Lead Your Enterprise Software Projects like a Movie Producer
Too many enterprise software projects fail. A surprising number of movies bomb as well, but there are important things that a movie producer can teach us about technical project implementation. Nevertheless, there is one significant point where the comparison breaks down…
The producer is the driver behind a film production. The producer selects the movie to make, hires directors, writers and other creative staff. Securing funding, marketing and business support are also the producer’s responsibility. Three key drivers keep the project on track. Each of these points have a direct application for technology projects.
Know your audience
A good producer has a vision of what the successful film will look like in the end. They have a clear understanding of who the audience is the taste of the audience, and the size. They may also have an idea of the cost of the film. With these ideas in mind, the producer decides if the project is worth pursuing.
This is a fundamental step in enterprise software project as well. Who is the software for (audience)? How big is the audience? What do they like? Try to envision the people using your software for entertainment. Will they come to the theater? Will they return a second time?
The producer knows how to use marketing to improve the chances of a movie’s success. Television commercials, web ads, u-tube spots, billboards, happy meal toys: the list is long. These all manage awareness and deliver a message to entice people to come to buy the product. Marketing can be very effective, but in the end, the product needs to deliver. If the product fails to meet the expectations, then there will likely be a backlash.
In the enterprise, this facet of a project is frequently overlooked. It would be convenient to think that releasing an internal product and sending out emails about availability would get people to start using the new system immediately. This usually does not work.
When the producer introduces a new film to an audience through a variety of channels, the struggle is to make the audience aware of something new, something they have not experienced before. When marketing a new system within a firm, you are introducing a change to the way people do their work. This may be a replacement system or a new capability that was formerly accomplished without technology. People do not fear change as much as they fear loss. It is very important to emphasize how the new initiative will add benefit. Assure your audience that they will not be losing anything.
Its show BUSINESS
The producer is ultimately responsible for the financial success of the film. Investors/studios need to be collected to agree to fund the project. This means that a realistic budget must be presented along with the vision for the film and box office projections. The producer must convince investors that the project will be successfully completed and that they will get their money back and then some. Pretty simple.
After raising money, the hard part comes. Making the movie and managing budget. The producer must monitor progress and spend rate closely. There are likely going to be overages and the producer must be the one to step in and evaluate if the project should be halted, altered to get back on budget, or more money raised. The producer is beholden to the investors to spend their money wisely to create a film that the audience will love.
The enterprise software project should follow the same model. Think of funding as the departmental budget allotment and the sponsor committee as the investors. Knowing when to discontinue a failing project is one of the keys to ultimate success. Many more film projects are cancelled early in development. This is the equivalent of the ‘fail early’ mentality popularized in The Lean Startup (Ries). While it may seem like there are many bad movies made, many more die an early death due to budget overruns.
Manage your creatives
Finally, the producer must manage creative people. Everyone involved with film production falls into the big bucket of ‘creative’. The obvious ones are directors, actors, cinematographers etc. However, even the crew members hauling equipment have an impact on creating the product. Every one of these people can contribute to making the film something special. The producer understands that the urge to create is one of the things motivating the team. Frequently people are getting paid relatively low wages and the thrill of ‘working in the movies’ is the primary compensation. Therefore, the producer must make sure that cast and crew are treated with respect and given the opportunity to have a good time making the movie.
Your enterprise project should work the same way. Understand that your technical team is made up of creative people. Take a quick survey and find out how many of them play a musical instrument, paint, frequently attend concerts, write… you will be surprised. Understand that these people love to make software in much the same way an aspiring actor loves to act. Take care to recognize the creative effort and make the project fun!
The comparison is not perfect
Here is where the analogy breaks down. A movie has a final cut; enterprise software is never final. The movie producer walks away after opening night. Reviews, profits and/or awards may follow. But the work on the movie is done.
With software, a completely new phase begins once the product is rolled out. There’s still a lot of work to do. Feedback will come in via bug reports and enhancements requests. A team will need to handle this feedback and take corrective action when necessary. In addition, there must be a process to review the system periodically to determine if it is still doing the job.
Finally, software becomes outdated and business processes change. You need the producer’s perspective to make the decision at what point a system should be retired upgraded or allowed to continue according to the original vision.
