Mastermind FAQ

What is a mastermind group?

This is not a webinar. It’s a working group of peers who challenge and support each other to make faster, smarter product development real. (More Information).

How does the Product Velocity mastermind group work?

We meet online twice a month. Each session is structured for maximum value: Short check-in, one focused case, shared insights, clear next steps. Sessions are confidential (NDA required) and strictly peer-to-peer.

How often and when does the group meet?

We meet every other week, but if there are strong sentiments in the group, we can change that. Once we have the initial group (expected mid October), we will use a doodle to find a time that works for all/most.

How are the meetings structured?

The meetings are time-boxed and will last at most one hour, following this structure:

• 15 min – Check-in: Each participant shares their current situation related to Product Velocity and flags topics where they seek input (follow-up happens outside the session).
• 10 min – Hot Seat: One member presents a current challenge they are facing: anything from scaling model-based systems engineering to integrating AI into development workflows.
• 30 min – Joint Problem Solving: The group works together to explore options, share experiences, and define next steps for the Hot Seat challenge.
• 5 min – Checkout: Closing round, announcements, and scheduling.

Who can join?

We aim for a balanced mix of:

• Practitioners — real projects and benchmarks
• Educators — case studies and student projects
• Innovation leaders — pilots and change programs
• Tool vendors — integration feedback and visibility

If you see yourself in one of these roles, reach out.

What do you mean by Product Velocity?

I use Product Velocity as a general term for the concept of drastically speeding up physical development in various ways, but primarily inspired by software development. Other terms in use include:

• Industrial DevOps
• Agile Product Development
• Cadence-Free Development
• MBSE (for accelerating product development)
• Fast physical product development.

What does it cost?

Participation is free. This group is based on the principle of give and take: everyone contributes experience, insight, and feedback; and everyone benefits from the group’s collective intelligence.

What is expected from me as a participant?

Show up, share openly, and contribute. The mastermind works only if everyone is engaged. That means attending sessions reliably, respecting confidentiality, and being ready to both give and receive help.

Don’t go off-topic: The focus is Product Velocity, or any of its synonyms listed above.

You don’t need to prepare presentations. Just bring your current challenges, insights, and lessons learned so the group can grow together.

Can I bring my own challenge to the Hot Seat?

Absolutely. Every participant will have the opportunity to take the Hot Seat. You can use it to get focused input on a real challenge you’re facing, from accelerating MBSE adoption to restructuring your development process.

We rotate the Hot Seat so everyone gets their turn, and you can also request it when a pressing issue arises.

Will any information be published?

No, unless you explicitly permit it. Also, everybody will sign an NDA.

The list of members will not be publicly visible. Within the group, we will create some kind of common workspace, of course, and members will be able to collaborate, inside and outside the group.

Who are you?

I’m Dr. Michael Jastram, systems engineer, author, and founder of Product Velocity. My work focuses on bringing the speed and agility of modern software development to hardware and cyber-physical products.

I run Formal Mind GmbH, advise companies on Model-Based Systems Engineering (MBSE), semantic versioning, and AI-driven development processes, and I’m the author of the upcoming MIT Press book Product Velocity: Build Physical Products at Software Speed.

Why are you creating this group?

Because real change happens faster together. I talk to many people who are solving similar problems in isolation. A mastermind group creates a trusted space to share what works, learn from each other, and accelerate progress. It’s about building a community around Product Velocity that turns ideas into action.

More specifically, I want to make the Product Velocity Book as useful and relevant as possible. If I decide to sit in the Hot Seat myself, it will likely be with questions related to the book.

What is the next step?

If Michael reached out to you, you will know what to do.

If you would like to apply, reach out to Michael via email.