Data Product Graduation Checklist¶

Overview¶

This checklist ensures data products evolve through phases only when business value justifies the investment. Each graduation decision should be deliberate, data-driven, and aligned with strategic goals.

Universal Graduation Principles¶

✅ Graduate When:¶

Clear business value is demonstrated and measured
Current phase limitations prevent achieving goals
Next phase capabilities are essential (not just nice-to-have)
Resources and timeline are committed for transition
Success criteria are defined and agreed upon

❌ Don't Graduate If:¶

Current phase meets all requirements effectively
Graduation is driven by technology preference vs. business need
Resources are insufficient for proper implementation
ROI cannot be justified or measured
User needs are already satisfied

Phase 1 → Phase 2: Experiment to Production¶

Business Readiness Assessment¶

User Validation ✅¶

Regular Usage: >5 unique users have tested the prototype
User Feedback: Positive feedback collected from target audience
Business Value: Clear value proposition articulated and accepted
Stakeholder Buy-in: Business sponsor identified and committed
Use Case Clarity: Primary use case and user journey defined

Data & Technical Readiness ✅¶

Data Stability: Data requirements are stable and well-understood
Data Quality: Data sources validated and quality acceptable
Performance: Prototype performs adequately for intended scale
Functionality: Core features work reliably in prototype
Technical Debt: Major technical issues identified and solvable

Implementation Requirements¶

Enhanced Application Features ✅¶

Error Handling: Proper error handling implemented
Data Validation: Input validation and data contracts defined
User Authentication: Access controls appropriate for user base
Logging: Application logging configured for troubleshooting
Performance: Caching and optimization for expected load

Operational Excellence ✅¶

Monitoring: Health checks and uptime monitoring configured
Alerting: Error notifications and performance alerts set up
Documentation: User documentation and operational runbooks created
Support Process: Process for handling user issues defined
Data Backup: Data persistence and backup strategy implemented

Quality Assurance ✅¶

Testing: Basic automated tests covering critical functionality
Code Review: Code reviewed by peer or senior team member
Security Review: Basic security practices followed
Performance Testing: Load testing for expected user count
User Acceptance: Final user acceptance testing completed

Success Metrics Definition¶

Usage Metrics ✅¶

Daily Active Users: Target DAU defined (typically 5-20 users)
Feature Adoption: Key feature usage tracked and measured
Session Length: User engagement metrics established
Return Usage: User retention and repeat usage patterns

Quality Metrics ✅¶

Uptime Target: Minimum 99% uptime expectation
Error Rate: <5% error rate acceptable for Phase 2
Performance: Response time <5 seconds for main operations
User Satisfaction: Target satisfaction score (4+/5)

Business Impact ✅¶

Time Savings: Quantified time savings for users
Process Improvement: Efficiency gains measured and documented
Cost Avoidance: Cost savings or avoidance potential identified
Decision Quality: Improved decision-making outcomes tracked

Phase 2 → Phase 3: Production to Platform¶

Strategic Business Case¶

Customer-Facing Requirement ✅¶

External Users: Clear need for customer/client access identified
Revenue Impact: Potential revenue generation or customer satisfaction improvement
Competitive Advantage: Feature provides strategic business advantage
Customer Demand: Documented customer requests or market demand
Business Strategy: Aligns with company's strategic objectives

Technical Limitations Assessment ✅¶

UI Complexity: Streamlit limitations prevent desired user experience
Integration Needs: Deep integration with Meridian platform required
Performance Requirements: Scale or performance needs exceed Phase 2 capabilities
Security Requirements: Enterprise security controls required
Compliance Needs: Regulatory or compliance requirements necessitate upgrade

Investment Justification¶

Resource Commitment ✅¶

Engineering Time: 3-6 months of dedicated engineering time allocated
Product Management: Product manager assigned for requirements and planning
Design Resources: UX/UI design resources committed for user experience
QA Resources: Quality assurance and testing resources allocated
DevOps Support: Infrastructure and deployment pipeline support

Financial Analysis ✅¶

Development Cost: Total development cost estimated and approved
Opportunity Cost: Impact of engineering time on other projects assessed
Revenue Projection: Expected revenue or cost savings quantified
ROI Timeline: Positive ROI expected within 6-12 months
Budget Approval: Budget formally approved by leadership

Technical Readiness¶

Architecture Planning ✅¶

Data Migration: Strategy for promoting data from analytics to core schema
API Design: RESTful or tRPC API architecture planned
Security Architecture: Authentication, authorization, and data protection designed
Performance Architecture: Caching, CDN, and scalability strategy planned
Integration Points: Meridian platform integration points identified

Development Prerequisites ✅¶

Database Schema: Core schema design completed and reviewed
API Specification: API contracts defined with input/output schemas
UI/UX Design: User interface and experience design completed
Testing Strategy: Comprehensive testing approach planned
Deployment Pipeline: CI/CD pipeline for production deployment ready

