Value Propositions Sprints at Barclays

Date: July 2020
Location: London, UK
Sponsor: Barclays

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Speakers

• Matthew Lockyer - Head of Experimentation at Barclays API Business, with a background as a full-stack developer and experience in running design sprints at Visa and Capco
• John Vetan - the founder and CEO of Design Sprint Academy, who has over 20 years of experience in building digital products, innovation, and transformation.
• Mark Garner - DSA

Key Topics

What is a Design Sprint

When to run or not to run a Design Sprint

Types of Sprints at Barclays:

• Value Proposition Sprints: These sprints focus on creating and evaluating value propositions. They involve a systematic approach to ideation and validation within the context of Barclays API Business.

Challenges in Running Sprints:

• Issues with problem statements being too specific or broad.
• Challenges of senior stakeholders pushing their agendas, affecting the sprint's direction.
• Difficulties in measuring progress and the lack of sufficient data to inform sprint decisions.
• The team growing unwieldy as more people want to be involved, leading to potential dilution of focus.

Strategies to Overcome Challenges:

• Keep teams small (maximum of 5 members), with a flat structure and a focused problem statement.
• EncouragE a proactive stance and emergent thinking, along with documenting assumptions.
• Initially excludE senior stakeholders to allow for unbiased and innovative thinking.
• Implement a quick 1-2 week timeline for research, solutioning, validation, and business modeling.

How to Embed Design Sprints:

• Identify key business units and stakeholders, preparing compelling pitch packs.
• Understand the size and impact of the opportunity.
• Develop internal capabilities for future project execution, though sometimes opting for external agencies or joint ventures for quick implementation and policy isolation.