STUCK ANXIETY drags one & engrosses them in unwanted repetitive thoughts!

It is known to affect a whole lot of people irrespective of the hierarchy they're in.

Let's explore them over these steps:

➡ causation(s) &
➡ resolution(s)

#prodmgmt #stuck #anxiety #mentalhealth

1/n

STEP 1: CAUSATION:

Firstly, to understand the condition would mean to have a clear understanding of the symptoms in detail & of course the causation(s).

This article does just that:
https://mgmtinc.substack.com/p/stuck-anxiety

2/n

STEP 2: RESOLUTION:

Just like the conditions could lead to various causations, the resolutions would naturally vary based on that.

Here's a list.

Let's explore each of them in detail.

3/n

1.  Get down to research

Most situations listed under the causations could use a magic-wand that is - "research".

The fact that someone is unclear about an approach, gets affected by external voices, constantly compares/ feels bogged down could point to a lack of research.

4/n

2.  Set clear goals

Goals are what ought to inspire people to do well, the better clarity over the goal the better the focus & the effectiveness of the work that's put in.

Leading off extensive research, the next step would be to clearly set one's mind onto a goal.

5/n

Few additional points to remember:

➼ when goals ought to be realistic, tangible & aligned it also ought to get translated into a brute-force so as to get one to madly pursue it &

➼ not breathe easy until such time that it is accomplished

➼ and then its onto the next

6/n

3.  Chart out action plans

Ok, so you have a goal which is to say you know where you've got to go.

It then boils down to charting out action plans to help you with the direction which ought to lead to a lot of clarity over how you're going to get to the goal.

7/n

Also, never discount the power of constantly measuring where you stand against your milestones & the amount of time it took you to get there.

It's all about retrospection & extracting learnings all along the way as continuous improvement isn't a one-time affair at all.

8/n

4.  Set milestones

Things aren't sorted after the action plan is built as it is just a high-level roadmap.

What you need then, is a breakdown of those goals into milestones so as to help you take baby-steps whilst setting & measuring metrics / KPIs that matter.

9/n

Also, the milestones could help you gauge your individual performance over the current silo & yield invaluable insights into whether your speed happens to be optimal & if that is then zeroing in on that area of improvement could be pretty straightforward.

10/n

5.  Celebrate wins

This is the icing on the cake, but it could so easily be missed by many as they get caught in that anxiety & allow the condition to dictate terms.

The clarity on milestones ought to be enough to translate achievements into small celebrations, regularly.

11/n

6.  Get into retros

Simply put, retrospection could help people realize all of these:

➼ what went right?
➼ what did I do wrong?
➼ what can I do to make it all the more better?

Doing this over every step could be the cornerstone to healthy learning.

12/n

7.  Optimize

With all that massive insight obtained combined with the clarity over the goals, it ought to be fairly simple to understand what parameter ought to be optimized for & doing so iteratively would only lead to improvement & regularly too.

13/n

So, the next time any of those personal or professional events triggers a bit of an anxiety & you begin to feel bogged down, just resort to analyzing these causations to get to the bottom of  it, understanding the root cause & then apply resolutions.

Good luck!

14/n

That's that folks!

For more write-ups about product concepts, mental models, case studies:

➡️ sign-up here - http://mgmtinc.substack.com



➡️ follow me on @bgpinv for all things related to product

You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/BgpInv/ypOWSwb

!! Stuck Anxiety !! - "Resolutions"

When "mentoring" & the duties of a mentor seems to have abundant resources online, here's a question that's not that popular in comparison:

➼ WHO's a GREAT MENTEE?

#prodmgmt #mentoring #mentor

1/n

I've published a write-up that delves into the duties of a mentor centered around a PM's success.

It's a fun format of FAQs deliberately used to depict how these were actual questions that I've received & answered over my sessions.

LINK HERE: https://mgmtinc.substack.com/p/12-faqs-of-mentoring

2/n

Talking of qualities mentees ought to possess so as to make them standout, may not be that different from qualities a good student possesses over a conventional classroom, but for some subtle additions.

Let's explore them here:

3/n

1. Systematic

The world is well connected, geographical boundaries have diminished & more so post-covid. It's imperative that mentors & mentees stay connected & in harmony.

Adhering to an organic & systematic approach over calls, timings, discussions, topics is FIRST.

4/n

2. Focused

The elementary difference between people whose careers takeoff & the ones whose don't is FOCUS or the lack of it.

To be focused doesn't mean to have sharp listening skills & being attentive in class.

It ought to convert to possessing a clarity over your goals.

