They are the byproduct of an astute eye trained to spot
relationships and make connections not on the surface. To best create an environment for
reaching these insights, some of the following approaches may encourage the discovery.
CONNECTING THE DOTS
From the pool of information and research, looking for invisible connections is a good starting
point in any analysis. If we imagine all of our features,functions,markets,trends,and findings as
dots in space, the Strategist's goal is to spot relationships and correlations between these
individual items - something that points to an opportunity to be original, first or ahead of the
curve. Highlighting and connecting the right dots is the very definition of insight.
READING BETWEEN THE LINES
Oftentimes, the research and information provided by the client will provide a fair and
reasonable view of the project, but no obvious opportunities for insight are obvious. A good
Strategist will then begin to parse and question some of the more factual components, looking
to uncover a potential path to pursue that is not stated. This reading between the lines has a
strong potential for insights that change the direction of the project - as they often mean
questioning the client’s intention in areas. It is here where we can discover paths of thought
and opportunity not before considered by our team or the client.
STRETCHING THE LIMITS
While reading between the lines is a process for digging deeper within the known information,
another path can be sought outside of all the know project definition. Clients sometimes limit
their scope of their project, aiming for a practical, achievable goal that everyone can
comprehend. As a Strategist though, our role is to push the limits farther. Can a project
designed for parents be targeted to parents+kids? Can an application designed to track time
also be used to track how people feel? Good strategic thinking looks to make leaps forward in
the logic of what the project says it is trying to accomplish and discover where it could go.
BECOMING A USER
Foreveryprojectitisimportanttounderstandtheultimateenduserasbestasispossible. For a
Strategist, this means taking on the persona of the user and imagining the process of using the
app in real life. Where is she when she uses it? What other activities might she be doing at the
same time? What is the most important feature she will expect? The better a Strategist can put
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themselves in the minds and situations of real users, the more likely we are to uncover insights
into the potential and priorities of the project.
CONSIDER PRECEDENT
For almost every project there is likely a precedent in the market. Most ideas evolve from preexisting concepts and apps which must be studied and understood. The goal of the Strategist
is to make sure that the new project improves upon these precedents and takes a step forward
for the users. Precedent can also influence what may be considered conventional use - ways
users have been trained and conditioned to perform a task. Where these methods are positive
and good, new solutions may not be needed. Other methods may be conventional but still not
perfectly appropriate for mobile or tablets or on-the-go use. For these, a high value can be
given to a new, improved method replacing an older convention.
LOOK FORWARD
Good insights are almost always the product of seeing a path toward a new solution not yet
considered. These paths to the future are the currency of good insights. Studying mobile
trends and continuously reading about new mobile technology can give a strong foundation
to forward thinking. As a Strategist, our role is to educate our clients about what is ahead for
mobile and how their project can be best positioned in this future-oriented perspective. Keep
in mind, the mobile industry is changing so rapidly that from the time a project is started and
when it is released a few months later, the industry has evolved already and the view at the
beginning of the project may be out of date!
TRUSTING INTUITION
Above all else, a good Strategist is confident in his or her own intuitive perspectives on
technology and mobile in particular. It’s quite possible that a Strategist can have a gut feeling
about a path to take or an opportunity that is not clear based on any known data. This intuition
is actually the result of a subconscious connecting of the dots, reading between the lines,
forward looking methodology that although not formal is equally as powerful. Trust yourself.
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CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
After the Questions, Research and Insights, the work-product of this effort are the conclusions
and recommendations. The goal at this stage is to provide the client with a very clear updated
perspective of the project, highlighting the new thinking and ideas that can make their project
even stronger than they expected. In the Presentation(below) we will format these items,but
for now we must gather and clearly define the following:
RESTATE THE REQUIREMENTS
With all of the new information and learnings in mind, it’s important to revisit the project
requirements and be prepared to restate them in the new context. Make every effort to frame
the requirements for the new insights to be shared thereafter.
RESTATE THE MARKET
Based on the learnings, a new definition of the market/markets can be prepared to highlight
the expansion or focusing that may have evolved.
DEFINE SUCCESS
In our own words we must be able to easily define what will determine whether the projects is
deemed a success or not. This is important as it may have changed form the original
perspective.