User Experience Requirements¶

Complex Workflow Support ✅¶

Multi-Step Processes: Complex business workflows requiring custom UI
Role-Based Access: Sophisticated permission and access control needs
Data Management: Advanced data manipulation and management features
Reporting Capabilities: Custom reporting and analytics beyond Streamlit
Integration Workflows: Seamless integration with existing business processes

Enterprise UX Standards ✅¶

Accessibility: WCAG compliance and accessibility requirements
Responsive Design: Mobile and tablet compatibility required
Brand Consistency: Consistent with company brand and design system
Performance UX: Sub-second response times for optimal user experience
Offline Capability: Progressive web app features or offline functionality

Graduation Decision Framework¶

Decision Matrix Template¶

Use this scoring framework to evaluate graduation readiness:

Criteria Category	Weight	Score (1-5)	Weighted Score
Business Value	30%	__	__
User Demand	25%	__	__
Technical Readiness	20%	__	__
Resource Availability	15%	__	__
Strategic Alignment	10%	__	__
Total	100%		__

Graduation Thresholds: - Phase 1 → 2: Minimum score of 3.5/5 - Phase 2 → 3: Minimum score of 4.0/5

Stakeholder Sign-off Requirements¶

Phase 1 → Phase 2 Approvals ✅¶

Data Science Lead: Technical feasibility and architecture approved
Business Sponsor: Business value and resource commitment confirmed
End Users: User acceptance and requirements validated
Engineering Lead: Operational support and maintenance agreed

Phase 2 → Phase 3 Approvals ✅¶

CTO/Engineering Director: Technical architecture and resources approved
Product Manager: Product requirements and roadmap alignment confirmed
Business Owner: ROI and business case approved
Security Team: Security requirements and compliance verified
Finance: Budget and cost analysis approved

Anti-Patterns and Red Flags¶

⚠️ Warning Signs - Reconsider Graduation¶

Premature Graduation Indicators¶

Graduation driven by "cool factor" rather than business need
Insufficient user validation or feedback
Resource constraints that will compromise quality
Unclear success criteria or ROI expectations
Technical architecture not properly planned

Phase 2 → 3 Specific Red Flags¶

Internal tool working perfectly fine for current needs
Customer demand is assumed rather than validated
Engineering team lacks capacity for proper implementation
Business case relies on speculative benefits
Streamlit limitations are minor and workable

✅ Success Patterns¶

Healthy Graduation Signs¶

Clear user demand backed by data
Business sponsor actively championing the upgrade
Technical team confident in implementation approach
Success metrics clearly defined and measurable
Resources allocated with realistic timeline

Alternative Paths¶

When Not to Graduate: Enhancement Options¶

Sometimes the right decision is not to graduate but to enhance the current phase:

Phase 1 Enhancements Instead of Phase 2¶

Improve prototype UI with advanced Streamlit features
Add better data visualization and interactivity
Extend prototype to handle more data sources
Create multiple related prototypes for different use cases

Phase 2 Enhancements Instead of Phase 3¶

Add advanced Streamlit components for better UX
Implement custom CSS and JavaScript for styling
Create Streamlit multipage apps for complex workflows
Add authentication and role-based access within Streamlit
Integrate with external APIs for enhanced functionality

Graduation Delay Strategies¶

If graduation is desired but conditions aren't met:

Strengthen Business Case ✅¶

Conduct more extensive user research
Quantify business impact more precisely
Build coalition of business stakeholders
Create pilot program with key customers

Reduce Technical Risk ✅¶

Create technical proof-of-concept for complex features
Validate integration approach with small test
Build development team capabilities
Establish clear technical architecture

Resource Planning ✅¶

Phase development over multiple quarters
Identify alternative resource sources
Prioritize features to reduce scope
Plan graduation in stages rather than big-bang approach

Post-Graduation Success Validation¶

Phase 2 Success Validation (30/60/90 Days)¶

30 Days Post-Production ✅¶

Uptime meets target (>99%)
User onboarding successful (>80% activation)
Error rates within acceptable range (<5%)
User feedback positive (>⅘ satisfaction)

60 Days Post-Production ✅¶

Daily active usage meets targets
Business value metrics showing improvement
Support burden manageable (<2 hours/week)
Performance metrics stable and acceptable

90 Days Post-Production ✅¶

ROI trajectory positive
User adoption expanding organically
Feature requests indicate engagement
Operational costs within budget

Phase 3 Success Validation (60/120/180 Days)¶

60 Days Post-Integration ✅¶

Customer usage exceeds internal usage
Platform integration seamless for users
Performance meets enterprise standards (<200ms API response)
Security audit completed without critical issues

120 Days Post-Integration ✅¶

Measurable business impact achieved
Customer satisfaction scores meet targets
Revenue or cost savings realized
Development team velocity maintained

180 Days Post-Integration ✅¶

ROI positive and sustainable
Feature becomes standard part of customer workflow
Competitive advantage realized
Strategic objectives advanced

This checklist ensures that each graduation decision is strategic, well-planned, and ultimately successful in delivering maximum business value.