Let’s again look at the U-curve model of U theory. I explained it in (6.1.2.3) Otto Scharmer’s patterns of change.
In the U theory, the phase to climb from the valley is divided into three phases.
In crystallizing phase, shapeless idea changed to a solid idea. At first it is incomplete ideas which you think vaguely. By writing, processing and talking to people, it gradually have clear shapes.
Prototyping phase is familiar to engineers. It is in the state of making prototypes to verify that the crystallized idea is correct. Especially in the industry of making physical products, mass production of products takes a lot of money, and the loss when a problem is discovered after mass production is also great. So, in order to notice the problem at an early stage, we will make a prototype machine and repeat the test and correction.
It is not limited to things and products. For example, even in a personnel system such as teleworking, first try it on a small scale and fix it, then deploy it throughout the company. The structure is the same.
Performing is the phase where the prototype is being embedded in the higher system. Suppose that we have a prototype that works as expected. Just putting this in the warehouse will not create value. For example, it is necessary to mass-produce as a product and deliver it to the customer’s hand. This is the embedding in society. If it is a physical product, it will be necessary to adjust the shape so that it can be made with a mold for mass production. Even in the case of software, it can not be sold just by making it. Whether you are hitting net advertisements or salespersons visiting prospects and explaining it, you need to connect with customers in some way. If you hit a net advertisement, trial and error to get interested in a limited banner size, trial and error such as how to explain if sales people explain it is done.
Also, let’s say what you made is a useful tool. However, it does not create value unless it is used by people. Instead of having the value of the tool alone, value is created by the interaction between the tool and the user in the upper system composed of the tool and the user. Not only artifacts such as tools but also how to use them, words representing concepts to use them, teaching users how to use and words, these combine to create value. *43
In all three phases, we go up as we go round the PDCA cycle. It is like a spiral staircase. In the U theory, it is divided into three, but I summarized them into one Growing Phase. It is because I was concerned that people would misunderstand each phase as if they were only going through it once.
Prototyping requires already crystallized the idea what to create. Performing requires already prototyped what to embed. However, often we need to crystallize in prototype phase the idea how to create, and in performing phase how to embed.
Physical products emphasize testing before mass production because it costs a lot of mass production of physical products. Because the cost of replicating software is cheap, prerequisites are different. For example, in a game, selling things that are in an unfinished state under the name ”Early Access version” is often done. It is because updating via the Internet makes it possible to fix even if problems are found after sales.
The idea of Minimum Viable Product was to go as fast as possible to Performing and learn from the actual response of customers. And with the knowledge we learned, we will go through the valley of U again and adjust the idea.
*43: These are the four methods of human augmentation, introduced in (Column) Naming the pattern in chapter 1. *44: About half of the games sold on the game salling platform Steam in 2015 had Early Access versions available.