Dinker Charak's Blog, page 8
January 19, 2019
Story in a Tweet #11
“He just talks his ideas, not annotate, cite & quote. Supports heathen oral traditions. Next he’ll say burn books? His campaign is nixed,” said the Scitizen Judge.
In the times when Science is the state religion, not authoring books nixed run for public office.
“He just talks his ideas, not annotate, cite & quote. Supports heathen oral traditions. Next he’ll say burn books? His campaign is nixed,” said the Scitizen Judge.
— dinker charak / ddiinnxx.com (@ddiinnxx) January 18, 2019
In the times when Science is the state religion, not authoring books nixed run for public office. #AmWriting #Story
The post Story in a Tweet #11 appeared first on Dinker Charak.
Story in a Tweet #11 was first posted on January 20, 2019 at 12:48 am.
©2018 "Dinker Charak".
Story in a Tweet #10
“Officer, I know who’s the killer. It’s not me, but … See I was a child delinquent. With help & love, I got better. I am now a CEO. Then this coach came & told us to let our inner child free. I did. I know who’s the killer. It’s not me but my inner child.”
#Story “Officer, I know who’s the killer. It’s not me, but … See I was a child delinquent. With help & love, I got better. I am now a CEO. Then this coach came & told us to let our inner child free. I did. I know who’s the killer. It’s not me but my inner child.” #AmWriting
— dinker charak / ddiinnxx.com (@ddiinnxx) January 15, 2019
The post Story in a Tweet #10 appeared first on Dinker Charak.
Story in a Tweet #10 was first posted on January 20, 2019 at 12:46 am.
©2018 "Dinker Charak".
December 25, 2018
Hour-Glass Model for Platform MVP
An MVP ‘thin slice’ allows the product team to align a key business process for clear desired outcomes and value to ones who are ultimately paying up. This thought needs a little extra when it comes to Platform MVP.
A platform (data or otherwise) supports multiple channels (desktops, mobile, voice, etc), business applications that consume data via services and data sources that pour data into the platform.
The hour-glass approach allows to establish a platform MVP: a small set of capabilities critical for the key business application, useful & usable for at least two more applications and are scalable for many more business applications.
This approach matches the metaphor of an hour-glass. It is broad on the top covering a few business processes, narrow in middle for the minimal set of capabilities and broad at the bottom covering multiple data sources.
Platform MVP to Replace a Legacy Platform
When replacing a legacy system, it is common to take the Strangler Approach. However, for a platform, this runs a risk of creating a platform that was too close to the key business process and the relevant data sources. The platform runs the risk of being tightly coupled with that key business process.
The Platform Product team should focus on providing a minimal set of capabilities that would be useful for the key business application. These minimal set of capabilities should also be sufficiently useful for at least two other. The platform capabilities should be sufficiently useful for the other two business processes so they would invest enough time with the Platform Product team so the Platform ProMa can analyse their possible needs.
Platform MVP for a Business Process
Like in eCommerce, a business process consists of multiple important steps. Again, a ‘thin slice‘ or a ‘strangler application‘ may not evolve to the right MVP. The Product Team should identify key steps in the process and define ‘thin slice‘ or ‘strangler application‘ for each step. 
Conclusion
I have effectively used this approach for designing a Data Platform for a Private Bank. I have talked about this approach in my book on Product Management called #ProMa.
Image Credit: hourglass by Mint Shirt from the Noun Project
The post Hour-Glass Model for Platform MVP appeared first on Dinker Charak.
Hour-Glass Model for Platform MVP was first posted on December 25, 2018 at 7:25 pm.
©2018 "Dinker Charak".
February 20, 2018
About The Book: #ProMa Product Management Tools, Methods and Some Off-the-wall Ideas
Based on his popular blog, Dinker Charak brings a collection of tools, methodologies, and some unexpected approaches to Product Management. He also talks about his entrepreneurial journey from the eye of a Product Manager and discusses the strategy and its failures.
