#01 - What questions will the Information Product answer
What questions do you need information to help answer?
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As I outlined in The Order of the Canvas Area post:
You can complete the 12 areas of the canvas in any order that works for you.
For me I start with the Business Questions area first.
In the Business Questions area, we identify the initial questions the stakeholder wants the Information Product to answer.
These questions form the foundation of the Information Product and will guide the actions the stakeholder takes based on the answers.
Business Questions usually start with ‘how many’, ‘how much’, ‘how long’, ‘how often’, ‘where’ and perhaps the most challenging one ‘why’.
We are seeking the first three to five business questions that come quickly to the forefront of the stakeholder’s mind.
They might have more than five questions, that’s fine. Let them continue adding to the canvas. Once the stakeholder stops to take a breath and starts to think more deeply, we stop and move onto the next area of the canvas.
These questions form the foundation of the Information Product, guiding what data is needed and how it should be transformed, analysed, and presented.
Engaging directly with stakeholders is crucial when identifying business questions. Stakeholders are the ones who will be sponsoring the delivery of the Information Product, and they are best positioned to articulate the questions that need to be answered.
Most stakeholders are able to articulate these questions quickly. If they struggle, it suggests they need to think about their requirements in more detail or they are acting as a proxy for the real stakeholder.
This isn’t about gathering a fixed set of questions or immutable requirements. Stakeholders can add or refine the questions later, as the Data Team progresses through the Information Value Stream.
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Do you prefer the feel and joy of reading a physical book?