A presentation at DevRelCon London 2023 in in London, UK by Myrsini Koukiasa
DevRelCon London September 2023 HOW TO MAKE LESS MORE: LEARN TO PIVOT WHEN YOUR BUDGET DISAPPEARS MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Myrsini Koukiasa
she/ her. Director, DevRel EMEA at Twilio. Budget owner. Builder. Nerd. MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Hello!
DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 ? MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos What’s this talk really about?
Situation DECISION making FRAMEWORK and EXAMPLEs 1 2 3 MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 What we’ll look at
Your budget is being cut. Options may have started to jump out. Maybe this can be viewed as an opportunity. MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Oh no, what now?
Education, awareness, contributions, sign-ups … Think of your org, mission, metrics. MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 What is your focus?
In all directions. Especially upwards and sideways. You will be doing less. Doesn’t mean it won’t be good. MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Managing expectations
How will you figure out what really matters so you get it right? It’s all about your decision.. MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Setting the basis
The necessity to make decisions often leads to bad ones. Take a step back to reaffirm your objectives. MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Avoid rush decisions
DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos VFT: New approach to decision making based on values
MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Overview of value-focused thinking
Step by step decision making skills. Values with a systematic approach. MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 A practical Guide To Better decision making.
The Framework Problem Objectives Alternatives Consequences Tradeoffs Uncertainty Risk Tolerance Linked Decisions MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 The Eight Elements of Smart Choices
characteristics description Team goal Marketing an API to developers Customer Developer with decision making authority Department Marketing Budget owner CMO Budget spend $1M global Activities Outreach: events, workshops, content Objectives Awareness, sign ups MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 The Example
DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos PROACT
Work on the right decision problem. Acknowledge complexity, avoid assumptions. MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Problem
Open-ended phrasing How can we re-evaluate our activities to save budget? Focused phrasing How can we cut $500k out of our budget and get max ROI from activities we keep? MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Example: decision problem framing
DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos PROACT
DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Define your objectives. Where do you want to end up? MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos Objectives
How do your objectives become your decision criteria? - Increase platform sign ups by 20% YoY Reach 50,000 developers Increase awareness and use of X product Focus on CEE countries Increase blog views by 50% YoY MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Example: objectives
DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos PROACT
Create imaginative alternatives. Start wide to find the best. MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Alternatives
Questions and tips you can use to come up with good alternatives - Ask “how” about each of your objectives Create them first, evaluate them after Challenge constraints Learn from experience Ask others for suggestions MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Example: alternatives
MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Brainstorm on alternatives that yield sign-ups
characteristics description Team goal Marketing an API to developers Customer Developer with decision making authority Department Marketing Budget owner CMO Budget spend $1M global Activities Outreach: events, workshops, content Objectives Awareness, sign ups MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 The Example
DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos PROACT
Understand the consequences. Which alternatives best meet your objectives? MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Consequences
objectives Event a Event b Event C Event D Event E Sign ups activity Booth only Booth only Marketing Booth, talk, workshop Booth and marketing Reach size 450 1,000 500 2,000 2,500 Product demo Demo Demo Promo Demo, talk, workshop Demo, promo CEE location UK France UK Poland Czech Republic Cost $ 7,500 12,000 6,000 10,000 18,000 MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Example: consequences table
DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos PROACT
Grapple with your tradeoffs. You’ll have to make sacrifices. Set priorities among competing objectives. MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Tradeoffs
objectives Event a Event b Event C Event D Event E Sign ups activity Booth only Booth only Marketing Booth, talk, workshop Booth and marketing Reach size 450 1,000 500 2,000 2,500 Product demo Demo Demo Promo Demo, talk, workshop Demo, promo CEE location UK France UK Poland Czech Republic Cost $ 7,500 12,000 6,000 10,000 18,000 MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Example: consequences table
objectives Event a Event b Event C Event D Event E Sign ups activity 2 4 5 1 3 Reach size 5 3 4 2 1 Product demo 3 (tie) 3 (tie) 5 1 2 CEE location 5 (tie) 5 (tie) 5 (tie) 1 (tie) 1 (tie) Cost $ 2 4 1 3 5 MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Example: ranking table
objectives Event a Event b Event C Event D Event E Sign ups activity 2 4 5 1 3 Reach size 5 3 4 2 1 Product demo 3 (tie) 3 (tie) 5 1 2 CEE location 5 (tie) 5 (tie) 5 (tie) 1 (tie) 1 (tie) Cost $ 2 4 1 3 5 17 19 20 8 12 MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Example: ranking table
Uncertainties Think about your Risk Tolerance Consider Linked Decisions Clarify your MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 The remaining three elements
Do a risk profile by answering these four questions - What are the key uncertainties? What are possible outcomes of these uncertainties? What are the chances of occurrence of each possible outcome? What are the consequences of each outcome? MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Example: uncertainty
Questions Possible answers What are the key uncertainties? Economic and geopolitical instability, inflation, COVID-related issues What are possible outcomes of these uncertainties? Event getting cancelled, less attendees, hidden costs, staffing What are the chances of occurrence of each possible outcome? Cancelation - less likely Less attendees - likely What are the consequences of each outcome Not meeting objectives, bad ROI, damage to company reputation MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Example: uncertainty
Steps to incorporate risk tolerance into your decision - Think about the desirability of each consequence Balance desirability of consequences with their chances of occurring Choose the most attractive alternative MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Example: risk tolerance
COnsequence desirability Chances of occuring Not meeting objectives 1 2 Bad ROI 2 1 Damage to company reputation 3 3 MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Example: risk tolerance for third party event sponsorships
To understand how future decisions will be influenced you need to … - Understand the basic decision problem Reduce critical uncertainties Identify future decisions linked to the basic decision Understand relationships Decide what to do in the basic decision Treat later decisions as new decision problems MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Example: linked decisions
Open-ended phrasing How can we re-evaluate our activities to save budget? Focused phrasing How can we cut $500k out of our budget and get max ROI from activities we keep? MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Example: decision problem framing
Framework recap Problem Objectives Alternatives Consequences Tradeoffs Uncertainty Risk Tolerance Linked Decisions MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 The Eight Elements of Smart Choices
You’ll find most value where you make informed and not solely gut decisions. MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 “Truly successful decision-making relies on a balance between deliberate and instinctive thinking”
MYRSINI KOUKIASA @myrsiningos DEVRELCON LONDON SEPTEMBER 2023 Thank you!
Is your DevRel budget getting cut because of the recession? Are you only building your program out now and have to work with limited resources? In this talk, we explore how to make less more and go through practical tips for creating meaningful DevRel programs and activities based on effective decision-making. Whether you work for a startup or multi-thousand people company, she will go through solutions for all.
for free. You
can too.