Company
Date Published
Author
Bryan Zavestoski
Word count
2021
Language
English
Hacker News points
None

Summary

Heap, a B2B SaaS company, tackled design debt and usability challenges through a focused two-week sprint called "Extreme Makeover: Heap Edition," aimed at improving the product experience for new users. The initiative involved pausing other ongoing projects to prioritize quick wins, which were defined as changes that could be implemented in under two engineering days and would enhance usability. This company-wide effort fostered camaraderie and included fun elements such as the Emoji Olympics to boost engagement and morale. The sprint resulted in over 40 feature launches, bug fixes, and product improvements, significantly enhancing Heap's usability and empowering teams to continue addressing usability issues in the future. Feedback from users and internal teams indicated a notable improvement in the product experience, encouraging ongoing efforts to manage design debt. This structured approach to quick wins is set to be a cornerstone of Heap's strategy for continuous product enhancement.