Putting Brakes on a Rocket: Managing Velocity, Reward, and Risk at Intel

Russ MartinelliRuss Martinelli, Senior Program Manager at Intel, on what it takes to manage a high-velocity program at Intel Corporation and what it takes to survive when one crashes.

Brought to you by: PMTeleseminars.com

Russ Martinelli, a senior program manager at Intel, shares with us what it takes to manage a high-velocity program at Intel Corporation and what it takes to survive when one crashes. Russ describes the culture, structures, processes, decision criteria and behaviors required to manage a high-velocity product development program at Intel. He shares a case study that shows how a high-velocity program was stopped once it became clear the business goals of the product were jeopardized.

Lessons learned:

  • Why a risk-taking culture is needed to maintain market and technological leadership and how behaviors should align to the culture
  • Characteristics of a streamlined development life cycle that facilitates effective collaboration and decision-making
  • How business managers and program managers work collaboratively to maintain the risk/reward balance on a high-velocity program
  • The business objectives used to create guardrails and keep a high-velocity program on target as well as indicate if and when a program should be terminated
  • How to recognize the expected and unexpected ramifications of canceling a high-risk, high-velocity program in a risk-taking culture

Russ has many years of experience in developing products in both the aerospace and computing industries. He is the co-author of the book Program Management for Improved Business Results (Wiley, 2007), as well as the recently completed book Leading Global Project Teams: The New Leadership Challenge (Multi-media, 2010).

Russ is also the co-founder and executive director of the Program Management Academy which offers a variety of services for both corporations and individuals (www.programmanagement-academy.com). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, a master of business administration degree, and an engineering management certification from Caltech.

The Interview

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  • Give us an overview of your role as a Senior Program Manager at Intel and describe to us the primary business goals you help Intel achieve.
  • You say that managing a program at Intel is like strapping roller skates to your feet and a rocket to your back. Once they are on, it’s ready, aim, launch. What are the challenges of leading programs at Intel?
  • How do Intel Program Managers balance Innovation, market leadership pressure, speed, and risk?
  • Give us an overview of the Rattlesnake program case study
  • What was the basis for killing the program at the end and what were the challenges that the team faced when making this tough decision?
  • What was the fallout from the decision to cancel the program?
  • What are the key takeaways from this case study that you’d like our listeners to take forward from this case study?
  • Talk to us a little bit about the key ideas from your book “Program Management for Improved Business Results”?
  • What was the motivation for starting the Program Management Academy and what are some of the programs your offer?
  • What type of programs are you working on these days and what is next for you? 

Contact Information

Listen now:

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2 Responses to Putting Brakes on a Rocket: Managing Velocity, Reward, and Risk at Intel
  1. Joe MacNish
    June 6, 2011 | 7:16 pm

    Interesting story. I’d like to know if there was a quantitative measure used in assessing the impact of the realized risks, akin to earned value project management.

  2. russ martinelli
    June 10, 2011 | 2:52 pm

    Joe, thanks for your comment and question. Yes, there were multiple quantifiable measures used to assess the impact of the risk event – all of them related to the business success of the program. To specificially name a few: Product launch date (schedule), development cost (budget), product cost (Bill of Materials), profitability index, sales increase (market share). The program strike zone is a simple and effective tool to set business success criteria and risk decision boundaries associated with the success criteria.

Putting Brakes on a Rocket: Managing Velocity, Reward, and Risk at Intel

Russ MartinelliRuss Martinelli, Senior Program Manager at Intel, on what it takes to manage a high-velocity program at Intel Corporation and what it takes to survive when one crashes.

Brought to you by: PMTeleseminars.com

Russ Martinelli, a senior program manager at Intel, shares with us what it takes to manage a high-velocity program at Intel Corporation and what it takes to survive when one crashes. Russ describes the culture, structures, processes, decision criteria and behaviors required to manage a high-velocity product development program at Intel. He shares a case study that shows how a high-velocity program was stopped once it became clear the business goals of the product were jeopardized.

Lessons learned:

  • Why a risk-taking culture is needed to maintain market and technological leadership and how behaviors should align to the culture
  • Characteristics of a streamlined development life cycle that facilitates effective collaboration and decision-making
  • How business managers and program managers work collaboratively to maintain the risk/reward balance on a high-velocity program
  • The business objectives used to create guardrails and keep a high-velocity program on target as well as indicate if and when a program should be terminated
  • How to recognize the expected and unexpected ramifications of canceling a high-risk, high-velocity program in a risk-taking culture

Russ has many years of experience in developing products in both the aerospace and computing industries. He is the co-author of the book Program Management for Improved Business Results (Wiley, 2007), as well as the recently completed book Leading Global Project Teams: The New Leadership Challenge (Multi-media, 2010).

Russ is also the co-founder and executive director of the Program Management Academy which offers a variety of services for both corporations and individuals (www.programmanagement-academy.com). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, a master of business administration degree, and an engineering management certification from Caltech.

