Ask Me Something: Product Technique Frameworks

November is coming to a detailed, and meaning it’s time for our month-to-month AMA roundup! This month we hosted 3 Slack AMA periods with these pretty Product Folks:

1. Harsh Gupta, Product Chief at Google
2. Melanie Aley, Product Chief at Google
3. Lawrence Leung, Former Senior Product Supervisor at Amazon

This month we requested about Product Technique, they usually informed us their go-to frameworks. Every of them gave a really distinct reply, which matches to point out that a part of being an amazing PM is discovering your individual type.

Bonus: additionally they contact on matters like breaking into Product, ideas for aspiring PMs, ideas for early profession PMs, main groups, downside statements, and person analysis.

Product Technique

What’s your go-to Product Technique framework?

Harsh Gupta

For any long-term technique formulation, I usually use a modified model of the BCG 2*2 matrix, with one axis representing person segments (present vs new) and one axis representing new markets/geos (present vs new) together with an present product SWOT evaluation.

This helps in understanding alternatives with present and new person segments, and in present/new markets.

Melanie Aley

I nearly by no means utilizing any framework as written—I take it as extra of a place to begin. I suppose my most typical go-to for product validation is the traditional Feasibility/Viability/Desirability, though I have a tendency so as to add operational viability as a fourth class (and generally “political desirability” if I’m working with purchasers…!)

Lawrence Leung

Love this query. I like utilizing the Weighted Objectives framework and the MoSCoW framework. Weighted Objectives helps assign metrics to enterprise targets and assist quantify the ROI. MoSCoW helps with function prioritization for suppose large/greenfield product alternatives.

Breaking Into Product

How can somebody from non-Product roles transition into the sphere?

Harsh Gupta

In the event you work in a Product org, the very best path can be to take further duty past your core function. Help PMs in function discovery by means of knowledge, or take up new Product Discovery by conducting person & knowledge analysis. Some firms additionally supply rotation packages that are a good way to expertise PM and showcase your PM expertise.

College students with little/no PM expertise can stand out by showcasing hobby-projects which showcase product expertise or by taking up further product-related work in your present job.

As an aspiring PM I’m getting rejected by many firms for not having 2-4 + years confirmed expertise, particularly Google. Any recommendation?

Melanie Aley

I don’t suppose you’ll prone to get a job at Google, or most firms, with out a number of years of PM expertise. The one ‘new to function’ PMs are on the APM monitor, which appears to be for brand new grads. Sorry to be so sincere. May you strive transferring sideways in your individual organisation first? That’s usually simpler.

Is engineering expertise useful in beginning a profession in PM?

Harsh Gupta

Having an engineering background, although not essential so that you can achieve a PM profession, is unquestionably a bonus as you’ll be able to make higher product selections retaining engineering tradeoffs/feasibility/price in thoughts.

Try: Transitioning to Product Administration From ANY Background

For Early Profession Product Managers

What’s the one factor that you’d advise a junior Product Supervisor on their first day in workplace?

Lawrence Leung

There are various issues to give attention to once you first begin. This could’t be carried out within the first day (possibly over the course of a pair months), however give attention to constructing relationships together with your staff and stakeholders so you possibly can affect with out authority.

What was most tough about your transition right into a lead/senior PM function?

Lawrence Leung

I’d say probably the most tough half is from a timing perspective to construct a robust rapport and belief with my stakeholders throughout Engineering, Analytics, Advertising and marketing, Program, and so forth. groups. It does require a number of time as PM to construct these relationships as you’re employed on Product Discovery to ideation to transport and iterating your merchandise. However when you construct that momentum together with your groups, you naturally will develop into the only threaded proprietor of your merchandise/options, acquire the help of your staff, and broaden your possession/scope to get to the lead/senior degree.

How would you counsel a brand new PM be taught and develop their expertise in an organization the place the Product tradition is just not outstanding, and the supervisor is just not an energetic mentor?