Available as Kindle eBook
Early Praise for #ProMa
Dinker offers an enjoyable potpourri of helpful advice and ideas from his experience in consulting and his experiments with building products.– Sriram Narayan, Digital-IT management consultant, ThoughtWorks & Author Agile IT Organization Design
Dinker is a magician — in a crisp book that is light and easy to read, he has packed in more than a semester’s worth of high priced B school education, and several years (and many dollars!) worth of lessons from a startup. Pick it up, you will not be disappointed.– Naren Nachiappan, Co-Founder, Jivox
A brilliant resource for all consultants, irrespective of the role they are in, and not just Product Managers. Dinker has poured his years of experience into this one book. He covers entire life cycle of a product/business evolution and introduces a lot of handy artifacts – checklists, frameworks, tools, etc. – that can be readily used at various stages of evolution. He sheds light on the real-life charms and challenges of building a product and does so in a simple yet eloquent manner. Keep an open mind and give this book a read – you’ll later on thank him for providing a wealth of knowledge on the topic.– Devangana Khokhar, Senior Data Scientist & Strategist, ThoughtWorks & Author Gephi Cookbook
Dinker is quirky, interdisciplinary and full of real-world wisdom. The same could be said of this breezy new book on Product Management.There are plenty of simple ProMa tools you can use every day – ‘Product in a Box’ and ‘Five buckets of Product Management’ stand out. There is also the philosophical exploration of the subject through lenses as varied as Indian materialism, Francis Bacon (he of the scientific method), and Rene Descartes. Most remarkably, there is a vivid tale of a failing startup – something any product entrepreneur will benefit from.
If you’re a product manager or work with these sometimes-mysterious creatures, take a copy on your next flight. You’ll have a spring in your step when you land.
– Nagarjun Kandukuru, Principal Digital Strategist, ThoughtWorks
"Who is my customer? Everybody, anyone you can think of—""Who is my competition? Amazon, Google, Netflix— (add any popular name in the Silicon Valley)."
"Who am I? I am a technology company who happens to do X (the industry this company should be in, till I probably walked in)."
This is what I keep hearing from the C-Suite at the clients I am engaged with.
In this world of needing and wanting to reinvent (or else—you are doomed), the most common response I have seen people resort to is by saying we have moved to a "product organisation" or an "experience organisation". This, no one will argue, needs change.
However, Dinker continues to argue that the challenges lie in the core philosophy. It’s not an easy journey. I can guarantee you will fail if you thought reading this book will solve the challenges of "product thinking".
But here lies a great starting point from a great product philosopher, thinker, transformer, doer and practitioner, and above all, a great colleague and a friend.
Read on, but engage with him when you get a chance. He will not fail to surprise you.
– Sagar Paul, Client Services – Strategic Accounts, at ThoughtWorks
Why the Book #ProMa and Why Now?
Product Management is an accidental and a new role. It is gaining importance as a pivotal for a Product based business. Being new, there are no set definitions, job descriptions or even well-known educational courses. In fact, in IT industry, Product Managers come from the most diverse set of background and may not always be technical or even have an MBA.
As opportunities for Product Managers grow, it is natural that consulting organization start offering this as a consulting role. This increases the complexity of the job.
As the role evolves, all this leave a new-comer with lots of questions about how to go about the job.
This book is based on the real and personal experience of being in this role in a variety of situations and draw upon the experience and output of last decade. Thus, the book also presents an opportunity to establish some Thought Leadership in this domain.
About the Book #ProMa
“Based on his popular blog, Dinker Charak brings a collection of tools, methodologies, and some unexpected approaches to Product Management. He also talks about his entrepreneurial journey from the eye of a Product Manager and discusses the strategy and its failures.”
Each chapter is complete in itself and focused on a specific theme. Some chapters may rely on concepts introduced in details in a previous chapter. However, a reader can still benefit from it without know details from the earlier chapters.
