How Product People Delivered an MVP for Payment Integration

The Client: Empowering Craft Businesses

Our client, a key player in the software industry with a rich history spanning almost four years, specializes in providing an ERP system tailored for craftsman businesses. The platform connects craftspeople providing services with end customers seeking their expertise. Our mission was to elevate the payment experience within the platform, fostering seamless and secure transactions among all stakeholders.

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The Mission: Interim Senior Product Manager

The team consisted of 3 engineers and one designer. We were supported by a UX researcher and the Product Lead.

We were needed to fill the gap between the new team being created and the client finding a person who was a permanent fit for this role. On our first day on this mission, however, an offer was signed by the new Product Manager, which cut our engagement short.

The company expectation, and our goal, was to get the team up and running to start building the integration to Adyen to allow for payments of invoices to run through the client’s platform.

We were expected to onboard the new PM into not only the team and the product, but also the industry and the current state of delivery with a clear picture of what is to come up next up until the ultimate delivery of the MVP.
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The Initiative: Delivering MVP for Payments Rail

😣 Background: Pain Point

The existing manual payment process posed a significant challenge, leading to inefficiencies and inconveniences for the platform's customers. To address this pain point, we aimed to introduce digital payments, streamlining the transaction process. There was also a revenue addressable opportunity that was missed in having a take rate on over €60 Million worth of payments in invoices per month.

🚝 Payments Rail

The centerpiece of our initiative was the implementation of a Payments Rail, designed to facilitate the seamless movement of money. This feature aimed to automate and enhance the payment process, offering different payment methods such as Apple Pay and Card Payments.

💳 Key Features

The Payments Rail had a dual purpose, addressing transactions between craftspeople and end customers and facilitating the flow of funds between the platform and its users. Key features included support for various payment methods and ensuring secure, reliable, and efficient payment processing.

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Journey to Build the MVP

Challenges on Arrival

Upon joining, we encountered operational challenges such as a lack of onboarding, the impending vacation of the Chief Product Officer (CPO), and minimal guidance on ongoing initiatives. Despite these hurdles, our mission was clear: to build a cutting-edge MVP for the Payments Rail. We also realized that the current progress was not documented clearly and the overall journey that needed to be created was not clear.

Strategic Onboarding

Our initial steps involved building user flows to gain insights into the industry and the platform's operations. Thoroughly studying the documentation for the Payments Rail provider, Adyen, was crucial to understanding the domain.

User Story Map for Clarity

We crafted a detailed User Story Map, delineating activities, tasks, and project details. This map served as a shared resource, fostering understanding among the team regarding completed tasks and pending items for the MVP.

Journey to MVP: Building Blocks

1. Leveraging Past Research: We reviewed existing user research to comprehend the features under development.
2. Discovery Validation: Identifying gaps, we conducted a mini-discovery to validate findings from a discovery session conducted two years prior.
3. User Flow for MVP: By creating a comprehensive user flow for the MVP, we addressed missing components to ensure a cohesive product.

Feature Workshops for Alignment

Time constraints necessitated focused workshops for each feature in the MVP. These sessions involved understanding technical requirements, garnering buy-in from the Chief Product Officer (CPO), and aligning the team towards our shared goal. We were dealing with a CPO that liked to be a part of all product decisions, and this was our way to ensure they felt that they were contributing and their direction was taken into account.

Detailed Handover for Success

Recognizing the temporary nature of our role, we ensured a comprehensive handover for the incoming Product Manager. This included a clear overview of the project, the rationale behind our solutions, and future opportunities discovered during the engagement.

Our journey with the Payments Team not only addressed immediate pain points but also laid the foundation for sustained growth and innovation within the platform. The successful implementation of the MVP positions the platform as a frontrunner in delivering a seamless and efficient payment experience for craftspeople and their customers, powered by Adyen's cutting-edge payment solutions.
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Mission Achievements: Delivered Outcomes

💡 Efficient Payment Infrastructure: Successfully introduced a Payments Rail, streamlining and automating transactions for craftspeople, end customers, and the platform.

💡 Operational Excellence: Navigated operational challenges, providing clarity through a detailed User Story Map and strategic onboarding.

💡 User-Centric Innovation: Validated features through workshops and user research, ensuring the MVP aligned with user expectations.

💡 Seamless Handover: Facilitated a detailed handover for the new Product Manager, ensuring continuity and future growth.