Product Sprints
One defined outcome, delivered to a fixed scope and a fixed fee.
Who this is for
- A board or funding milestone requires a specific outcome by a specific date
- A discrete problem has been diagnosed and does not need ongoing leadership
- An acquisition or investment is under consideration
What it addresses
A Product Sprint addresses problems that need a decision and a finished artefact rather than a standing leadership presence. Paying for ongoing leadership to produce a single outcome is poor value, and a standing role slows the outcome down rather than speeding it up.
Every RuleSimple Product Sprint fixes scope and duration at the outset, and these commitments do not move with the effort required to deliver them. Because the boundaries are agreed in advance, the delivery risk sits with RuleSimple rather than with the client commissioning the sprint.
How it works
Scope
The outcome, the decisions it requires and the acceptance criteria are agreed and written down.
Evidence and options
Research, analysis and the development of options with the executive sponsor.
Decision
Options tested with the leadership team and the direction agreed.
Delivery
The named artefact completed, handed over and the decisions it requires taken.
Scope
The outcome, the decisions it requires and the acceptance criteria are agreed and written down.
Evidence and options
Research, analysis and the development of options with the executive sponsor.
Decision
Options tested with the leadership team and the direction agreed.
Delivery
The named artefact completed, handed over and the decisions it requires taken.
What is delivered
Five sprints are available, each scoped as a single defined outcome:
- Product strategy and roadmap reset
- Product operating model redesign
- Product organisation design and hiring plan
- Product due diligence for investors
- Pricing and packaging review
What is required from you
- A named executive sponsor attending every working session
- Data access within five working days
- Decisions provided within five working days of being requested
What is not included
- Implementation beyond the named outcome
- Ongoing leadership or accountability after closure
- Anything outside the agreed scope
Common questions
What is a product sprint engagement?
A Product Sprint is a fixed scope engagement that delivers one named outcome, such as a strategy reset or an organisation design, rather than an ongoing leadership presence. RuleSimple agrees the outcome, the decisions it requires and the acceptance criteria with the client before work begins, and the scope does not change once agreed.
Which product sprints does RuleSimple offer?
RuleSimple offers five Product Sprints: a product strategy and roadmap reset, a product operating model redesign, a product organisation design and hiring plan, product due diligence for investors, and a pricing and packaging review. Each sprint is scoped as a single defined outcome.
How long does a product sprint take?
A RuleSimple Product Sprint runs over eight weeks. The four stages are scoping in week one, evidence and options across weeks two to four, decision in weeks five and six, and delivery of the named artefact in weeks seven and eight.
What is product due diligence for investors?
Product due diligence for investors is one of the five RuleSimple Product Sprints, assessing a target company's product function on behalf of an investor considering an acquisition or investment. It follows the same eight week structure as the other Product Sprints, ending with a delivered artefact rather than an ongoing advisory relationship.
How is a sprint different from a fractional CPO engagement?
A Product Sprint delivers one defined outcome to a fixed scope and then closes, whereas a Fractional Chief Product Officer holds an ongoing leadership role in the business. RuleSimple recommends a Product Sprint when a discrete problem has already been diagnosed and does not need continuing leadership, and a Fractional Chief Product Officer when the business needs a standing product leadership function.