Platform Product Revival from edX

At multiple points in your professional life, a technology tool you are responsible for building will fail. There are a million reasons why these things happen, but failed systems aren’t failures. They are delayed successes. This final course will go through the process to help you digest what went wrong, and how to course correct.

We will start with strategies to evaluate where things failed. You need to know how to react when users say everything is broken. The first response is usually frustration. Which while understandable, isn’t productive. You will learn strategies for user engagement and bringing them into the fold for the development process.

You will learn how to engage with users. Listening is critical for success but how you show them you are listening is part of the art form.

Once you have heard from your users, get them talking to each other. Facilitate a user community to get support for your platform rollout. This will ultimately lead to increased adoption.

After you have tried everything, we will show you how to determine if anything is salvageable, and decide how to move forward. That may mean a new Platform. We’ll show you how to get the most out of a bad situation. You’re not starting over, but you are starting again with more information and understanding of your business, your users, and your platform needs. Knowing how to close a failed platform implementation is an important Product Platform Managers skill.

What's inside

Learning objectives

Change management and user adoption essentials
Evaluation methods for a failed rollout

Methods for reviving a failed platform
Establishing a user community

Change management and user adoption essentials
Evaluation methods for a failed rollout
Methods for reviving a failed platform
Establishing a user community

Syllabus

Week 1: “Everything is broken''. How to respond to the negativity when your platform roll out doesn’t meet your users’ expectations and how to get them and keep them engaged for the future of the platform.

Week 2: Listen to your users (and react). Delve into the subtle art of reacting to user feedback with grace and adjusting your strategy appropriately.

Week 3: Getting buy in is a critical element for your platform success. By bringing your users along for the ride you will see how much more success you can have and how you can have it at scale.

Week 4: Knowing when to throw in the towel is hard, but you don’t want to throw good resources after bad. So maybe your platform rollout didn’t work. Should you hit the reset button and try again? How do you learn from your mistakes?

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Develops Change Management and User Adoption Essentials, which is a common need in industry

Evaluates methods for reviving a failed platform, which is a niche skill for experts

Examines how to establish a user community, which is useful for any platform leader

Requires learners to grapple with the realities of user reactions, which is a very real industry challenge

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Platform Product Revival with these activities:

Review change management strategies

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Refresh your understanding of change management strategies to better prepare for the challenges of technology implementation.

Browse courses on Change Management

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Review key concepts of change management.
Identify different change management models.
Consider the challenges of change management in technology implementations.

Read 'Crossing the Chasm' by Geoffrey A. Moore

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Gain insights into the challenges of technology adoption and how to successfully cross the chasm between early adopters and mainstream users.

View The Infinite Staircase: What the Universe Tells... on Amazon

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Understand the concept of the 'chasm' and its implications for technology adoption.
Identify strategies for crossing the chasm and reaching a broader market.

Review Offering Management

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Revisit existing knowledge on Offering Management principles and best practices to enhance understanding of course concepts.

Browse courses on Product Management

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Review course materials on Offering Management fundamentals.
Practice applying Offering Management techniques through online simulations or case studies.
Engage in discussions with peers or industry experts to share insights and clarify understanding.

Ten other activities

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Explore best practices for evaluating failed platform rollouts

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Stay up-to-date on industry best practices for evaluating failed platform rollouts and identifying areas for improvement.

Browse courses on Change Management

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Identify reputable sources of information on platform rollout evaluation.
Review and synthesize key findings from multiple sources.

Form a Product Platform Managers Study Group

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Establish a support network with peers to exchange ideas, share experiences, and collectively navigate course challenges.

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Identify fellow students with shared interests and learning goals.
Establish a regular meeting schedule and communication platform for discussions.
Actively participate in discussions, support each other's understanding, and collectively explore course concepts.
Organize group review sessions or study materials to supplement course content.

Explore Agile Failure Response Techniques

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Delve into best practices for responding to platform failures through hands-on tutorials and real-world examples.

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Identify reputable online resources or courses on Agile failure response and resolution.
Work through tutorials that demonstrate practical implementation of these techniques.
Apply the methodologies to simulated or actual platform failure scenarios.

Develop a user onboarding plan

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Create a plan to effectively onboard users to your platform and increase adoption rates.

Browse courses on User Adoption

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Identify target user groups and their needs.
Design onboarding materials and training programs.
Implement feedback mechanisms to gather user input.

Practice active listening and facilitation techniques

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Develop your ability to actively listen to user feedback and facilitate productive discussions.

Browse courses on Active Listening

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Identify and practice active listening techniques.
Practice facilitating discussions and managing group dynamics.

Simulate Platform Rollout Scenarios

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Strengthen understanding of platform rollout through repeated simulations, enabling effective execution and problem-solving.

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Join online communities or platforms that provide access to simulation tools and mock scenarios.
Engage in regular practice of simulating platform rollouts, considering different variables and user feedback.
Analyze simulation results, identify areas for improvement, and refine strategies.

Develop a Platform Recovery Plan

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Apply course learnings to create a comprehensive plan for recovering from platform failures, providing practical experience and building confidence.

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Identify potential failure scenarios and assess their impact on the platform.
Develop detailed recovery strategies for each identified failure scenario.
Establish clear communication protocols for user notification and stakeholder management during a failure.
Test the recovery plan through simulations or drills to ensure its effectiveness.

