Case Study · Product ICs
How a Product IC Shipped Faster with Maker Time Protected
A practical system for defending maker time, aligning work to outcomes, and shipping predictably across stakeholders.
Executive summary
A platform product IC struggled with stakeholder interrupts and shifting priorities, causing spilled work and late discovery. With Cortexta, they defended maker time, formalized discovery/spec cadence, and aligned daily execution to Tier‑1 outcomes.
- Velocity: +29% story points completed with fewer spills.
- Maker time: 6–8h/week protected; auto‑rescheduled on conflicts.
- Quality: -31% re‑loops via structured discovery/spec blocks.
- Stakeholder alignment: Fewer mid‑sprint resets; clearer outcome mapping.
From reactive days to reliable shipping
Before Cortexta
- Discovery work slipped; specs rushed or fragmented.
- Maker time eroded by cross‑functional interrupts.
- Unclear outcome mapping led to mid‑sprint resets.
- Backlog grooming not tied to calendar reality.
After Cortexta
- Two 120‑minute maker blocks protected and auto‑rescheduled.
- Discovery/spec cadence standardized with RAG support.
- Outcome‑weighted prioritization reduced mid‑sprint thrash.
- Backlog turns into realistic time‑blocked plans.
Implementation blueprint (week 0 → week 2)
1) Connect & ingest
- Connected Calendar and issue tracker; imported recent specs.
- Seeded RAG with discovery docs, user interviews, and PRDs.
- Captured recurring ceremonies and stakeholder meetings.
2) Outcomes & cadences
- Tier‑1 outcomes mapped to initiatives and deadlines.
- Weekly blocks: discovery, spec, backlog grooming, and review.
- Stakeholder syncs clustered to minimize fragmentation.
3) Maker protection
- Two 120‑minute maker blocks; do‑not‑disturb enforced.
- Buffers of 10–15m prevent meeting spillover.
- Conflicts trigger re‑plans that preserve depth over breadth.
4) AI Prioritization Engine
Weights tuned to product outcomes:
- Outcome impact (35%): direct tie to Tier‑1 goals.
- Deadline risk (25%): upcoming releases and dependencies.
- Depth fit (20%): match to available maker blocks.
- RAG confidence (10%): alignment to past decisions/specs.
- Recovery cost (10%): penalty for context switching.
5) Living schedule
- Tasks time‑blocked; reflows keep maker blocks intact where possible.
- “Now” surfaces the highest‑impact next step based on weights.
- Ceremonies auto‑buffered to reduce spillover into focus time.
Quantified outcomes (week 2 → week 8)
Story points per sprint
Hours of uninterrupted blocks
Late changes due to gaps
Priority reassignments
Daily rituals that made it stick
Morning focus (6 minutes)
- Accept plan; lock first maker block; capture overnight inputs.
- Pick one outcome‑aligned task; start via “Now”.
Midday re‑plan (3 minutes)
- If a meeting slips, preserve depth by moving non‑critical work.
EOD sweep (5 minutes)
- Mark completions; annotate blockers to teach RAG; queue top 3.
Exact configuration used
Scheduling rules
- Maker: 2× 120m weekly; buffers 10–15m; DND during blocks.
- Discovery/spec cadence weekly; reviews clustered post‑ceremonies.
- Do‑not‑book during demos/release windows.
Prioritization weights
- Outcome impact 0.35 · Deadline risk 0.25 · Depth fit 0.20 · RAG confidence 0.10 · Recovery cost 0.10
- Stakeholder interrupts limited to 20% time; batched daily.
- Discovery tasks permitted to preempt only Tier‑3 delivery work.
Time allocation (weekly)
A week at a glance
Milestones achieved
Week 1: Cadence live
Maker blocks, discovery/spec cadence, and buffers in place.
Week 3: Fewer re‑loops
Structured discovery/specs reduce late changes.
Week 5: Velocity up
+20% points; fewer mid‑sprint resets.
Week 8: Predictable shipping
+29% velocity; maker time consistently 6–8h/week.
“The difference is I actually ship. Cortexta defends my maker time and replans the rest.”
— Product IC, Platform
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