Harnessing Structured Conversations for Customer-Driven Value Delivery
Non-Fiction (Business, Strategy, Product Management, Agile)
Date Published: January 26, 2026
You’ve been in that Agile planning session.
Everyone agrees on goals like “improve customer experience” or “increase engagement.” The roadmap looks aligned. The OKRs are approved. But when the sprint ends, no one can clearly explain what success actually means—or why customers should care.
Months later, your product team ships a feature. Customers don’t use it. Stakeholders ask uncomfortable questions. Someone says, “I thought we were building something different.”
This isn’t a delivery problem. It’s a conversation problem.
Across Agile teams, product management organizations, and enterprise transformations, teams work hard, follow the process, and deliver on time—yet still struggle to create real customer and business value. The gap isn’t execution. It’s how goals, assumptions, and decisions are discussed.
Structured Conversations is a practical toolkit for closing that gap.
This book shows product leaders, Agile coaches, and delivery teams how to use clear language and visual thinking to align strategy, product decisions, and day‑to‑day work around measurable outcomes.
In this book, you’ll learn how to:
* Write clear, outcome‑focused goals using VERB + NOUN syntax that eliminate ambiguity
* Connect customer needs to business impact using Empathy Mapping, Customer Journey Mapping, and Impact Mapping
* Align product roadmaps and delivery plans with OKRs that drive accountability and learning
* Validate assumptions early using Hypothesis‑Driven Development and Example Mapping
* Facilitate cross‑functional Agile conversations where disagreements become productive
* Turn vague requirements into clear, executable user stories that teams interpret the same way
Drawing on experience across startups, financial services, and large‑scale Agile transformations, Structured Conversations bridges the gap between product strategy and value delivery with techniques that work in real‑world environments.
The approaches are modular. Start with the technique that addresses your biggest challenge today. Each chapter includes step‑by‑step guidance, real examples, and “Try This Right Now” exercises you can apply immediately.
Whether you work in product management, Agile delivery, or organizational change, this book helps you turn good intentions into measurable outcomes.
Claude Hanhart is a Product Strategist and Agile Coach with 10+ years of leadership experience in driving groundbreaking product strategies and agile transformations. His approach centers on fostering innovation rooted in business objectives, customer experience, and market leadership through tools such as Generative AI, OKRs, and Behavior-Driven Development (BDD).
Claude's unique academic background - with an MA in Ancient Near Eastern Archaeology and Languages from the University of Berne in Switzerland and an MA in Geography from the University of Minnesota - brings an interdisciplinary perspective to modern product challenges. His multilingual abilities in German, Swiss German, and French have proven invaluable in international collaborations.
Structured Conversations represents Claude's commitment to bridging strategic thinking with practical implementation. Currently based in New Jersey with his wife, Claude finds that their three energetic dogs serve as daily reminders about the importance of clear communication and patient guidance - principles that translate beautifully into his professional coaching work.
Rachel is a seasoned business‑strategy professional whose career has been built around turning complex challenges into clear, actionable solutions. With a track record of guiding organizations toward measurable impact, she blends rigorous, data‑driven analysis with a human‑centric mindset - always asking how people, processes, and technology can work together more effectively. Her practical, results‑focused approach has helped teams align goals, streamline actions, and translate those actions into lasting outcomes.
Structured Conversations marks Rachel's first full‑length publication, and she feels especially honored to have been invited by Claude to co‑create this work. Rachel lives in North Carolina with her husband and their four rambunctious cats. When she isn't untangling business puzzles, you'll find her exploring the local arts scene, hiking and mountain biking, or enjoying a quiet evening of reading with her feline companions.