Some ideas are results of extended discussions, an opinion sought or a point-of-view constructed for a client. All of them are the result of sincere effort to produce something useful and usable. And at times, something unique.
The book is divided into three sections.
The first section (chapters 1-6) is about various tools & methods I have created and used for Product Management. These include the Product Management Canvas and the Product workshops I run.
The second section (chapters 7-18) is about various thoughts and ideas that I have around what it means to be a Product Managers and around Product Management.
The third section (chapters 19-26) is about entrepreneurship and based on my experience as a founder who hasn’t succeeded yet. It also has some ideas on team building, mainly around a novel concept of Dirty-Work Group.
Key Takeaway from the Book #ProMa
The book covers the entire lifecycle of a product/business evolution and introduces a lot of handy artifacts - checklists, frameworks, tools, etc. - that can be readily used at various stages of evolution.
There are plenty of practical ProMa tools you can use every day and also the philosophical exploration of the subject through lenses as varied as Indian materialism, Francis Bacon (he of the scientific method), and Rene Descartes and Sociology.
Who is the Target Audience For the Book #ProMa
The First Timer:
Has a tech, business or design background. Is now a Product Manager for a B2C product. Is poly-skilled enough to get the job but worried if is knowledgeable to pull it along.
An Experienced ProMa:
Has been a ProMa in an Enterprise that is building a B2B product. Has done MBA and/or has a technical background. With the expectation of B2B products to respond to market at speed of startups and with Usability of B2C products, is looking for ideas on how to reinvent the attitude towards this job.
An Entrepreneur / Founder:
Realising that a Founder is the first Product Manager of the startup’s Product, the Founder wants to ensure a proper approach is taken and not detail falls through the cracks and is looking for tools and checklists to ensure all basis are covered.
Business Folks:
ProMa help monetise a business opportunity via a Product. For key business owners, it is important to understand what a ProMa does and how does a ProMa think. This book can help them understand the variety of aspects of a ProMa, gain a better appreciation and establish meaning and deep partnerships.
About the Author of the Book #ProMa
Dinker Charak has over 17 years of rich, diverse experience in the software industry building products that matter.
During his career, he has built software products that have been part of Real-time Operating Systems, Paperless Offices, Home Automation, help develop Online Video Ads business and founded a startup. Dinker was worked at Fermilab (US) and contributed to CERN (Switzerland), two top research lab that conducts basic research into particle physics. He holds a patent in Advertising Technology.
As personal interests go, Dinker holds Product Management Workshops for startups in collaboration with IIM Ahmedabad, CIIE, NASSCOM's 10,000 Startups and ThoughtWorks.
Dinker has done Master in Computer Application from International Institute of Professional Studies, Devi Ahilya University, Indore, India.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/ddiinnxx
Blog: http://www.ddiinnxx.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dinkeratwork
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinkercharak/
Professional Profile: https://www.thoughtworks.com/profiles/dinker-charak
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ddiinnxx
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_IUZYlwwD4F1ZZ_BKU7FD3ll0BJS7rBr
The post About The Book: #ProMa Product Management Tools, Methods and Some Off-the-wall Ideas appeared first on Dinker Charak.
About The Book: #ProMa Product Management Tools, Methods and Some Off-the-wall Ideas was first posted on February 21, 2018 at 1:50 am.
©2018 "Dinker Charak".
About The Book: #ProMa
Based on his popular blog, Dinker Charak brings a collection of tools, methodologies, and some unexpected approaches to Product Management. He also talks about his entrepreneurial journey from the eye of a Product Manager and discusses the strategy and its failures.