Where before it may have been reaching 1,000,000 downloads, it may be now that that success
would come from 100,000 monthly average users for example.
DIAGRAM THE COMPONENTS
It is important to be able to clearly define the components of a projects in an easily
understood diagram. This will typically include the App on each Platform, and Cloud elements,
including client servers or third-party server components. Furthermore, any connection to or
interaction with client data, dashboards, etc. should be made clear. The goal of this exercise is
to be certain that everyone is on the same page about who is responsible for which parts of
the overall project. This can be a color-coded diagram with separate colors for the Developer,
the Client and third-party providers.
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HIGHLIGHT THE INSIGHTS
All of the insights intended to be presented or discussed should be outlined. Some of these
may not be worth sharing in the final presentation, but we should always keep a list and
description of the ideas considered. Of these, the top few insights will become the leading
ideas intended to sell to the client and positioned by value.
IDENTIFY RISKS
Lastly, a number of concerns and risks will often be discovered during the research and study
of the project. All of these should be listed and brought to the attention of the client during
the presentation.
PRESENTATION
The deliverables for Strategy consulting typically include a formal presentation of the findings
and recommendations. This will typically take the form of a hard document Recommendations
Report (PDF) and potentially a slide deck to cover the key points of the report in person.
CONSIDER THE AUDIENCE
Always tailor the message to the audience. Technical clients have different interests than a
brand- oriented team. CEOs typically have different concerns than CTOs. Our role as Strategist
is to be able to take the same information and tailor it appropriately for the audience.
PRESENT CONCLUSIONS
The core of the presentation revolves around the conclusions draw from the questions,
research and insights. This is the product of our Strategy and should be highlighted for its
importance. This content is typically recommended changes to the project, either providing a
more specific direction or in some cases and bigger change in direction all together. These
conclusions and recommendations are present from the voice of an expert and can be
supported as required with the work done to reach these.
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BE BOLD
Soft, subtle changes will not make much impact on the project or build much confidence.
Wherever possible strive to paint a larger picture with broad, bold strokes. This is a natural
extension of any Strategist who believes in his or her ideas.
PRESENT OPEN QUESTIONS
There are inevitably new questions that will arise from the steps leading to this new strategic
direction. These should be presented for discussion and with an open mind. A great Strategist
never stops questioning and learning.
DEFINE DECISIONS TO BE MADE
It is very important to provide a clear list of decisions which are expected to be made from
what has been presented. Ideally we are striving for approval of the new ideas, but short of this
we must identify the areas of agreement and disagreement and where we may have reached
too far or not far enough. These tightening of parameters is a natural part of the process and
requires the decisions of the client to give this clarity.
OFFER DISTRIBUTABLE VERSION
Always be prepared for the need to distribute the presentation or documents to team
members not present. Providing PDFs prior to any meetings will allow these non-present
members to participate. These versions must stand on their won without need for the
Strategist to explain.
FEEDBACK
NEW LEARNINGS
The next phase focuses on garnering feedback on the conclusions and recommendations.
Where we may have made assumptions, feedback will clarify these points. Where we challenge
the client’s ideas and scope we will likely learn better these true limits. Our role as Strategist
was to push the limits in areas and we will undoubtedly find new thresholds we (and the
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client) may not have known about before. All of this is a helpful step in the process and should
be embraced positively.
MORE QUESTIONS
Equal to the new learnings we can expect to raise more questions. This spontaneous reaction
and back-and-forth process creates a learning loop that ultimately adds precision and
confidence to those insights and recommendations that pass thru this filtering process.
UPDATED CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
This looping requires a revisiting of the conclusions and recommendations. Our goal is to
achieve a documented conclusion which captures our final recommendations. It is important
that this final version be formally presented and delivered as a conclusion to the Strategy
process. All steps that follow will rely upon the information within this report to guide the
project forward.
LEADERSHIP
A Strategist is positioned as an expert in his or her field and must continually practice aspects
of leadership which uphold that stature.
EXPERTISE
Expertise is earned thru emersion and dedication to continual study of any subject. As a mobile
Strategist, the commitment must be made to constant attention and focus on all that is
happening
within this branch of technology. This broad knowledge and scope of information will offer a
strong foundation for the insights and recommendations.