5/n

3. Active / Attentive

There could be tons of stuff one's preoccupied with & that'd make way for enough distractions for both mentees & mentors.

When mentors switch-off the noise & concentrate on topic, it's only just that mentees replicate that by being more ACTIVE.

6/n

4. Inquisitive

Product is largely perceived as tough because it has many interfaces to it over one's regular workflow.

By being INQUISITIVE & asking more questions it's possible to build a pragmatic understanding of the nuances whilst also learning about tackling them.

7/n

5. Responsive

Responsiveness doesn't stop at just answering questions when asked over a session per se.

It ought to go beyond that with mentees quoting some challenges / doubts that they have had over the topic & paving the way for mentors to cover all those nuances.

8/n

6. Interactive

Remove this trait from mentoring & it would just resemble the conventional lectures where a teacher just runs through a topic sans the approval from the mentees over whether or not they have understood the topic / concept, let alone the application of it.

9/n

7. Experimentation

Being susceptible to experiments & EXPERIMENTATION ought to be a given for any PM as there would be tons of places over your workflow hinging on this very trait.

When some are born with it, others have to inculcate it as a habit. It's imperative.

10/n

8. Ambitious

Generally speaking as well, AMBITION is everything in life & PM jobs are no exception to it either.

But it ought to mean a lot more than just vying for an entry-level PM role. You ought to work on your career options so as to build action plans around it.

11/n

9. Professional

Being a thorough PROFESSIONAL could mean adhering to all of the above listed points.

And also, being able to understand, recognize & appreciate the empathy that your mentor exhibits, reciprocating that with the same amount of enthusiasm if not more.

12/n

That's that folks!

For more write-ups about product concepts, mental models, case studies:

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Also:

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You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/BgpInv/yZ1Bgyg

What Makes a Great Mentee?

"CHURN" happens one of the dreaded things over the course of a PM's contribution across the stages of the PLC.

No doubt, it is best avoided altogether.

But here's how one could employ gamification to reverse churn.

#prodmgmt #churn #gamification #strategy
1/n

When users begin using the product its possible they keep away for brief periods owing to various reasons.

Whether that's considered CHURN or a precursor to it, its a shaky ground to be on.

This write-up covers a way around overcoming that problem:
https://mgmtinc.substack.com/p/gamification-ixd-and-what-it-takes

2/n

Delving deeper into that STAT:

- more than 66% of SaaS orgs. find themselves staring at 5+% of CHURN

Arbitrarily speaking, if an org. boasts of 1M users then that number amounts to 50K & if that continues henceforth it'd take ~2 yrs for the org to run into bankruptcy.

3/n

Could anything at all be done in trying to get those 50K users to change their mind over the one month period post their Churn / them deciding that they're going to stop using the product?

Here's a few leading reasons why the users churn in the first place:

4/n


And, talking of strategies to reduce CHURN, here are a few of them employed industry wide:

5/n

So, now to the central idea of this thread:

🤔 where & how does gamification fit into all of this?

Let's get started with 4 steps:

STEP 1. use data to gain insights

studying data closely could reveal footprints of users & exactly where they broke-off in their journeys

6/n

STEP 2. build an understanding of user profiles

once you have a track of those user journeys & their friction points, you could also bide some time to classify the users based on their persona, goals so as to understand their profiles

7/n

STEP 3. personalize the UX

based on the various problems / friction points that led those users / user groups to churn you could get back to the board with the internal teams & brainstorm how to address them & personalize the UX

which starts by knowing your users well

8/n

STEP 4. measure & optimize retention metrics

post stitching the UX back into shape it's important to quantify those success factors transforming them & picking out the right metrics that ought to lend direction over where you stand & then get to optimize them

9/n

Now apply gamification over these steps:

1) split tasks into a list of subtasks & represent them step-wise (1 to n | where 2<n<10)

2) use insights gained from STEP 1

3) derive motivations from the user profiles built in STEP 2

4) club subtasks from (1) with (2) & (3)

10/n

Ensure you post a message in there as well as mentioned right below the title & just above the gamification board.

So, once done your gamification board ought to end up looking something like this:

11/n

The use of a Mailchimp ought to underlined here in terms of getting a hang of how many of those Churned users:
- receive
- view
- read
- click on the link of the website
- login
- get on to finishing the job on hand

12/n

That's it folks!

For more write-ups about product concepts, mental models, case studies:

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http://mgmtinc.substack.com



Also:

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You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/BgpInv/wH8ZO2x

Gamification strategy to reverse CHURN

🔸 Could a lock-in strategy ever prove to be a liability?

