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Customer-Centric Analysis: Building Products People Actually Want

Feb. 12, 2026 7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time  

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Date: Thursday, February 12, 2025
Time: 7:00 PM-8:00 PM Eastern Time (ET)
Location: Online
Attend Free! - registration required
 
 
Zoom Link
 
 
Event Description
With 90% of new products failing to meet market expectations, the difference between success and failure often lies in how well we understand our customers before we build. This session explores how business analysis professionals serve as the critical bridge between customer needs and product development, transforming assumptions into actionable insights.

You'll discover how to leverage the Rock Crusher model to systematically break down complex customer problems into manageable components, while applying proven BABOK techniques to elicit, analyse, and validate requirements that truly matter. Through real-world examples, we'll demonstrate how rigorous business analysis can prevent costly product failures by ensuring you're building what customers actually need, not what you think they want.

Whether you're a product manager, business analyst, or product team leader, you'll leave with practical frameworks to make customer-centricity more than just a buzzword—making it the foundation of your product development process. Learn how the strategic application of business analysis can dramatically increase your product's chances of market success.
 

Key Learnings
  • Rock Crusher analysis framework
  • BABOK requirement techniques
  • Customer validation methods
  • Turning insights into winning products
 
 
Speaker Bio: Shane Hastie
I’ve always leaned towards agile ways of working, even before it became the phenomenon it is today. In the late 90s, I read one of the first published books on agile development and finally had a framework for what already seemed so natural. I applied some of the techniques with the teams I was leading at the time, and the results spoke for themselves – better quality products and delighted customers. 
 
An eagerness to share what I had discovered led me to SoftEd, where I developed some of the early courses, including the first agile course ever taught in the Southern Hemisphere. 
 
After 15 years at SoftEd, I became the Director of Agile Learning Programs at the International Consortium for Agile (ICAgile), helping to create a high standard for agile learning and certifications. 
 
With newfound inspiration, I felt the pull to get back in the classroom and returned to SoftEd, as the Global Delivery Lead. Drawing on over 35 years of experience in business analysis, product development, and organizational change, I love guiding people as they transform from traditional to modern, more healthy ways of working. 
 
Getting the opportunity to connect with agile thought leaders and communities around the world is what keeps me energized. I am a former director of the international Agile Alliance, and I currently co-chair the Agile Coaching Ethics initiative. I am also the founding chair of Agile Alliance New Zealand. 
 
I like to give back to the agile community by leading the Culture and Methods editorial team for InfoQ.com and hosting their weekly podcast. 
 
I also recently co-authored my first book, #noprojects - A Culture of Continuous Value. And I am about to publish my second book, The Rock Crusher, which explores how we can bridge the gap between business analysis and agile. It builds on the work I did as part of the core team who defined the standard for the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge (BABOK® v3), and co-authoring both versions of the Agile Extension to the Business Analysis Body of Knowledge®. 
 
My interests outside of work reflect my passion for making a difference in the lives of others. I am a Board of Trustees member for Te Awhi Rito Trust, a charity providing a safe space for local children. And my love of coaching has extended to becoming a Leadership and Transformational Coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF). 
 
Organizers

IT

IIBA Toronto
events@toronto.iiba.org