SELF CONFIDENCE
Leadership of any kind relies heavily on a self-belief that makes it clear to those we are working
with just how sure we are of what we are saying. Confidence can only come from an honest
depth of knowledge and experience .
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HUMILITY
It is equally important to understand our own limits of knowledge and never stretch that
beyond truth. It is far more respectable to admit those things we do not know than to pretend
otherwise.
With humility, we add to the confidence others will find in the things we do purport to know.
Humility also adds a layer of humanity to the position of a Strategist, in important part of
building the right relationship with clients.
CONTEXT
Strategy is one of the pieces in the larger picture. At all times, the Strategist should understand
and keep in mind this context to the greater project and know where to find the balance of
recommendations and ideas that could potentially derail or otherwise turn a project in an
unexpected direction. The intent is to successfully move the project forward toward realizing
the greater goal and a Strategist must always be mindful of this greater perspective.
THE END
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HO W TO APPR OACH
M OB ILE S TR ATEG Y
D r a f t 1 :D ec 21 , 2 01 5
Enoch James
Mobile Strategy Consultant
Enoch James
CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT: DO NOT SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION
A P R O CE SS. A N A R T.
ASKING QUESTIONS
The start of any project begins with questions. Lots of questions. With a wide-eyed perspective,
the goal at the beginning of the project is to discover all of the key factors guiding and
influencing the project. The more clarity and parameters that are set early in the process, the
more quickly a solution can be reached - avoiding unnecessary exploration down wrong paths.
Asking questions is equally analytical and creative. Certainly we must discover the facts and
factors which are known, but from each of these we must also make extrapolations and
continue to dig into related paths and questions.
Clients will rarely be forthright and clear at a level of depth that allows us to offer real value
and insights—relying on this shallow information will severely limit out ability to lead and
innovate. Our imperative is to dig, dig deeper, and finally dig a little deeper still.
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
This may seem obvious, but it’s an important place to start. What is the problem the client is
trying to address with their project? Are they improving something or simplifying a process?
Are they giving a new service or feature or tool to their clients? Are they trying to build brand
awareness in a new area? Are they trying to bring their web content to mobile users?
More often than not, the client has not considered their project as a Solution to a Problem, and
immediately we can reframe the project and illustrate our unique perspective.
WHAT IS THE GOAL?
Different from the Problem/Solution question is the idea of the project’s goal. For some clients,
the goal may be different than we expect. May be they wish to gain as many users without
regard to profit. Maybe they are more interested in the analytical data of their users than the
scale of the audience.
It is our role as Strategist to discover or clarify the Goal for the project so that everyone agrees
what will be measured as a success.
Enoch James
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WHAT ARE THE ASSUMPTIONS?
All projects begin with assumptions made by a client which must be validated and understood
so as not to rely too heavily on possible weak or incorrect presumptions. Common types of
assumptions include:
Our users mostly own Apple devices.
Our app must be free to gain a market share.
Our project must duplicate all the features form the website.
Our internal IT (web) team can build the APIs
While a client will rarely provide these assumptions, it is our role to specifically define and
articulate these, raising questions around each to be certain these are fair starting points.
WHO IS THE USER?
Generalizations are often made about who the user of the finished app will be. Apps will be
used by kids, parents, businesses, clients, etc. These are very broad definitions of the users and
do not provide much insight into actual use. As a strategist, our role is to dig deeper into these
user definitions and find the special characteristics of that users which could influence
whether they are aware of the app, need the app, want the app, would use the app, would use
all the app’s features and would find high value in the app - worthy of them spending money
on it. A better definition of the user of an app might be:
PRIMARY USERS:
Parents of children with Type I Diabetes.
Parents with a technology-friendly attitude. Parents with an active online social network.
iOS (iPhone) users 80% / Android users (20%) Middle to upper class.
SECONDARY USERS:
Children & young adults ages 8-20 with Type I Diabetes. Young adults with an active online
social network.
Young adults involved in their self-care of Diabetes.
Enoch James
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WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT MOBILE IN THIS PROBLEM/
SOLUTION?
One thing we can never lose sight of during the exploration of the project potential is the
direct correlation of the project to the mobile experience. This experience encompasses the
nature of the mobile device and the use of the app in a mobile (away from the desk) situation.
