A recent conversation with a Chief Product Officer (& musician) got me thinking about the ways in which the creative process for creating art and creating products differs and aligns. All artist’s methods vary, this is mine:
WHERE YOU BEGIN
ART: As a longtime writer, my process usually starts with a Spark. That unconscious idea that suddenly becomes…something. At this point you usually don’t know what it is. But you can feel that there exists an unknown thing: it might be a title, an image, a character, or an idea.
PRODUCT: The initial charge usually commences one of two ways:
- Brainstorming ideas to come up with…something.
- Having an idea that you want to build something in a certain area so you go out and ask potential Users/Customers/Audience what they think.
The opposite of the Art process, you work backwards but are still tossing ideas around.
Most Artists are not thinking about the audience at this stage.
But most Product People are.
INITIAL MOVEMENT
ART: Now the main character comes into focus. Maybe you have the title already. The first and second act could be set but possibly the third remains a mystery. A few supporting characters join the journey. A shape builds: there’s a story here.
PRODUCT: Lots of possible products to build have been mentioned. Talking with Users/Customers/Audience has allowed you to see their pain points and come up with a few possible options to create. Is there overlap between the brainstorming and the audience?
Artists: “I’m excited about these characters and this story. Let’s keep exploring.”
Product People: “Let’s make what the Users and our brainstorming session agree upon.”
RESEARCH
ART: The main character is fully fleshed out. The plot has been outlined from start to finish. But there are many areas of this story I don’t know. It’s time for some research.
PRODUCT: We too need to conduct some research to see if this thing we intend to build has data points that can back it up. So let’s go get the information.
Artists: “Time to deep dive, learn all this stuff so that I can know it and then forget it the moment I start writing.”
Product People: “Time to deep dive, gather all of this knowledge so we can prove we’re on the right track and start building.”
LET’S DO THIS!
Here is where it gets interesting: at some point, both must make a Leap of Faith.
ART: The characters and plot are settled. I’ve learned about all those areas I knew nothing. It’s time to sit down and write. Let’s do this! (This could be the first moment where the Artist vaguely thinks about the User/Customer/Audience/Reader. But it might be only along the lines of, “I really dig this. I think people might dig this…”)
PRODUCT: We’ve talked to the potential Users, we’ve come up with ideas, we’ve done our due diligence, it’s time to throw caution to the wind: Let’s do this!
Artists: “I shall now vomit out this first draft as quickly as possible. Punctuation, spelling, syntax be damned! Showering optional.”
Product People: “We need to make this MVP as quickly as possible. Form, function, appearance be damned! Showering optional.”
WE DID IT
ART: The first draft is a mess: far too long, overwritten, and subplots that need to be jettisoned immediately: but it is finished. We now have something to mold.
PRODUCT: This first iteration is a mess: buggy, it looks terrible, and there are many more functions it will need to exist: but it is finished. We now have something to show ourselves and the potential User.
Artists: “I need whiskey, a shower, joint, nutritious meal, and sleep. Not necessarily in that order.”
Product People: “Yeah, I’ll take that too.”
DRAFTS & ITERATIONS
ART: Draft 1, draft 2, draft 3, maybe you show it to a friend or colleague or if you’re lucky, an editor for feedback. But you’re not getting direct feedback from the User/Customer/Audience. There remains an element of surprise, vital for most great art.
PRODUCT: Iterate 1, get in hands of Users, iterate 2, get to Users, iterate 3, Users. Feedback is constant from everybody. You want to figure out what works, hone in on the most valuable elements, and focus on that. There is no surprise, sharing is everything.
Artists: “I’ve been whittling this thing down for weeks, I can’t cut anymore! It’s as good as I can make it. It’s Done…Aw, hell, that sentence doesn’t sound right…”
Product People: “Is it possible to iterate into oblivion? Asking for a friend. Let’s just give the Users what they want and I can retire and sell t-shirts by the seashore…”
MARKET & SELL
Artists: “It’s Finished! Other people get to figure out how to market and sell it. Hopefully people will like it. It almost killed me. Can we mention that in the marketing material? I sure hope people like it. Stop caring so much about what others think: You love it, that’s all that matters!…Will they like it?”
Product People: “It’s Good Enough to Launch. Users are using it, they seem to find value with it, so let’s start selling it. Get it to market now. We’ll update and fix as we go. Will they love it? That we don’t know, but at least it’s working for someone.”
REFLECTION
Artists: “I’m never doing that again. My brain is mush, body a mess, mojo low…I’m going for a walk. I need to see some trees and squirrels…”
Product People: “What worked in this process? What didn’t? How can we ensure we’re building things that provide value? Things that people actually want, will use, and may fall in love with? Hello? Anyone?…I’m going for a walk. I need to see some trees and squirrels…”
2 WEEKS LATER…
“What are you working on?”
Artists: “Oh, nothing really. But I’ve got this crazy idea…”
Product People: “Management wants us to build What?!…”
When it works, it works. When it doesn’t…you try again.
Menoons 