Due to the challenge an Inception addresses, getting it right is not easy. Consequently, preparation and having the right conditions in place is vital.
As part of set-up we:
- Get up to speed
- Line up our team
- Define Inception Goals
The outcome of set-up is all you need to successfully plan, design and then execute an Inception.
A strong understanding of the client’s wider context is critical to asking the right questions. Before you start, spend a few hours looking into available background information to inform your thinking:
- Digest the brief
- Speak with existing client contacts and clarify any immediate questions
- Conduct lightweight research on industry, client and problem domain
Ideally, the team that will execute the Inception should design (and later plan and execute) it too.
The Inception design you’ll do next must be a cross-functional collaborative exercise. This can be a single session, but it’s more likely you’ll want this to run for at least a week.
At the minimum, your planning team will need a representative from:
- Delivery
- Product
- Technology
Also see our Inception Planning Deep Dive.
Explicitly call out the overall Inception goal, and what each participant and group is trying to achieve through the Inception. This will be your life-line and your target during execution.
Ensure it aligns with the brief and known constraints, be they related to time, money, values or other.
With goals understood and core team in place, you will then head into “Design”
{% hint style="success" %} We gain a lot of information and context during pitches, which forms a great starting point for Inception planning (and in fact running it). Where we have not pitched we need to factor this in. {% endhint %}
{% hint style="success" %} Involve those running the Inception in its planning. There’s nothing worse than having to run a workshop you haven’t planned yourself or don’t fully understand. Be aware of the time it may take to resource a team. {% endhint %}
{% hint style="success" %} Equally bad: having to deliver an initiative for which you haven’t negotiated the scope, constraints and approach, or developed prior context. We recommend that the group that designs/plans/runs the Inception should continue to deliver. {% endhint %}
{% hint style="success" %} While an experienced team can prepare an Inception in a relatively short period of time, allowing for more elapsed time for things to ‘stew’ leads to a better design and outcome(s). {% endhint %}
{% hint style="success" %} Push back on any Inception that ‘needs to be run tomorrow’. You really want the time to prep properly. {% endhint %}
{% hint style="success" %} Do not run an Inception with a team entirely new to Inceptions or generally too junior. You will want at least some old hands in the mix. {% endhint %}