One of the biggest problems we have faced so far is when our computer code is created. But we are not getting exactly what we wanted. Our projects didn’t turn out as planned.

Even though we had skilled developers by our sides in our team, we often missed deadlines and didn’t create features that people really needed.

At first, we thought it was just the developers’ fault, but after paying closer attention to the real problem, we realized something important – Our approach didn’t make sense. So we decided to change how we worked earlier.

Instead of jumping straight into developing codes, we started by clearly identifying the real problems we wanted to solve. This helped almost everyone – developers and the people using our products alike, it made us realize the fact that exactly why we were developing things.

We also began working in smaller steps, creating basic versions of our ideas quickly to get feedback from users. This way, we could make improvements early on and be sure we were on the right track.

By learning from our best developers and sharing their methods with everyone, we ensured our code remained error-free as our team grew.

Now, our team is more than happy, our projects run more smoothly as ever, and our products really solve the problems our customers face. It’s been a journey of turning problems into successes and showing how innovation can make a big difference in everything we do.

Here’s how we identified and addressed potential problems.

Identifying the Root Cause

We changed the way we start our projects. Instead of rushing to create code, we first figure out the problems we need to solve. We carefully planned out each step with clear goals for every feature we actually want to create.

This way, everyone – developers, people we work with, and those who use our products could understand why we were making each part of our product. By focusing on the problems we wanted to fix, we set a strong base for coming up with new and helpful ideas.

Identifying the Real Problems, Coding Later

With this new understanding, we decided to change how we do things – we focused more on solving problems than just creating codes. We made detailed plans, like maps, for each part of our project.

These plans were based on clearly stating the problems we wanted to fix. This way, everyone – developers, people who care about the project, and those who use our products knew exactly why we were making each feature.

By explaining the problems we need to solve, we made sure our ideas were strong and would really help improve things.

Building Products Incrementally with User Feedback

To quickly meet what customers want and hear their thoughts, we started using MVP sprints. This means we break down our ideas into small parts and make simple versions of them.

Then, we show these early versions to users to get their feedback fast. If we need to change something, it’s easier to do it early on. This way, we make sure our ideas match what people really need, making our products better step by step.

Implementing Best Practices for Maximum Results

We understood that good quality is really important for making new and better things that last. So, we focused on making sure everyone in our team does their best work.

We learned from our best developers about the best ways to write code. Then, we made rules so everyone in our team could follow these good practices. This didn’t just make our coding more consistent, but it also helped everyone get better at their jobs.

By adopting these rules as our everyday routine, we kept our code quality high even as our team got bigger and we worked on more projects.

From Transformation to Optimization – A Journey of Constant Improvement

All our hard work made a big difference. Our team felt happier and worked better together, making our projects run more smoothly.

We focused more on what our customers really wanted and used faster ways to develop our ideas. Because of this, we solved problems better than before and became leaders in our field. Now, our product not only meets but goes beyond what people exactly wanted, ultimately we learned to solve their problems well.

Practical Tips To Boost Innovation in Your Team

1. Encourage a Problem-Solving Mindset: Most importantly, help your team to understand the real problems first before thinking about the solutions. This helps them come up with new ideas and make sure they’re making things that people really need. Understanding the problem well is like finding the right solution to solve the problem, as it helps us create better and more helpful solutions for our customers.
2. Implement Agile Practices for Success: Try using a step-by-step way of working called Agile. It means we do things in small parts and get feedback from people quickly. This helps us change and improve our ideas fast, like fixing a drawing as soon as someone points out a mistake. Agile helps us come up with better ideas and make our work more flexible and responsive to what people need.
3. Encourage Knowledge Sharing Across Teams: Make sure everyone in your team knows the best ways to do their work. Work together and learn from each other to come up with new ideas. When we share our knowledge and work as a team, we can make our ideas even better. It’s like everyone bringing their favorite recipes to make a deciduous meal together.
4. Create a Safe Space for Experimentation: Make a place where it's okay to try new things that might have a little risk. When we feel free to come up with new ideas and try different ways of doing things, we can discover cool and better ways to solve problems. It's like trying out a new game or a recipe—sometimes you find something really awesome.
5. Celebrating Wins and Turning Challenges into Opportunities: Give prizes and praise to people who come up with new and clever ideas. It's also important to see mistakes as chances to learn and get better. When we try new things, sometimes they don't work out, but we can learn from what went wrong and do better next time. It's like playing a game—if you lose, you figure out why and try a different strategy next round.

Elixir Labs has made big changes by focusing on solving problems and using quick, flexible ways of working. We listen carefully to what people need and make sure our solutions work well.

Trying new ideas quickly and learning from mistakes has helped us improve a lot. By working together and celebrating successes, we've built a culture where everyone can contribute and learn.

Looking ahead, think about how you solve problems and if you're open to trying new ways of doing things. How can you encourage new ideas and learn from what doesn't work? It's all about finding better ways to solve problems and grow.