GIST Framework

Why use GIST?

One of the biggest wastes in Agile Product Development is that the focus is usually put on agile software delivery. But Product Management still follows a waterfall method, based on creating milestones for the delivery of big solutions.

Building small increments to deliver a big project milestone, before any form of validation of the project's value is done is not going to lead you any faster or at a lower cost to success. Instead of being agile, the water just goes down the cliff in small falls, before it accumulates in one spot and the "water" reaches the lake at the same volume and time as a traditional waterfall.

Itamar Gilad combined the principles of Lean Startup and Agile Development to create the GIST Framework. A Product planning framework that aims to get rid of the Product Management waterfall bottleneck. It combines the Product Strategy and Roadmap in one lightweight tool that provides clear tracking of the status of the Product and and allows quick updates to the roadmap of the Product to happen at the end of every sprint.

Benefits of using GIST for you and your team

• GIST brings the benefits of focusing on outcomes instead of outputs by using the Key results from OKRs for setting goals.

• It is a lightweight document for product roadmapping and management. This reduces a lot the amount of work a PO/PM will need to do when changes need to be made.

• It functions as a transparent communication tool that keeps the development team and the stakeholders aligned. Since both parties are looking at the same board, there is less chance of waste due to misalignments on product requirements.

• It helps the development team to explore and validate multiple solutions/ideas at the same time, to help discover the most impactful solution at the lowest cost.