Harsh Gupta

1. Discover sponsors exterior of your staff or administration chain who can help you in rising as a PM
2. Discover alternatives which can be high of the thoughts for the corporate – this manner you will get help of senior leaders
3. Construct a group of all PMs and product of us within the firm for cross-learning

Any e-book suggestions to develop into extra accustomed to ideas within the very first months of the PM profession?

Harsh Gupta

1. Impressed – Marty Cagan
2. Design of On a regular basis Issues – Don Norman
3. Hooked – Nir Eyal

These books are a very good place to start out. Following Product Leaders on social media (Shreyas Doshi) and studying well-liked newsletters (Lenny, Stratechery, and so forth) are additionally nice studying sources.

Product Apply

What textbook methods for PMs do you not advocate or deprioritize?

Lawrence Leung

That is situational. It relies on what subject and business you’re in.

For instance, a Knowledge Platform PM verses a Development PM. Your technique for rising your product as a Development PM will likely be targeted on market improvement and buyer development/enlargement levels. This may occasionally require extra intensive market competitor analysis, buyer conferences, and so forth. to tell your roadmap priorities. Whereas a Knowledge Platform PM,  they might be working in a later stage within the product life cycle (maturity) and will likely be targeted engineering/system design and discovering options to broaden infra capabilities to decrease price/maximize effectivity.

What are a few of your favourite instruments to handle the Product Roadmap? We tried Miro, Trello, Asana. Whereas all of them are nice in some facets, I feel there might be a greater product that checks all of the packing containers. Wanting on the large image, good UX, nice for following duties and so forth.

Harsh Gupta

I’ve tried most of those instruments, and, sadly, no device is ideal as a result of PMing basically is finished otherwise throughout totally different groups, orgs, industries and so forth.

I’ve normally discovered a mixture of spreadsheets, docs and a wireframing device (like Balsamiq, Figma and so forth) ok for me to do my job nicely

Test our assortment of the very best instruments for Product Managers

I’m looking for Product-Market Match for a two-sided platform between customers and content material creators. What are good metrics to trace aside from DAU, MAU?

I’m not an skilled right here, though I did do an attention-grabbing ‘autopsy’ on a failed market. Usually your typical Product Metrics exit the door for a market. My colleagues at DV who’ve carried out this greater than I usually discuss ‘stock’ obtainable for matching, and profitable match ratios on each time. 

It’s additionally very a lot about stability between provide and demand—though don’t be afraid to artificially add provide if it is advisable to (i.e. purchase it elsewhere… ever heard Zappos origins story?). Focus closely in your conversion funnel.  Additionally give attention to the QUALITY of a match—how glad have been they (vs. different channels?).  Be clear in your worth proposition to each side, and actually measure that.

And one in all my favorite metrics—price of SUCCESSFUL ‘match’. Take whole price of acquisition on each side, and divide by matches that went nicely (nevertheless you measure that).

Main Groups & Stakeholder Administration

How do you resolve conflicting product necessities? There’s typically conflicting priorities between growing revenues (from wider stakeholders) and growing interactivity/engagement on the app.

Melanie Aley

There’s totally different priorities, that’s cool, however it is advisable to be on the identical web page on general technique upwards wherever it converges – e.g. firm degree, enterprise unit degree, and so forth.

It’s essential to very clearly draw the connection between interplay/engagement and income.  Assuming you don’t work for a non-profit, as we speak’s interplay = tomorrow’s income, proper?  Are you crystal clear in your buyer funnel?

I’ve personally discovered that Pirate Metrics are helpful when making the case for engagement up to now.

Having based your individual firm beforehand, and now a pacesetter at a serious firm how do you coach your staff to have the identical entrepreneur mindset of attempting a brand new mind-set to resolve a problem to your customers?

Harsh Gupta

Plenty of that is grounded in constructing a robust inventive / experimental tradition in your groups, and naturally, it’s simpler stated than carried out. I normally attempt to accomplish this tradition within the following methods:

1. Have a robust long-term imaginative and prescient, technique & objectives
2. Chart incremental steps to succeed in the long-term objectives
3. Set expectations with management on each technique and the iterative execution
4. Be sure to have a data-backed method to measuring affect of every experiment and the way the outcomes are a logical transition to the subsequent steps

How does one persuade stakeholders and sponsors that the dev staff must spend time on technical debt? It gained’t present seen worth to the top buyer, nevertheless it IS vital for the maintenance and well being of the general system.