Facilitate a user community discussion

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Engage with users by facilitating a discussion to gather feedback and foster a sense of community.

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Establish a platform for the discussion.
Set clear goals and guidelines for the discussion.
Moderate the discussion and encourage participation.

Develop a case study on a successful platform rollout

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Document your experiences or research a case study to share lessons learned and best practices for successful platform rollouts.

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Identify a successful platform rollout case study.
Analyze the factors that contributed to the success of the rollout.
Develop a case study report outlining your findings and recommendations.

Develop a plan for reviving a failed platform

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Put your knowledge to the test by developing a comprehensive plan for reviving a failed platform and improving its adoption.

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Analyze the reasons for the platform's failure.
Identify potential strategies for reviving the platform.
Develop a detailed plan outlining your proposed actions and expected outcomes.

Career center

Learners who complete Platform Product Revival will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Product Manager

Product Managers are responsible for ensuring successful product development and launch. This course may be useful to Product Managers as it provides strategies for evaluating failed rollouts and methods for reviving failed platforms. By understanding how to respond to user feedback and engage with users, Product Managers can increase the chances of successful product adoption.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Manager

Product Owner

Product Owners are responsible for defining and managing the product backlog. This course may be useful to Product Owners as it provides strategies for evaluating failed product rollouts and methods for reviving failed products. By understanding how to respond to user feedback and engage with users, Product Owners can increase the chances of successful product adoption.

See salaries and explore the career path for Product Owner

Change Manager

Change Managers are responsible for managing organizational change. This course may be useful to Change Managers as it provides strategies for evaluating failed change initiatives and methods for reviving failed change initiatives. By understanding how to respond to stakeholder feedback and engage with stakeholders, Change Managers can increase the chances of successful change adoption.

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Program Manager

Program Managers are responsible for managing multiple projects within a program. This course may be useful to Program Managers as it provides strategies for evaluating failed programs and methods for reviving failed programs. By understanding how to respond to stakeholder feedback and engage with stakeholders, Program Managers can increase the chances of successful program completion.

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Project Manager

Project Managers are responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects. This course may be useful to Project Managers as it provides strategies for evaluating failed projects and methods for reviving failed projects. By understanding how to respond to stakeholder feedback and engage with stakeholders, Project Managers can increase the chances of successful project completion.

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User Experience (UX) Designer

UX Designers are responsible for designing user interfaces that are both usable and aesthetically pleasing. This course may be useful to UX Designers as it provides strategies for evaluating failed user interfaces and methods for reviving failed user interfaces. By understanding how to respond to user feedback and engage with users, UX Designers can increase the chances of successful user adoption.

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Consultant

Consultants provide advice and guidance to organizations on a variety of topics. This course may be useful to Consultants as it provides strategies for evaluating failed projects and methods for reviving failed projects. By understanding how to respond to client feedback and engage with clients, Consultants can increase the chances of successful project completion.

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Business Analyst

Business Analysts are responsible for analyzing business needs and developing solutions to meet those needs. This course may be useful to Business Analysts as it provides strategies for evaluating failed solutions and methods for reviving failed solutions. By understanding how to respond to stakeholder feedback and engage with stakeholders, Business Analysts can increase the chances of successful solution adoption.

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Technical Writer

Technical Writers are responsible for creating documentation for software and other technical products. This course may be useful to Technical Writers as it provides strategies for evaluating failed documentation and methods for reviving failed documentation. By understanding how to respond to user feedback and engage with users, Technical Writers can increase the chances of successful documentation adoption.

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Software Engineer

Software Engineers are responsible for designing, developing, and maintaining software applications. This course may be useful to Software Engineers as it provides strategies for evaluating failed software applications and methods for reviving failed software applications. By understanding how to respond to user feedback and engage with users, Software Engineers can increase the chances of successful software adoption.

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Data Analyst

Data Analysts are responsible for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data. This course may be useful to Data Analysts as it provides strategies for evaluating failed data analysis projects and methods for reviving failed data analysis projects. By understanding how to respond to stakeholder feedback and engage with stakeholders, Data Analysts can increase the chances of successful data analysis project completion.

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Product Support Specialist

Product Support Specialists are responsible for providing technical support to customers. This course may be useful to Product Support Specialists as it provides strategies for evaluating failed customer support strategies and methods for reviving failed customer support strategies. By understanding how to respond to customer feedback and engage with customers, Product Support Specialists can increase the chances of successful customer support strategy adoption.

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Sales Manager

Sales Managers are responsible for leading and managing sales teams. This course may be useful to Sales Managers as it provides strategies for evaluating failed sales strategies and methods for reviving failed sales strategies. By understanding how to respond to customer feedback and engage with customers, Sales Managers can increase the chances of successful sales strategy adoption.

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Customer Success Manager

Customer Success Managers are responsible for ensuring customer satisfaction and retention. This course may be useful to Customer Success Managers as it provides strategies for evaluating failed customer success strategies and methods for reviving failed customer success strategies. By understanding how to respond to customer feedback and engage with customers, Customer Success Managers can increase the chances of successful customer success strategy adoption.

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Marketing Manager

Marketing Managers are responsible for developing and executing marketing campaigns. This course may be useful to Marketing Managers as it provides strategies for evaluating failed marketing campaigns and methods for reviving failed marketing campaigns. By understanding how to respond to customer feedback and engage with customers, Marketing Managers can increase the chances of successful marketing campaign adoption.

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