2: Find problems rather than guess solutions
When we start thinking about the requirements for a new product version, I bet we all make the same mistake when deciding what goes in: we guess solutions rather than find problems.
1: Be fluent in the language of your audience
One of the roles a product manager or product marketing manager plays is to act as a translator between different groups of people. Sometimes this can be in a literal sense, if your responsibilities span different countries, but more generally this means translating between the market, Sales, Marketing and Development as a minimum.
OMG EOL – LOL (or: How to take a product to end of life)
Product managers are full of contradictions: if we’re not busting a gut to launch something, we’re trying to kill our older products off.
Painting the Forth Bridge
There is a popular myth that in order to protect its metalwork from the salty ravages of the nearby North Sea, the Forth Bridge needed to be painted to keep it proofed against corrosion. The task took so long that, by the time the painters finished one job, it was immediately time to begin over.
Lo-fi usability testing – Part 3: Ten top tips
In the thrilling* conclusion to this lo-fi usability testing trilogy, we get down to the nitty-gritty of how to run the tests and how to interpret and act on the results.
* It all depends on your perspective
Lo-fi usability testing – Part 2: Preparation
In this second instalment of this series on lo-fi usability testing, I’ll be showing you what you need to do to prepare for your usability tests.
Lo-fi usability testing – Part 1: Background
You can run lo-fi usability testing in a single afternoon that will uncover 80% of the problems your product has, with only a pen, some paper and access to the software or website.
What will your leaving speech sound like?
A good friend and colleague recently left our firm to take on a more senior product management role elsewhere. His boss and his boss’s boss stood next to him and gave him a glowing and sincere send-off, with the leaving speech striking that good balance between “we’re sad to see you leave” and “go out, excel and make us proud”.
How to get your sales team selling value instead of discounting
Does your sales team sell your products (like, in exchange for money), or does it give them away as generous sweeteners to guarantee the sale of something else that will hit their targets? Or to put it in another way, does your salesforce truly understand the value of your products and can it articulate the benefits to the customer?
ProductCamp London: Why product managers and entrepreneurs need to be more alike
Here’s a round-up of some of the presentations and discussions I attended at the recent ProductCamp London, with links to the slide decks and recommended reading where applicable.