Things to consider:
UNIQUENESS OF MOBILE DEVICE
Geo-location data available
Touch interface Accelerometer control / data
Camera available (photo + video) Audio recording available
Screen scale
Out of pocket use (quick access)
Inconsistent access to hi-speed internet
Interaction with mobile communications (SMS / iMessage / telephone)
UNIQUENESS OF MOBILE USE
Active environment (vs. focused desk environment)
Short attention likelihood
1-handed use
Public use (privacy sensitivity)
From these starting points, our role is to ask questions and delve into all possibilities which
might come from deeply understanding the project in these contexts.
WHAT CAN TECHNOLOGY ADD?
Although it may seem obvious, one of our primary goals is to add value to the project because
of the technology possibilities of mobile. As such, duplicating an existing web experience does
not add much value - especially as the browser capabilities of mobile devises is already on-par
with desktop experiences. The goal should be to identify and leverage a unique value add
element which the mobile tech makes possible above and beyond any existing, traditional
references. This added value can become the basis for the entire project (exclusive to the
mobile solution) or be an expanded feature which mobile facilitates. Either way, it is a key
highlight of the project’s definition.
Enoch James
CONFIDENTIAL DOCUMENT: DO NOT SHARE WITHOUT PERMISSION
WHAT ALREADY EXISTS?
It’s very important to understand and delve into the elements of the project which already may
exist. What technology has already been built? Have any studies or research been performed
on the market or users? How far has this project gone into the company hierarchy? Is a budget
established for the launch, marketing, maintenance, upgrades? Again, we rarely receive a clear
picture on these topics form the client and must ask the right questions to get a full picture of
what work has or has not been done prior to our engagement.
WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART OF THE PROJECT?
What is the biggest risk? Where is the most potential for difficulty? What are the client’s top
fears for complexity or failure? All of these angles and concerns are best approached and
confronted early in the project. By acknowledging upfront that there are risks, concerns,
difficulties to be faced we given an honest assessment to our clients and ultimately build a
higher level of trust based on this forthright approach. No project ever goes perfectly smooth
and having this discussion in anticipation of that likely problem will minimize the impact later.
HOW WILL THE PROJECT BE PROMOTED?
It is important to understand how and where the app will be promoted and introduced to the
market from the very beginning. This can be an opportunity to tailor the solution even more to
lend itself to this promotion and introduction. Raising this question also makes it clear that
building the project is only the beginning of the greater process of getting into use. While we
normally expect the client to be responsible for this promotion stage, it can serve as an
opening for further consulting and services for marketing.
WHAT KIND OF LIVE ANALYSIS IS EXPECTED OF THE PROJECT?
Although we know of this as analytics, clients may sometimes be unaware of this industry
jargon.
Analytics are a means to an end: How are users interacting with out app? It is important to
understand what the client hopes to be able to read form the project in data collected
specifically from the use and engagement. If the client is unaware of this ability or the detail
which is availability, this provides another opportunity to educate them from our position of
expertise.
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WHO MAKES DECISIONS FOR THE CLIENT?
Finally, we must always understand the nature of the decision-making process within the
client. Oftentimes all stakeholders in the project are not involved early on and it is discovered
later that a decision-maker has specific needs/wants for the project. Our role at this stage is to
understand how the organization is structured and how the process will unfold for reaching
decisions and approvals.
RESEARCH
After gathering as much information as possible from direct interaction with the client, the
next step for the Strategist is research. While some initial research may have been done prior to
engaging with the client. now is the time to dig deeper and more specifically.
THE CLIENT
Based on the client’s own presentation and answers to our questions about the Problem/
Solution and Goal for the project, now is the time to understand the context of these goals and
intents. How does the project relate to the company at large and/or the team within the
company? How is this mobile initiative positioned within the company - is it an experiment or
a new direction? Has the company made other inroads into mobile outside this project? How
does the company promote its other existing projects? How is the company perceived in the
mobile and social spaces? Understanding the context of the company and project will provide
key insights into opportunities (and concerns) which can influence the strategic
recommendations.
THE INDUSTRY
The client has most likely shared their own perspective of their industry, but it’s important to
take another perspective and research the industry ourselves. The goal is to best understand
other activity in the same industry related to mobile initiatives and projects. Have other
companies in the same industry entered this market? Are there trends in the industry that lend
themselves to mobile? Who is the gold-standard for quality and experience in the industry?
