Sharing stories from three different products, three different companies and three different points on the product life cycle curve, product management experiences and the lessons learned are discussed.

1. Lessons Learned as a Product Manager
Recurring Challenges, Betting the Farm and Fist of Two
Calvin Marshall

2. A Recurring Challenge
Executive
Management
Customers

3. A Recurring Challenge
Features or functionality launched without
gathering sufficient customer or market
information
 Customer needs may or may not be met
 Individual Customers and their singular needs
 Non-customer facing groups drive the process

4. A Recurring Challenge
Executive
Management
IT Organization
Directive:
Change
Development
Program
Management
Professional
Services

5. A Recurring Challenge
Development
Program
Management
Professional
Services
Customers
• Launched with ‘Basic Features’
• Replacement…..not a ‘minimum viable product’
• Lacking Launch Plan
• Lacking Roadmap

6. A Recurring Challenge
Executive
Management
IT Organization
Directive:
Hold Migrations
Product
Management
Professional
Services
Customers
Sales
• Gather data, understand external and internal issues
• Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis
• Usability testing

7. A Recurring Challenge
Product
Management
Development
•
•
•
•
Program
Management
Prioritize features
Change the User Interface
Create roadmap
Develop staged migration process
Professional
Services
Customers

8. Lessons Learned
A Recurring Challenge
 Rather than an inward (company) focus, the
focus should be external (customer/market)
 Input from all stakeholders in decisions
concerning product strategy
 Utilize a variety of methods to gain insight into
the needs of your customers (or the market)

9. Betting The Farm
Executive
Management
New
Product

10. Betting The Farm
Spending almost all the money you have
on something that you think might bring
you success....thefreedictionary.com

11. Betting The Farm
Executive
Management
Commercial
Executive
Sponsors
Operations
Information
Technology
• Launched to even the competitive playing field
• Intraprenurial
• Pilot – Minimum Viable Product
• Soft Launch – Selected Customers
• Hard Launch – General Availability

12. Betting The Farm
New
Product
• Growth…..then a change in focus
• Acquisition of a competitor
• Product overlap, integration and redirection
• Promotional campaigns trump product harmonization

13. Lessons Learned
Betting The Farm
 A pilot program: small sample of customers
with a minimum viable product (MVP), will
enable a team to be agile
 Understand to be understood in order to gain
credibility
 Launching promotional activities without fully
addressing product issues is a recipe for
absolute disaster

14. Fist of Two
Executive
Management

15. Fist of Two
Closed fist: I will block the idea/approach from moving forward.
One finger: I have major concerns, we shouldn’t move forward.
Two fingers: I have some reservations to discuss.
Three fingers: I can support this action.
Four fingers: I will work to implement it.
Five fingers: I support and can champion or lead this effort.

16. Fist of Two
Executive
Management
Vice President
Director
Vice President
Product
Manager
• At
the outset, a closed fist for re-launching a product

17. Fist of Two
Director
Vice Presidents
Sponsorship
Product
Manager
15 Unique, SelfContained Projects
• Create a core team, sub-teams
• Identify problem areas
• Address several of the issues, however….
• Several ‘showstopping’ issues prevented the re-launch

18. Lessons Learned
Fist of Two
 Real commitment from team members, and/or
leadership, ensures success
 For enterprise wide solutions where there’s a
strong sales component, the commission
structure is key to driving product placement
 If no one owns ultimate accountability, no one
takes responsibility

19. Lessons Learned - Recap
 External focus: the customer and the market
 Gather input from all stakeholders
 Utilize a variety of methods to gain customer insight
 Consider launching a MVP/pilot program
 Gain credibility through knowledge
 Address product issues before heavy promotion
 Obtain a real commitment from the team
 Sales commission can drive product placement
 Accountability: One throat to choke

20. Calvin Marshall
Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/calvinm
Twitter: co_marshall
Website: http://www.fourpeasconsulting.com