Case Studies
Who is using Product Velocity, and how?
Product Velocity Exists
Case studies show Product Velocity patterns in real systems. The book does not have enough room to cover all case studies or to describe them in full detail. Therefore, I will maintain a list of case studies on this website. Expect more details, updates and new case studies as time progresses.
How to Read the Case Studies
This 6-minute video explains how case studies are structured and provides one example case study.
Independent Analysis of Case Studies
These companies did not apply Product Velocity explicitly. The case studies are based on public information and retrospective analysis. Product Velocity patterns were identified after the fact. The examples show how the principles appear in successful systems, regardless of terminology or intent.
All Case Studies
Below you find case studies that demonstrate Product Velocity, ordered by company.
You can also click on the tags representing Principles and Velocity Loop elements to find applicable case studies.
By Company
Case studies are provided by:
How to Read Case Studies
Each case study has a profile picture that gives you a quick idea of:
- The product in question
- The company
- The applicable principles
- The applicable velocity loop segments
The text follows this structure:
- Context provides an overview of the situation
- Principles explained in the context of the case study, one paragraph per principle. These contain References to velocity loops (e.g. Engineering) or loop segments (e.g. Design)
- Outcome explains how Product Velocity has been achieved.
By Topic
Principles
- Value Thinking Value Thinking
- Architect for Flow Architect for Flow
- Shift Left Shift Left
- Accelerate Accelerate
Velocity Loop
Ameru
Ameru is a showcase for applied Product Velicity and is featured as the primary case study in the book
Closing the Loop with MLOps and User Feedback After Deployment
Field feedback on a regular cadence feeds the MLOps pipeline, improving sorting models while keeping users engaged in the learning process.
Enabling tool-free field replacement through stable, future-proof interfaces
By relying on the USB-C standard and a simple mechanical mount, Ameru created a robust, future-proof interface for their dumping mechanism.
Isolating and Validating Critical Subsystems Before Integration
By maturing dumping and classification independently, Ameru prevented premature lock-in and shaped the architecture through evidence.
Pull-Based Hardware Integration
By triggering full-system integration only when hardware risk changes, Ameru preserved fast feedback cycles while protecting system integrity.
Smart Bin Value Framework
A value framework connects stakeholder value to product capabilities, helping the organization to align.
Solving the Real Economic Problem by Differentiating Stakeholders
Ameru is solving the customer's economic problem by making stakeholder value explicit and measurable
biking2
biking2 (today called "Michael's sports aggregrator") is an open source project for tracking sports performance.
Lightweight Architecture with arc42 for a GPS-Integrated Web Application
The open source biking2 demonstrates how lightweight architecture with arc42 enables Product Velocity for a hardware-reliant software development project.
BMW
BMW Group is a German multinational conglomerate manufacturer of luxury vehicles and motorcycles headquartered in Munich, Germany.
Hardware Modularity For Manufacturing
Hardware modularity aligned with the assembly line gave BMW the flexibility to accelerate electric car production on demand.
BYD
BYD Developing cars in 18 months Product Velocity Case Studies
Flow Architecture Accelerates Development
BYD compresses automotive development from four years to eighteen months by an architecture that accelerates flow.
Canon
Canon Inc. is a Japanese multinational corporation, specializing in optical, imaging, and industrial products, including cameras.
EF Mount as a Stable Interface Across Hardware Generations
The EF mount for lenses created confidence in lens investments proven by decades of use across technological change.
Dainese
Dainese Motorcycle Airbag
Continuous Validation of Safety-Critical Airbag Software
Dainese transformed MotoGP telemetry and simulation into a continuous verification platform for faster and safer embedded software development.
Flow Engineering
Flow Engineering develops an engineering platform for parametric modeling and automated workflows for complex product development.
Parametric Jet Engine Design
From months of engineering iteration to days of design exploration
General Electric
General Electric (GE) is a US industrial company, operating across sectors such as power generation, aviation, healthcare, and appliances.
