Double Diamonds Aren't Just for the Snow

Sitting atop a mountain with a snowboard, the author draws a parallel between the agility and speed required to navigate a double black diamond slope and the principles of building products that resonate with customers, emphasizing the importance of moving swiftly and adapting continuously. Tim Armandpour, SVP for Product Development at PagerDuty, highlights a deep understanding of customer problems as central to their agile transformation, employing the UK Design Council's 'double diamond' design model to guide product development with a non-linear, flexible approach. The text underscores the importance of challenging biases during customer discovery, involving multiple departments like Product Management and Engineering early in the process, and fostering a culture of shared learning and empathy within the organization. Hiring for emotional intelligence, not just domain expertise, is stressed as crucial for understanding and solving customer problems effectively. As PagerDuty prepares for its summit to discuss digital transformation, the article invites organizations to reflect on their strategies for continuous learning and product development adaptation.