Available as Kindle eBook
Early Praise for #ProMa
Dinker offers an enjoyable potpourri of helpful advice and ideas from his experience in consulting and his experiments with building products.– Sriram Narayan, Digital-IT management consultant, ThoughtWorks & Author Agile IT Organization Design
Dinker is a magician — in a crisp book that is light and easy to read, he has packed in more than a semester’s worth of high priced B school education, and several years (and many dollars!) worth of lessons from a startup. Pick it up, you will not be disappointed.– Naren Nachiappan, Co-Founder, Jivox
A brilliant resource for all consultants, irrespective of the role they are in, and not just Product Managers. Dinker has poured his years of experience into this one book. He covers entire life cycle of a product/business evolution and introduces a lot of handy artifacts – checklists, frameworks, tools, etc. – that can be readily used at various stages of evolution. He sheds light on the real-life charms and challenges of building a product and does so in a simple yet eloquent manner. Keep an open mind and give this book a read – you’ll later on thank him for providing a wealth of knowledge on the topic.– Devangana Khokhar, Senior Data Scientist & Strategist, ThoughtWorks & Author Gephi Cookbook
Dinker is quirky, interdisciplinary and full of real-world wisdom. The same could be said of this breezy new book on Product Management.There are plenty of simple ProMa tools you can use every day – ‘Product in a Box’ and ‘Five buckets of Product Management’ stand out. There is also the philosophical exploration of the subject through lenses as varied as Indian materialism, Francis Bacon (he of the scientific method), and Rene Descartes. Most remarkably, there is a vivid tale of a failing startup – something any product entrepreneur will benefit from.
If you’re a product manager or work with these sometimes-mysterious creatures, take a copy on your next flight. You’ll have a spring in your step when you land.
– Nagarjun Kandukuru, Principal Digital Strategist, ThoughtWorks
"Who is my customer? Everybody, anyone you can think of—""Who is my competition? Amazon, Google, Netflix— (add any popular name in the Silicon Valley)."
"Who am I? I am a technology company who happens to do X (the industry this company should be in, till I probably walked in)."
This is what I keep hearing from the C-Suite at the clients I am engaged with.
In this world of needing and wanting to reinvent (or else—you are doomed), the most common response I have seen people resort to is by saying we have moved to a "product organisation" or an "experience organisation". This, no one will argue, needs change.
However, Dinker continues to argue that the challenges lie in the core philosophy. It’s not an easy journey. I can guarantee you will fail if you thought reading this book will solve the challenges of "product thinking".
But here lies a great starting point from a great product philosopher, thinker, transformer, doer and practitioner, and above all, a great colleague and a friend.
Read on, but engage with him when you get a chance. He will not fail to surprise you.
– Sagar Paul, Client Services – Strategic Accounts, at ThoughtWorks
The post About The Book: #ProMa appeared first on Dinker Charak.
About The Book: #ProMa was first posted on February 21, 2018 at 1:50 am.
©2018 "Dinker Charak".
About The Book: The Murmurs of the Dawn
Deeply rooted in Indian philosophical, perplexing, soaring in imagination, wonderfully improbable, intelligently abstruse.
In these stories, Dinker Charak weaves fifteen tales around characters whose insanity verges upon philosophical proclivity, whose simplicity only intensifies trifling incidents, whose circumstances rouses their dexterity, whose loneliness daunts and whose indiscriminate intelligence saves the day.
Available as Kindle eBook | Paperback
The post About The Book: The Murmurs of the Dawn appeared first on Dinker Charak.
About The Book: The Murmurs of the Dawn was first posted on February 21, 2018 at 1:45 am.
©2018 "Dinker Charak".
About The Book: Absolute and None
After ‘The Murmurs of the Dawn’, Dinker Charak weaves eight more tales around clouded minds, science, scientists, science fans, science fiction and alien encounters. Along the way he talks about some interesting Physics concepts and Indian Philosophies.
Available as Kindle eBook | Paperback
The post About The Book: Absolute and None appeared first on Dinker Charak.
About The Book: Absolute and None was first posted on February 21, 2018 at 1:38 am.
©2018 "Dinker Charak".
