SAFe-APM SAFe Agile Product Manager (APM 6.0) Questions and Answers

Story mapping is a technique that helps product owners and teams visualize and prioritize user stories based on the user journey and the value they deliver. Story mapping involves creating a two-dimensional map of stories, where the horizontal axis represents the main activities or steps of the user journey, and the vertical axis represents the priority or importance of the stories. The stories are arranged in a hierarchy, where the top row contains the most essential stories that form the backbone of the feature, and the lower rows contain the more detailed or optional stories that enhance the feature. Story mapping helps to organize stories and understand which are critical to implementing the feature, as it shows the big picture of the user goals and needs, the dependencies and relationships among stories, and the minimum viable product (MVP) scope.

References :

Story Mapping : This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the purpose, process, and benefits of story mapping, and provides an example of how it can be used in a SAFe context.

User Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product : This book by Jeff Patton, the creator of story mapping, provides a comprehensive guide on how to use story mapping to create better products and services that delight customers.

How to Create a User Story Map: Step by Step Guide with Examples : This article from Miro provides a detailed guide on how to create a user story map, with examples and templates for different types of products and services.

A journey map is a research technique that is used to develop personas. A journey map is a visual representation of the steps, interactions, and emotions of a user as they go through a process or a service. A journey map can help develop personas by identifying the pain points, opportunities, and gaps in the current state, and by generating ideas for improving the user experience and value proposition in the future state. A journey map can also help communicate the user needs and expectations to the stakeholders and align them on a common vision and goal.

References :

Journey Maps - Scaled Agile Framework

Journey Mapping 101 | Nielsen Norman Group

Journey Mapping: The Ultimate Guide | Miro

Journey Mapping: How to Create One and Why It’s Important

Feature estimates are aggregated back into the Epic estimate as part of the lean business case. The lean business case is a lightweight and collaborative artifact that captures the rationale, assumptions, and financial projections for an Epic. The lean business case includes the Epic value statement, which consists of the value proposition, the benefit hypothesis, and the Epic estimate. The Epic estimate is the total effort required to implement the Epic, expressed in story points. The Epic estimate is derived from the sum of the Feature estimates, which are the effort required to implement each Feature that contributes to the Epic, also expressed in story points. The Feature estimates are aggregated back into the Epic estimate as part of the lean business case to provide a realistic and data-driven projection of the cost and duration of the Epic.

References :

Lean Business Case - Scaled Agile Framework

Epic - Scaled Agile Framework

Feature estimates are aggregated back into the Epic estimate as part of …

Buy a Feature is a research game that involves presenting customers with a list of possible features for a product or service, and giving them a limited budget to spend on their preferred ones. This game helps to understand customer needs, priorities, trade-offs, and willingness to pay. It also encourages collaboration and discussion among customers, and generates feedback and insights for the product team.

References :

Buy a Feature : This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the purpose, process, and benefits of the Buy a Feature game, and provides an example of how it can be used in a SAFe context.

Buy a Feature: The Game that Teaches Prioritization : This article from Innovation Games describes the rules, variations, and outcomes of the Buy a Feature game, and provides tips and resources for facilitating it.

Customer Needs Analysis: Definition & Research Methods : This article from Qualtrics XM provides an overview of customer needs analysis, and discusses various research methods, including Buy a Feature, to identify and understand customer needs.

A portfolio canvas is a visual tool that defines and communicates the value streams, solutions, customers, budgets, and key activities and events of a SAFe portfolio. It describes how a solution fits into the overall strategy by showing the value proposition, the customer segments and relationships, the key performance indicators, and the alignment with the strategic themes and the portfolio vision. A portfolio canvas provides business context by helping the portfolio stakeholders understand and align on the portfolio strategy, and by guiding the Agile teams and ARTs in delivering value to the customers and the enterprise.

References :

Portfolio Canvas : This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the concept and purpose of the portfolio canvas, and how it can be used to define and manage the portfolio strategy and execution.

What is SAFe Portfolio Canvas : What are its Sections and Blocks : This article from StarAgile provides a detailed guide on how to create and use a portfolio canvas, with examples and templates for different types of portfolios.

The chasm is the gap in the technology adoption lifecycle between the early adopters and the early majority. The early adopters are enthusiasts who are open to trying new technologies, whereas the early majority is more pragmatic and cautious. The chasm occurs due to the differing expectations and requirements of these two groups. An innovative product is a product that introduces a new or significantly improved technology, functionality, or design that creates a new market or disrupts an existing one. An innovative product might face a chasm in its adoption, because it may not appeal to the mainstream customers who value reliability, compatibility, and convenience over novelty and differentiation. Therefore, an innovative product needs to cross the chasm by finding a niche market, establishing a clear value proposition, and creating a strong word-of-mouth.

References :

Crossing the Chasm in the Technology Adoption Life Cycle : This article from Business to You explains the concept and purpose of the technology adoption lifecycle and the chasm, and how they can help marketers understand and target different customer segments.

How to Cross the Chasm & Scale Your SaaS : This article from Userpilot provides a practical guide on how to cross the chasm and scale a SaaS product, with examples and tips on finding product-market fit, defining a beachhead market, and creating a whole product.

Market segmentation is the process of dividing a market into distinct groups of customers who have similar needs, preferences, or behaviors. Market segmentation helps enterprises identify and target the most valuable and profitable customer segments, design and deliver solutions that meet their needs, and optimize their marketing strategies and campaigns. However, market segmentation is not only based on quantitative factors, such as size, growth, and profitability, but also on qualitative factors, such as values, mission, and vision. A market segment should align with the enterprise’s values and mission, which reflect its purpose, identity, and culture. A market segment that aligns with the enterprise’s values and mission will help the enterprise achieve its strategic goals, create a positive brand image, and build trust and loyalty with customers.