Melanie Aley

Ha, I really feel your ache. Right here’s what I realized the arduous approach: NEVER attempt to promote tech debt.  It gained’t work. Simply put aside X% (normally 10-20%) of your capability for tech debt, and simply do it. 

However do push your tech leads arduous to prioritise inside their want listing. If this fails—or they see by means of it—then I’d strongly counsel threat avoidance. Make the detrimental affect of not addressing your tech debt sound so scary that execs would by no means dream of accepting the chance

Giving an instance, I not too long ago oversaw a migration from a legacy front-end framework that was now not supported to a brand new one.  Zero buyer affect, if we did it proper. I discovered some scary numbers round variety of bugs, and affect of outages on income. And whereas numbers don’t lie, they are often massaged

Downside Statements

Does your work at all times come within the format of an issue assertion? May give some examples of downside statements that you’ve got labored on?

Harsh Gupta

Some examples of downside statements:

• How can we enhance the product buy conversion fee for this person section?
• How can we construct extra belief with our customers in the course of the onboarding journey on the app?

I want work at all times got here within the format of an issue assertion, however normally it does.

Typically, nevertheless, PMs grapple with very open-ended downside statements which fall below what I name ‘unknown unknown’ the place even the issue assertion is open ended

How do you method a broad downside assertion like: ‘develop the monetization income from the platform by introducing new initiatives or merchandise’?

Harsh Gupta

This query wants 30 minutes for itself, however let me attempt to summarize some key questions you’d wanna ask to construct the technique for such a broad downside assertion:

1. Are my customers paying for my product as we speak? If sure, why are they prepared pay, for which options?
2. Can I prolong these options to a unique person section?
3. Can I discover adjoining issues to resolve with the product?

Consumer Analysis

Any pointers or frameworks that you’d use to evaluate and quantify buyer suggestions?

Harsh Gupta

Normal pointers or frameworks:

1. Outline the speculation of what you’re validating and be sure you check each the factual and counterfactual. This helps keep away from affirmation bias
2. Normal rule of thumb is to not information the customers an excessive amount of whereas conducting person analysis—this helps in understanding how a person would use the product on their very own
3. Consumer analysis ought to usually be used to derive insights to affect product choice making somewhat than take selections straight. Consumer analysis needs to be coupled with knowledge, beta testing to verify person suggestions

In a case the place your instincts/intestine feeling is pointing in a route totally different from the information method, which is able to you select?

Harsh Gupta

I’m personally a agency believer within the idea of ‘intestine’ in Product choice making. Nonetheless, for intestine to trump arduous proof (like knowledge), the intestine feeling must be explainable ultimately, both by means of person analysis, interviews, business insights, anecdotal proof, and so forth.

How do you create merchandise or options in an present product that caters to tens of millions of individuals?

Harsh Gupta

Present product function discovery usually stems from the next sources:

1. Present person habits and utilization knowledge
2. Specific person function asks (by means of in-app suggestions, app retailer rankings, social media and so forth)

Ultimate Recommendation

Any remaining ideas for aspiring Product Managers?

Harsh Gupta

My recommendation for aspiring PMs:

1. Perceive what the PM function entails, the ability units wanted, the character of labor—and whether or not it’s a very good match for you. PMing can seem to be a really wonderful job from the surface, nevertheless it’s difficult function to succeed at.
2. Take into account your path to turning into a PM as a studying expertise—it is going to train you a unique approach to have a look at merchandise, design, enterprise and hopefully construct a robust psychological mannequin to resolve human issues

Lawrence Leung

Sure! Irrespective of the place you’re in your Product Administration journey, I’d advise you to give attention to delivering outcomes. Taking a web page out of Amazon’s Management Rules: To ship outcomes it’s a must to be proper lots. To be proper lots, it’s a must to be buyer obsessed and demand on the very best requirements, which in flip requires you to dive deep and invent and simplify.