Additionally, it is important to be able to understand and ideally use industry-specific
terminology.
The more research we do into the industry, the more comfortable we can be in discussions
with the client.
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THE AUDIENCE
With a good understanding of who and where in the market the client is targeting, it is
necessary to also dig deeper into learning about this specific target audience. For this, nothing
can be better than actually speaking with real potential users. Discussing the potential
functions and features can start a conversation that may uncover unknown wants or needs that
are new to us and the client. Short of discussing with actual potential users, exploring the
current options which potential users have can shine a light on the existing solutions.
THE APP STORES
Continuing the research into the existing App Stores will highlight the existing state of the
market from the perspective of users. The goal is to attempt to discover all direct and related
competitive apps which should be studied. Oftentimes clients will share some examples of
what they perceive to be their competition on the App Stores, but its our responsibility to
smartly search and try and discover other apps which may be derivative or related. Creative
searching from multiple angles will usually turn up a few projects of which the client is
unaware. All of these can then be compared on features, pros & cons to see where the client’s
vision may overlap or exceed the existing options. Lastly,it’s incredibly important to read there
views of the top-selling apps in the market to gauge what strengths and weaknesses are
getting attention from users.
TECHNOLOGY
A few different angles should be considered when researching the technology relevant to the
project:
MOBILE PLATFORMS
device hardware - relevant functions/limitations by device
device software - relevant functions/limitations by device
Next-generation expectations / rumors
INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY
Database integration - existing or to be built
3rd party APIs or integrations to be implemented
Hardware components involved (stylus, bluetooth device, etc.)
CLOUD TECHNOLOGY
Web services - existing structures and formats
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Platform solutions (iCloud, etc.) Server requirements & specifications
Much of this research is ongoing by any Strategist who is expected to be aware of and familiar
with all areas of mobile technology. For a particular project, the research would focus in and
identify the details of the relevant technology on which only general knowledge my otherwise
have been available.
TRENDS
Most markets or product categories will have a history or previous products and innovations
which can suggest a trend which can be identified. Trends may suggest that Apps are getting
more simple or more complex, that the solutions are more customizable or that the experience
is more social (tied to Twitter or Facebook) or integrated with new platforms and technologies
(iCloud, Dropbox, etc.) Our goal is to understand the previous solutions and iterations that
have set the bar for the current users and look ahead to where these trends can guide the new
solution.
VERIFY ASSUMPTIONS
Lastly, as part of our research we must do everything we can to verify the validity and
applicability of assumptions made by the client. Confirming these is the goal, but sometimes
they can be shown to be unsubstantiated and more of a guess than anything. In these
situations, there role of the Strategist is to correct these assumptions and present a more
accurate definition of the accepted framework for the project.
INSIGHTS
With all of our questions answered and research performed (and likely during both of these
phases) the focus of the Strategist settles on reaching insight into where this project can be
improved, aimed in the right direction and ideally elevated to a new level of value. This is the
magic of Strategy and often difficult to align into a logic or plan. Insights are derived from
clearly understanding the full scope of the project, understanding the full context of the
industry, market and users, and ultimately finding a missing link that can be an opportunity
unseen to the others involved.
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Insights cannot be forced or calculated. They are the byproduct of an astute eye trained to spot
relationships and make connections not on the surface. To best create an environment for
reaching these insights, some of the following approaches may encourage the discovery.
CONNECTING THE DOTS
From the pool of information and research, looking for invisible connections is a good starting
point in any analysis. If we imagine all of our features,functions,markets,trends,and findings as
dots in space, the Strategist's goal is to spot relationships and correlations between these
individual items - something that points to an opportunity to be original, first or ahead of the
curve. Highlighting and connecting the right dots is the very definition of insight.
READING BETWEEN THE LINES
Oftentimes, the research and information provided by the client will provide a fair and
reasonable view of the project, but no obvious opportunities for insight are obvious. A good
Strategist will then begin to parse and question some of the more factual components, looking
to uncover a potential path to pursue that is not stated. This reading between the lines has a
strong potential for insights that change the direction of the project - as they often mean
questioning the client’s intention in areas. It is here where we can discover paths of thought
and opportunity not before considered by our team or the client.
