Practice the Product Kata to Build a Discipline of Innovation

In the late 1800s, Toyota engineers studied martial-arts katas—patterned movements practiced repeatedly. They adapted the idea into manufacturing, creating the Toyota Production System. Each process became a routine of goal, current state, obstacle, experiment, and learning. Decades later, product leaders translated that into the Product Kata.

Take a small software startup: the team set a goal to reduce onboarding drop-off by 10%. They measured the current 60% completion rate, then identified the biggest friction—an unclear password reset flow. They prototyped a simple “magic link” email in two days, ran it with a user cohort, and saw completion jump to 72%. They documented the difference and adjusted the next cycle.

The scientific method underpins this practice: form hypotheses, test with minimal viable experiments, and iterate based on data. It’s not a one-off hack but a daily discipline—much like a pianist runs scales every morning.

By embedding this routine, teams build an experimental muscle, accelerating learning and reducing costly guesswork. Over time, the cumulative impact is transformative, unlocking innovation and resilience in any product environment.

Begin your week by writing down a single measurable goal, record your baseline data, and discuss the single biggest obstacle standing in your way. Design a quick, low-cost experiment to tackle that hurdle, then compare the results against your starting point and note what you learned. Repeat the cycle tomorrow—this simple habit will sharpen your teams’ innovation skills over time.