Too Much Potential Value? Try a Roadmapping Sprint
As a consultant, working with a client is an exciting experience, one that I liken to a wilderness expedition. Slaying unsuspecting beasts using superior technology I hardly understand gives me a thrill unlike any other. But as part of that process, you have to clear paths with gigantic data engineering machetes, set up subject matter expertise camps, and generally understand the area to know how exactly you can get these animals to bleed out.
The main way I tend to think about this process is through the lens of the "roadmapping sprint". Sometimes, the value you can lend to an organization is so overwhelming and obvious that it defies clear, specific definition. To write down the concrete opportunities would be so time-consuming as to be a pointless exercise when the potential value is so obvious. But sometimes clients are sticklers and insist that you "write things down" anyway.
If this sounds like an experience you've had, I recommend pitching the roadmapping sprint. Tell the potential customer that to fully understand and prioritize the best future acceleration of their digital data adoption, you need about six weeks for a few of your resources to comb through their ecosystem and work toward a comprehensive plan. If they're hesitant, just say that any engagement will be like being in one of those tanks at car dealerships where money flies around and you have to catch as much of it as you can within a certain time limit. You know their resources are limited, so this roadmapping sprint is like getting your shirt off and rubbing honey all over yourself to proudly walk out of that tank with enough money for the whole family to dine on
Wendy's 4 for $4
for a year.
If they don't understand that, there's no helping them anyway.