STRETCHING THE LIMITS
While reading between the lines is a process for digging deeper within the known information,
another path can be sought outside of all the know project definition. Clients sometimes limit
their scope of their project, aiming for a practical, achievable goal that everyone can
comprehend. As a Strategist though, our role is to push the limits farther. Can a project
designed for parents be targeted to parents+kids? Can an application designed to track time
also be used to track how people feel? Good strategic thinking looks to make leaps forward in
the logic of what the project says it is trying to accomplish and discover where it could go.
BECOMING A USER
Foreveryprojectitisimportanttounderstandtheultimateenduserasbestasispossible. For a
Strategist, this means taking on the persona of the user and imagining the process of using the
app in real life. Where is she when she uses it? What other activities might she be doing at the
same time? What is the most important feature she will expect? The better a Strategist can put
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themselves in the minds and situations of real users, the more likely we are to uncover insights
into the potential and priorities of the project.
CONSIDER PRECEDENT
For almost every project there is likely a precedent in the market. Most ideas evolve from preexisting concepts and apps which must be studied and understood. The goal of the Strategist
is to make sure that the new project improves upon these precedents and takes a step forward
for the users. Precedent can also influence what may be considered conventional use - ways
users have been trained and conditioned to perform a task. Where these methods are positive
and good, new solutions may not be needed. Other methods may be conventional but still not
perfectly appropriate for mobile or tablets or on-the-go use. For these, a high value can be
given to a new, improved method replacing an older convention.
LOOK FORWARD
Good insights are almost always the product of seeing a path toward a new solution not yet
considered. These paths to the future are the currency of good insights. Studying mobile
trends and continuously reading about new mobile technology can give a strong foundation
to forward thinking. As a Strategist, our role is to educate our clients about what is ahead for
mobile and how their project can be best positioned in this future-oriented perspective. Keep
in mind, the mobile industry is changing so rapidly that from the time a project is started and
when it is released a few months later, the industry has evolved already and the view at the
beginning of the project may be out of date!
TRUSTING INTUITION
Above all else, a good Strategist is confident in his or her own intuitive perspectives on
technology and mobile in particular. It’s quite possible that a Strategist can have a gut feeling
about a path to take or an opportunity that is not clear based on any known data. This intuition
is actually the result of a subconscious connecting of the dots, reading between the lines,
forward looking methodology that although not formal is equally as powerful. Trust yourself.
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CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
After the Questions, Research and Insights, the work-product of this effort are the conclusions
and recommendations. The goal at this stage is to provide the client with a very clear updated
perspective of the project, highlighting the new thinking and ideas that can make their project
even stronger than they expected. In the Presentation(below) we will format these items,but
for now we must gather and clearly define the following:
RESTATE THE REQUIREMENTS
With all of the new information and learnings in mind, it’s important to revisit the project
requirements and be prepared to restate them in the new context. Make every effort to frame
the requirements for the new insights to be shared thereafter.
RESTATE THE MARKET
Based on the learnings, a new definition of the market/markets can be prepared to highlight
the expansion or focusing that may have evolved.
DEFINE SUCCESS
In our own words we must be able to easily define what will determine whether the projects is
deemed a success or not. This is important as it may have changed form the original
perspective.
Where before it may have been reaching 1,000,000 downloads, it may be now that that success
would come from 100,000 monthly average users for example.
DIAGRAM THE COMPONENTS
It is important to be able to clearly define the components of a projects in an easily
understood diagram. This will typically include the App on each Platform, and Cloud elements,
including client servers or third-party server components. Furthermore, any connection to or
interaction with client data, dashboards, etc. should be made clear. The goal of this exercise is
to be certain that everyone is on the same page about who is responsible for which parts of
the overall project. This can be a color-coded diagram with separate colors for the Developer,
the Client and third-party providers.
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HIGHLIGHT THE INSIGHTS
All of the insights intended to be presented or discussed should be outlined. Some of these
may not be worth sharing in the final presentation, but we should always keep a list and
description of the ideas considered. Of these, the top few insights will become the leading
ideas intended to sell to the client and positioned by value.
