Hey everyone, I’m going to start posting each Friday some 5 or so articles – not from my own blog – that I found interesting this week. Hope you find them interesting as well. I hope that it will help create a single, unified source for some of the top news and thoughts from the world of product management.
With that said, here are this week’s top articles on product management.
Creating Successful Product Flows
Ryan Glasgow details the differences between active and passive product flows. The example he gives is of a Facebook page. An active flow is when someone is posting to their Facebook page, a passive product flow is when they are simply browsing the page. When you are describing your product to an audience it is tempting to use both types of flows in your story but this can be confusing. Instead use one type of product flow when explaining your product story.
Manager Engagement In Employee Learning: More Work Or More Reward?
This article suggests that organizations which have managers who are actively engaged with employee learning are more successful. The article points to examples such as Google which was named the best place to work four years running by Fortune magazine and Zingerman’s Community of Business which was called the “coolest small company in America” by Inc. magazine.
We Don’t Care About Your Features (Create Value Instead)
This article suggests that many developers are focusing too much on the features of their project and not on the problem that it solves. Customers do not purchase a product because of its features, they buy it because it will create value for them. The writer also refers to Guy Kawasaki’s 10 slide framework for pitching VC’s which centers around the idea the problem that your company solves.
User Stories Are Not Enough to Create a Great User Experience
User stories are a good way to describe the functionality of a product but by themselves they are not enough to create an outstanding user experience. This article suggests when you create a product you need to take a holistic approach. This includes describing the the non-functional properties, the relevant user journeys, the visual design, and the product functionality.
How to Lead When You’re Not Assertive
Assertiveness is a required skill in management, unfortunately it is a skill that many people lack. People are often promoted to management positions because the company requires someone in a leadership position not because that person has a background in management. In order to increase your assertiveness you need to communicate, give direction, demonstrate trust, be engaged, keep practicing, and commit to the job requirements.
Should You Move From Products to Solutions
Moving from products to solutions is becoming a priority at many companies. One of the problems Jeff Lash suggests is that many companies try to make the switch without doing anything fundamentally different. The solution is to provide both products and solutions for your customers. In order to do this there must be a shift in mentality across the organization to value both products and solutions.