This sprint was all about getting validation for the software we built. As we wrapped up development, it was extremely fulfilling to see Action Hub + SmartMail deployed and providing value to nonprofits. Seeing the full meeting-to-action-items flow in real-world use gave our team true satisfaction. But we still had a big challenge to overcome.
We needed to gather validation feedback from non-profits. We thought this would be easy. But finding time with np’s, scheduling meetings, and collecting insightful feedback (not just “this looks good”) took substantial effort. However, that work paid off! When we met with np’s I2U and The Verna J. Kirkness Foundation, their feedback helped us understand what actually mattered to our users. They helped us refine our software and implement the last features we will add in this term, ensuring we build exactly what it takes to solve their problems.
We realized that gathering feedback is not just a formality; it’s one of the most important stages of the development cycle.
With the final conference approaching, we also spent time brainstorming our Inspire conference end-of-term presentation. We thought carefully about how to tell our story in a way that feels honest and engaging, and how to clearly show the progress we have made and the lessons we have learned.
Next sprint, we will work hard on our presentation and finish gathering the last bits of feedback from non-profits for validation. We’re super excited to finish our term on a strong note!