Project to Product: How to Survive and Thrive in the Age of Digital Disruption and Flow Framework - Mik Kersten
CoLab Book Club - November 2024
Our #CoLabBookClub pick for November was “Project to Product: How to Survive and Thrive in the Age of Digital Disruption and Flow Framework” by Mik Kersten. This one has been around for a while and was a welcome second read for some of our Book Clubers. Kersten’s ideas on digital transformation sparked some great conversations, with his Flow Framework being a highlight for the group.
Overview
This book offers clear and practical advice on how businesses can succeed in today’s fast-changing, digital-first world. The main idea is the Flow Framework, which shifts the focus from traditional project management to delivering value through ongoing product development.
At the heart of the flow framework are four “flow items” or types of work:
Features – delivering what customers want.
Defects – fixing problems.
Risks – tackling compliance and security issues.
Debt – cleaning up outdated or messy systems.
Kersten also explains five simple metrics, like Flow Time (how quickly work gets done) and Flow Efficiency (how much time is spent actively working versus waiting), to help leaders see where work gets stuck and make improvements.
The book is also packed with real-life examples, from Tesla’s innovations to challenges in older industries, showing how these ideas can work anywhere.
Our Key Takeaways
✔️ From Project to Product – shifting from one-off projects to continuous product work helps teams keep up with change and deliver value faster.
✔️ Metrics That Matter – the flow metrics gave us new ways to measure success, focusing on outcomes instead of just budgets and timelines.
✔️ Breaking Down Silos – the book stresses how important it is for IT and business teams to work together, with tips on aligning goals and efforts.
✔️ Resilience and Adaptability – Kersten highlights how organisations that embrace constant improvement and flexibility are better prepared for the challenges of today’s world.
Who is it For?
This book is a great fit for anyone leading or supporting digital change, whether you’re a manager, consultant, or team leader. No matter your role, Project to Product offers useful tips to help you deliver better results and keep up with the pace of change.
Thank you!
Huge thanks to Mik Kersten for this inspiring and practical guide. Project to Product is a book will shape how we think about delivering value in our own work.
And, of course, a big shoutout to our #CoLabBookClub crew - Angela Zuba, Ceedee Doyle, Kat Debney (host), Pete Tansey, Peter Bink, and Toni Wilson - for another engaging and free-flowing discussion. It’s always interesting to see where the conversation goes!
#DigitalTransformation #FlowFramework #BookReview