A while ago, I wrote the specifications for a Trello-based CRM known as ZIC (zero input CRM) and tasked it to an intern. Nevertheless, the product's complexity meant that the result would be unstable. And it was unstable. In my experience, it will take a full-time developer a month to rebuild it, and another two months to baby it for bug fixes. So I decided to drop the product.
In the meantime, our sales team was everywhere because the product is iterating an a breakneck pace and no one was tracking anything. I have to regain control, starting with lead tracking.
My mistake with ZIC was that I tasked a tool that I will be using every day to an intern. This time, I will do it myself. This is one of the exceptions for which I figured it is far better not to delegate.
Problem
As is with every product, I begin the design process by asking what the problem is.
How can the sales team track prospects so we can follow-up religiously?
This is a dumbed-down version of ZIC's intent to track every prospect, including communication context without input.
Constraints
The product scope starts with the problem and is framed by resource constraints. And my constraints are:
- I will spend no more than a day to build this product.
- Also, I prefer not to code. Even superman needs a rest day.
Method
The tool requires an easy to use input because there are less technically-savvy users who will be using it.
Date computation is needed. It should serve to inform the sales staff when it is time to follow up with a prospect. Our internal goal is to follow up with prospects who have responded after a week.
Sounds like a perfect job for Google Forms and some spreadsheet math.
