In product management it can be difficult to choose and filter what the company should prioritize. Identifying features that matter is essential, but the variety of inputs & complexity can easily create a disconnect between your product and your users ⚓ Rémi Guyot (https://twitter.com/remi_guyot) is VP Product at BlaBlaCar and the former Head of UX EMEA at PayPal.

1. Rémi Guyot - VP Product
Fighting
Complexity

2. A. You work in a startup.
B. You are product manager/owner/designer.
C. You have anxiety issues and you hope that
this talk will reveal the secret of life.
WHAT DESCRIBES YOU BEST?

3. A. 10.000 km
B. 20.000 km
C. 40.000 km
D. I already regret coming tonight
WHAT IS THE DISTANCE BETWEEN
FRANCE AND NEW ZEALAND?

7. If the captain dies or falls in the water:
1. Turn off the engine (yellow button)
2. Pick up the red phone
3. Wait for instructions

9. If the captain dies or falls in the water:
1. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
2. Turn off the engine (yellow button)
3. Pick up the red phone
4. Wait for instructions

10. 3 years at Sécurité Solaire
7 years at PayPal
3 years at BlaBlaCar

11. KEEP
IT
SIMPLE
STUPID.

12. Complexity
Battlefield
Simplicity

13. Complexity
Battlefield
Simplicity
Dangerous zone

15. Your obsession has value.
Go deeper. Spread it.
Uris Dacosta

17. KEEP
IT
SIMPLE
STUPID.

18. If the captain dies or falls in the water:
1. XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
2. Turn off the engine (yellow button)
3. Pick up the red phone
4. Wait for instructions

19. If the captain dies or falls in the water:
1. Accept the situation
2. Turn off the engine (yellow button)
3. Pick up the red phone
4. Wait for instructions

20. Complexity
Battlefield
Simplicity

21. Things are complex

22. Things are complex
From the start

23. KEEP
IT
SIMPLE
STUPID.
Hasn’t accepted the situation Has accepted the situation

24. Complexity
Simplicity
Battlefield

25. Complexity
Simplicity
BattlefieldBattlefield

26. COMPLEXITY
ANTIBODIES

29. COMPLEXITY
ANTIBODIES
Roadmap requests Fanatic Focus
Interface design Simplification Reviews
User feedback Absence Testing
RISKY
SITUATION

30. #1
FANATIC FOCUS

31. Pythagoras

32. The two-list
prioritization
method

33. Goal A
Goal B
Goal C
Goal D
Goal E
Goal F
Goal G
Goal H
Goal I
Goal J

34. Goal A
Goal B
Goal C
Goal D
Goal E
Goal F
Goal G
Goal H
Goal I
Goal J

35. First
List
Goal A
Goal C
Goal H
Second
List
Goal B
Goal D
Goal E
Goal F
Goal G
Goal I
Goal J

36. Company
Priorities
Goal A
Goal C
Goal H
??
Goal B
Goal D
Goal E
Goal F
Goal G
Goal I
Goal J

37. Company
Priorities
Goal A
Goal C
Goal H
Avoid At
All Cost
Goal B
Goal D
Goal E
Goal F
Goal G
Goal I
Goal J

38. Company
Priorities
Point-to-Point
Multipass
Pro
Avoid At
All Cost
Goal B
Goal D
Trust
Goal F
Goal G
Goal I
Goal J

39. No.

40. Yes, it is important.
And we have decided
not to focus on it for now.

41. Level 0 = No priorities
Level 1 = Clear priorities
Level 2 = Level 1
+ Everyone knows priorities by heart
Level 3 = Level 2
+ No one works on other topics

42. #2
SIMPLIFICATION REVIEWS

44. A camel is a horse designed by a committee.

45. H
O
R
S
E

46. Hide
Organize
Reduce
Standardize
Eliminate

47. Hide
Erase
Standardize
Organize
Reduce

51. #3
ABSENCE TESTING

52. Where are
the ratings??

54. USABILITY TESTING
FLOW CONVERSION

55. USABILITY TESTING
No regular user noticed.
FLOW CONVERSION

56. USABILITY TESTING
No regular user noticed.
FLOW CONVERSION
2-10% uplift.
(depending on platform and countries)

57. Accept that things are complex from the start.
Don’t avoid complexity — fight it!
Develop complexity antibodies:
- Fanatic Focus (two-list prioritization)
- Simplification Reviews (H.O.R.S.E)
- Absence Testing (qualitative / quantitative)

60. Accept that things are complex from the start.
Don’t avoid complexity — fight it!
Develop complexity antibodies:
- Fanatic Focus (two-list prioritization)
- Simplification Reviews (H.O.R.S.E)
- Absence Testing (qualitative / quantitative)