The Interview

Listen now:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Right click here to download the MP3








 Download the complete transcripts now

  • Give us an overview of your role as a Senior Program Manager at Intel and describe to us the primary business goals you help Intel achieve.
  • You say that managing a program at Intel is like strapping roller skates to your feet and a rocket to your back. Once they are on, it’s ready, aim, launch. What are the challenges of leading programs at Intel?
  • How do Intel Program Managers balance Innovation, market leadership pressure, speed, and risk?
  • Give us an overview of the Rattlesnake program case study
  • What was the basis for killing the program at the end and what were the challenges that the team faced when making this tough decision?
  • What was the fallout from the decision to cancel the program?
  • What are the key takeaways from this case study that you’d like our listeners to take forward from this case study?
  • Talk to us a little bit about the key ideas from your book “Program Management for Improved Business Results”?
  • What was the motivation for starting the Program Management Academy and what are some of the programs your offer?
  • What type of programs are you working on these days and what is next for you? 

Contact Information

Listen now:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Right click here to download the MP3

2 Responses to Putting Brakes on a Rocket: Managing Velocity, Reward, and Risk at Intel
  1. Joe MacNish
    June 6, 2011 | 7:16 pm

    Interesting story. I’d like to know if there was a quantitative measure used in assessing the impact of the realized risks, akin to earned value project management.

  2. russ martinelli
    June 10, 2011 | 2:52 pm

    Joe, thanks for your comment and question. Yes, there were multiple quantifiable measures used to assess the impact of the risk event – all of them related to the business success of the program. To specificially name a few: Product launch date (schedule), development cost (budget), product cost (Bill of Materials), profitability index, sales increase (market share). The program strike zone is a simple and effective tool to set business success criteria and risk decision boundaries associated with the success criteria.

Putting Brakes on a Rocket: Managing Velocity, Reward, and Risk at Intel

Russ MartinelliRuss Martinelli, Senior Program Manager at Intel, on what it takes to manage a high-velocity program at Intel Corporation and what it takes to survive when one crashes.

Brought to you by: PMTeleseminars.com

Russ Martinelli, a senior program manager at Intel, shares with us what it takes to manage a high-velocity program at Intel Corporation and what it takes to survive when one crashes. Russ describes the culture, structures, processes, decision criteria and behaviors required to manage a high-velocity product development program at Intel. He shares a case study that shows how a high-velocity program was stopped once it became clear the business goals of the product were jeopardized.

Lessons learned:

  • Why a risk-taking culture is needed to maintain market and technological leadership and how behaviors should align to the culture
  • Characteristics of a streamlined development life cycle that facilitates effective collaboration and decision-making
  • How business managers and program managers work collaboratively to maintain the risk/reward balance on a high-velocity program
  • The business objectives used to create guardrails and keep a high-velocity program on target as well as indicate if and when a program should be terminated
  • How to recognize the expected and unexpected ramifications of canceling a high-risk, high-velocity program in a risk-taking culture

Russ has many years of experience in developing products in both the aerospace and computing industries. He is the co-author of the book Program Management for Improved Business Results (Wiley, 2007), as well as the recently completed book Leading Global Project Teams: The New Leadership Challenge (Multi-media, 2010).

Russ is also the co-founder and executive director of the Program Management Academy which offers a variety of services for both corporations and individuals (www.programmanagement-academy.com). He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering, a master of business administration degree, and an engineering management certification from Caltech.

The Interview

Listen now:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Right click here to download the MP3








 Download the complete transcripts now

  • Give us an overview of your role as a Senior Program Manager at Intel and describe to us the primary business goals you help Intel achieve.
  • You say that managing a program at Intel is like strapping roller skates to your feet and a rocket to your back. Once they are on, it’s ready, aim, launch. What are the challenges of leading programs at Intel?
  • How do Intel Program Managers balance Innovation, market leadership pressure, speed, and risk?
  • Give us an overview of the Rattlesnake program case study
  • What was the basis for killing the program at the end and what were the challenges that the team faced when making this tough decision?
  • What was the fallout from the decision to cancel the program?
  • What are the key takeaways from this case study that you’d like our listeners to take forward from this case study?
  • Talk to us a little bit about the key ideas from your book “Program Management for Improved Business Results”?
  • What was the motivation for starting the Program Management Academy and what are some of the programs your offer?
  • What type of programs are you working on these days and what is next for you? 

Contact Information

Listen now:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Right click here to download the MP3

2 Responses to Putting Brakes on a Rocket: Managing Velocity, Reward, and Risk at Intel
  1. Joe MacNish
    June 6, 2011 | 7:16 pm

    Interesting story. I’d like to know if there was a quantitative measure used in assessing the impact of the realized risks, akin to earned value project management.

  2. russ martinelli
    June 10, 2011 | 2:52 pm

    Joe, thanks for your comment and question. Yes, there were multiple quantifiable measures used to assess the impact of the risk event – all of them related to the business success of the program. To specificially name a few: Product launch date (schedule), development cost (budget), product cost (Bill of Materials), profitability index, sales increase (market share). The program strike zone is a simple and effective tool to set business success criteria and risk decision boundaries associated with the success criteria.