References :

Customer Centricity - Scaled Agile Framework

Advanced Topic - SAFe for Marketing - Scaled Agile Framework

What is one consideration when evaluating the fit for a market segment?

5.4 Essential Factors in Effective Market Segmentation

A successful minimum viable product (MVP) that has value in the market reveals that the Epic hypothesis has been validated and that development should continue. An MVP is an early and minimal version of a new product or solution that is used to test the assumptions and hypotheses behind an Epic. An MVP provides the fastest and cheapest way to learn from real customers and to measure the impact and value of the Epic. A successful MVP means that the Epic has proven its desirability, viability, feasibility, and sustainability, and that there is still more value to be delivered by implementing additional features and capabilities. Therefore, development should continue until the Epic is completed or the value hypothesis changes.

References :

Epic - Scaled Agile Framework

Minimum Viable Product (MVP) - Scaled Agile Framework

Innovation Accounting in SAFe - Scaled Agile Framework

The strategic sweet spot of a company is where it meets customer’s needs in a way that rivals can’t, given the context in which it competes 1 2 . It is where the company’s capabilities match customer needs in a way that the competition can’t. Finding the strategic sweet spot is a key challenge of strategic thinking and a source of competitive advantage.

References :

How to find your strategic sweet spot and why it matters

The Strategic Sweet Spot - Harvard Business Review

 Time criticality is one key component of Cost of Delay (CoD), which is the money or value that will be lost by delaying or not doing a job for a specific time period relative to other jobs. Time criticality reflects the urgency or sensitivity of a job to time, and how its value changes over time. For example, a job that has a fixed deadline, a seasonal demand, or a high risk of obsolescence has a high time criticality, and its CoD increases rapidly as time passes. A job that has a stable demand, a low risk of competition, or a long-term benefit has a low time criticality, and its CoD increases slowly or remains constant over time.

References :

WSJF : This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the concept and purpose of Weighted Shortest Job First (WSJF), which is a prioritization model that uses CoD and job duration to sequence jobs for maximum economic benefit. It also describes the four components of CoD: user or business value, time criticality, risk reduction and/or opportunity enablement, and job size.

Cost of Delay - Scaled Agile Framework : This article from the Scaled Agile Framework defines CoD as the numerator in WSJF prioritization, and provides some examples of how to estimate CoD for different types of jobs.

According to the SAFe® Agile Product Management APM (6.0) documents and learning resources, market segment value is the total value of a specific market segment for a given solution. It is calculated by multiplying the number of potential customers in the segment by the average revenue per customer and the expected market share. The expected market share depends on several factors, such as the value proposition, the competitive advantage, and the number of existing competitors. Therefore, the number of existing competitors is a factor that must be included when building a model of market segment value.

References :

Agile Product Management - Scaled Agile Framework

Customer Centricity - Scaled Agile Framework

5.4 Essential Factors in Effective Market Segmentation

A measurement that can help drive Value Stream innovation and improvements is the percentage of Customers activating the product. This metric indicates how many Customers are actually using the product after acquiring it, and how well the product meets their needs and expectations. A high percentage of Customers activating the product means that the product delivers value and solves a problem for the Customers, and that the Value Stream is aligned with the Customer-centric mindset. A low percentage of Customers activating the product means that there is a gap between the product offering and the Customer demand, and that the Value Stream needs to innovate and improve the product design, delivery, and marketing.

References :

Value Stream KPIs - Scaled Agile Framework

The Four Most Useful Value Stream Metrics in Software

What is an example of a measurement that can be used to help drive …

The benefit hypothesis and acceptance criteria are the criteria that must be satisfied before a Feature can flow from the analysis state to the backlog state on an ART Kanban. The benefit hypothesis and acceptance criteria are part of the definition of a Feature, which represents a solution functionality that delivers business value and fulfills a stakeholder need. The benefit hypothesis states the expected outcome and benefit of implementing the Feature, while the acceptance criteria define the conditions that must be met for the Feature to be accepted by the stakeholders. The benefit hypothesis and acceptance criteria help to clarify the scope, value, and quality of the Feature, and to guide the implementation and validation of the Feature.

References :

Features and Capabilities - Scaled Agile Framework

ART and Solution Train Backlogs - Scaled Agile Framework

Which two criteria must be satisfied before a Feature flows from …

Personas are fictional characters that represent the ideal customers or users of a product or service. They help product teams understand and empathize with the needs, goals, and preferences of their target segments. Personas explain how the customers want to use the product by describing their behaviors, motivations, pain points, and expectations. Personas also help product teams design and deliver solutions that meet the customer needs and create value.

References :

Personas : This article from the Scaled Agile Framework explains the concept and purpose of personas, and how they can be used in a SAFe context to support customer-centricity, design thinking, and lean UX.

What are Personas? : This article from Agile Alliance defines personas and describes their benefits and characteristics. It also provides some tips and examples on how to create and use personas effectively.

A story map is a customer-centric requirement artifact that represents the user journey and the features that support it. A story map is a visual tool that helps to organize and prioritize user stories based on the user goals, activities, and tasks. A story map also helps to align the stakeholders on the scope, value, and dependencies of the product, and to plan the releases and iterations.

References :

Story Mapping - Scaled Agile Framework

What are some example artifacts from product definition?

User Story Mapping: A Complete Guide | Miro