IDENTIFY RISKS
Lastly, a number of concerns and risks will often be discovered during the research and study
of the project. All of these should be listed and brought to the attention of the client during
the presentation.
PRESENTATION
The deliverables for Strategy consulting typically include a formal presentation of the findings
and recommendations. This will typically take the form of a hard document Recommendations
Report (PDF) and potentially a slide deck to cover the key points of the report in person.
CONSIDER THE AUDIENCE
Always tailor the message to the audience. Technical clients have different interests than a
brand- oriented team. CEOs typically have different concerns than CTOs. Our role as Strategist
is to be able to take the same information and tailor it appropriately for the audience.
PRESENT CONCLUSIONS
The core of the presentation revolves around the conclusions draw from the questions,
research and insights. This is the product of our Strategy and should be highlighted for its
importance. This content is typically recommended changes to the project, either providing a
more specific direction or in some cases and bigger change in direction all together. These
conclusions and recommendations are present from the voice of an expert and can be
supported as required with the work done to reach these.
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BE BOLD
Soft, subtle changes will not make much impact on the project or build much confidence.
Wherever possible strive to paint a larger picture with broad, bold strokes. This is a natural
extension of any Strategist who believes in his or her ideas.
PRESENT OPEN QUESTIONS
There are inevitably new questions that will arise from the steps leading to this new strategic
direction. These should be presented for discussion and with an open mind. A great Strategist
never stops questioning and learning.
DEFINE DECISIONS TO BE MADE
It is very important to provide a clear list of decisions which are expected to be made from
what has been presented. Ideally we are striving for approval of the new ideas, but short of this
we must identify the areas of agreement and disagreement and where we may have reached
too far or not far enough. These tightening of parameters is a natural part of the process and
requires the decisions of the client to give this clarity.
OFFER DISTRIBUTABLE VERSION
Always be prepared for the need to distribute the presentation or documents to team
members not present. Providing PDFs prior to any meetings will allow these non-present
members to participate. These versions must stand on their won without need for the
Strategist to explain.
FEEDBACK
NEW LEARNINGS
The next phase focuses on garnering feedback on the conclusions and recommendations.
Where we may have made assumptions, feedback will clarify these points. Where we challenge
the client’s ideas and scope we will likely learn better these true limits. Our role as Strategist
was to push the limits in areas and we will undoubtedly find new thresholds we (and the
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client) may not have known about before. All of this is a helpful step in the process and should
be embraced positively.
MORE QUESTIONS
Equal to the new learnings we can expect to raise more questions. This spontaneous reaction
and back-and-forth process creates a learning loop that ultimately adds precision and
confidence to those insights and recommendations that pass thru this filtering process.
UPDATED CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS
This looping requires a revisiting of the conclusions and recommendations. Our goal is to
achieve a documented conclusion which captures our final recommendations. It is important
that this final version be formally presented and delivered as a conclusion to the Strategy
process. All steps that follow will rely upon the information within this report to guide the
project forward.
LEADERSHIP
A Strategist is positioned as an expert in his or her field and must continually practice aspects
of leadership which uphold that stature.
EXPERTISE
Expertise is earned thru emersion and dedication to continual study of any subject. As a mobile
Strategist, the commitment must be made to constant attention and focus on all that is
happening
within this branch of technology. This broad knowledge and scope of information will offer a
strong foundation for the insights and recommendations.
SELF CONFIDENCE
Leadership of any kind relies heavily on a self-belief that makes it clear to those we are working
with just how sure we are of what we are saying. Confidence can only come from an honest
depth of knowledge and experience .
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HUMILITY
It is equally important to understand our own limits of knowledge and never stretch that
beyond truth. It is far more respectable to admit those things we do not know than to pretend
otherwise.
With humility, we add to the confidence others will find in the things we do purport to know.
Humility also adds a layer of humanity to the position of a Strategist, in important part of
building the right relationship with clients.
CONTEXT
Strategy is one of the pieces in the larger picture. At all times, the Strategist should understand
and keep in mind this context to the greater project and know where to find the balance of
recommendations and ideas that could potentially derail or otherwise turn a project in an
unexpected direction. The intent is to successfully move the project forward toward realizing
the greater goal and a Strategist must always be mindful of this greater perspective.
THE END