Opal Ice Maker: Testing Demand Before Building at Scale
FastWorks reduces risk and time to market for the Opal ice maker by validating demand with real customers before committing to scale.
ING
ING is a Dutch bank and financial services company.
Reorganizing Around Customer Journeys
Using the Inverse Conway Maneuver to Align Teams with Product Architecture
Northrop Grumman
Northrop Grumman is an American aerospace and defense company.
Northrop Grumman: Pricing the Trade Space
Connecting system models and simulations to evaluate cost-performance trade-offs
Northvolt
Northvolt AB was a Swedish battery developer and manufacturer. The company filed bankruptcy in 2024.
Industrial lithium-ion battery recycling
Industrial lithium-ion battery recycling as a business priority with proactive systematic structuring show long-term Product Velocity.
Rolls-Royce
Rolls-Royce is a British multinational aerospace and defence company. It is one of the world's largest manufacturers of aircraft engines.
Shifting from Selling Engines to Selling Flight Hours
By selling operating hours instead of jet engines, Rolls-Royce shifted from a product to a subscription model.
Saab AB
Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, known for implementing Scrum at Scale
Escalating Blockers in 60 Minutes to Protect Design Flow
By institutionalizing daily escalation, Saab eliminated decision latency and protected billion-dollar development programs.
SHW Automotive
SHW Automotive is a German automotive supplier specializing in pumps, brake discs, and powertrain components.
Faster Electric Oil Pump Development with Model-Based Verification
Validated simulation reduced late-stage testing and cut development cycles from weeks to days.
SpaceX
SpaceX is a pioneer in Product Velocity, applying the principles from the beginning
Learning from flight: developing reusable Falcon boosters
By using production boosters, SpaceX could cheaply make them reusable by developing self-landing capabilities.
Modular Teams for Modular Rockets
By establishing modular teams, SpaceX aligned the organization structure with the rocket architecture.
Rapid engine iteration through continuous full-system integration
SpaceX redesigns, builds and test-fires Raptor engines on a 2-day cadence.
Shifting Weld Verification into the Production Step
Eliminating inspection delay to accelerate manufacturing learning
SpaceX Starship vs. NASA Space Launch System (SLS)
SpaceX Starship development applies product velocity principles. Comparison with NASA SLS drastically shows the economic implications.
Wagner
Wagner Group Fire Protection Solutions The WAGNER Group GmbH is a prominent, family-owned global technology leader specializing in technical fire protection solutions. Founded in Germany in 1976, the company operates across 25 locations in 15 countries, engineering custom fire detection, prevention, and extinguishing systems for specialized industrial environments like data centers, high-bay warehouses, rail systems,...
Certification as a Platform Capability
Certification can be a bottleneck. By integrating approval into the platform architecture, Wagner drastically reduced certification time.
Modeling as a Platform Strategy
How stepwise architectural and modeling initiatives compounded into systemic efficiency gains
Wikispeed
Wikispeed is an automotive startup with a modular design car.
Building Cars in One-Week Sprints with One-Page Interface Documents
Simple one-page interface document enabled effective communication between teams.
ZF Friedrichshafen
ZF Friedrichshafen is a large automotive supplier that shows that Product Velocity is possible in established organizations.
Reducing validation time through virtual verification and validation with Digital Twins
ZF used modeling, simulation and AI to reduce validation time from twelve to two months
External Resources
These are external links that act as pointers to case studies without Product Velocity alignment
- Architecture selection of a thermal subsystem with simulation
- Sealion: Satellite development with Docs-as-Code
- How Cruise reduces the cost of the central control unit by 90%
- Design compiler from IILS
- Extreme Manufacturing at Wikispeed: How to design, build and sell a roadworthy car in seven days
- GE: Opal Nugget Ice Maker
- BYD: Developing a new car in 18 months
English
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