🔸 Could there ever be a downside to locking users in for a period?

🔸 Exactly when does one consider implementing a lock-in strategy?

A thread answering those questions:
#prodmgmt #lockin #strategy

1/n

Over my recent article I have shared a few valuable lessons that could be learnt about “lock-in strategy” employed by Apple so as to aid super-long-term success & make growth more sustainable.

LINK here: 👉 https://mgmtinc.substack.com/p/lock-in-strategy

2/n

The major issue with the lock-in is how users could see it as compulsion - on the lines of...:

➡️ "to achieve (y) outcome, you first have to do (x)"

which could be perceived as "B A D"! 🥴

So:
➡️ how does one approach it❓ &
➡️ when is the right time to strategize this❓

3/n


1. Post PMF

Product market fitment would mean a lot of factors have been sorted as for the product, markets, user segments & their pain points being addressed in defining impressive / innovative ways over their workflow.

So, thinking of a lock-in here is "Out of Question".

4/n

2. Near PMF

When the product is about to hit PMF where a section of the users are onboarded & retention is on an upward trend, to lock-in users could mean:

• users getting used to a change in workflow
• users could turn hostile &
• adoption may begin to suffer

5/n

3. Pre PMF

A stage where one may have a few early adopters & the retention just seems to begin it's upward journey (though not consistently)

So, this look the ideal place to HIT!

But, this could be branched into a couple of cases.

6/n

CASE 1: Post Launch

Post launch & with a few early adopters onboarded, it could be a great place to think of a lock-in.
🔸get into a bout of experimentation
🔸factor the reactions in from users
🔸implement & go LIVE!

But, could the strategy still be bettered? 🤔

7/n

CASE 2: Pre Launch

This is indeed "THE BEST place" to think of a lock-in strategy.

➡️ users would be new to the workflow & may not carry huge expectations
➡️ easy to carve a niche
➡️ easy to shuffle the workflow as well in case something doesn't work

8/n

But that would require you to concentrate on these 5 things at first:

🎯 a product strategy rooted in innovation & backed by futuristic tech

🎯 immersive research led to deep understanding of the markets, users & their pain points helping you underpin relevant problems

9/n

🎯 your product offers a unmatchable UX & you have enough reason to believe that is has led to DELIGHT

🎯 all your tests have pointed to frictionless adoption MAJORLY

🎯 you have a well refined backlog with strategic releases lined up so as to put you ahead

10/n

You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/BgpInv/2yYOku1

The Downside of a Lock-In Strategy

Given the context of a XFN here's a question:

What is THE factor that a PM ought to pin on so as to get to a state of comfort? Is it:

➸ workflow
➸ teams
➸ goals
➸ relationships ✅

And here's why relationships are the crux of PMs success:

#prodmgmt #XFN #collaboration

1/n

My recent article highlights how a PM who's starting out afresh could get super-comfortable over tricky situations that keep resurfacing uncannily.

Link here: https://mgmtinc.substack.com/p/xfn-collaboration-is-tricky

Over this thread we'll break down the relationships a PM ought to have with the teams.

2/n

Supposing you take up that new PM gig, you'd obviously start off by observing things like a fly on the wall, making notes, re-referencing & correcting them in stages.

As you do that it becomes absolutely crucial for you to cement that relationship with your peers.

3/n

01) Research / Discovery

PMs usually steer this entire phase & it becomes imperative to include Marketing & Sales as their perspectives matter heavily & may influence the direction of research.

Involving Design & Engg is recommended for building clarity.

4/n

02) Features, Prioritization

Once the strategy & the roadmap has been laid out by the PM the time to take it ahead expanding those EPICs into suitable features as relevant to the markets & users which ought to happen with the consultation of all stakeholders.

5/n

03) Build, MVP

Product reaching the stage of build ought to mean a lot of things like for instance: problem-solution-fitment has already been sorted & the time to implement the solution is taking center stage now with the MVP becoming the major outcome teams chase.

6/n

04) Testing & Feedback

The first minimalistic version of the product put out by the teams is what's termed the MVP & the process of turning that into an MLP (minimum loveable product) ought to hinge on a lot on on-field testing, collecting of feedback & factoring it in.

7/n

So, as is evident a PM's role is seminal over every stage of the product right from the Ideation to the post-launch / growth phases where they work closely with the Sales teams & make it all happen.

Also, not to forget the collaboration with the leadership & user community.

8/n

Given the multi-level interface a PM role has with internal & external teams, it only makes sense to underpin on building, nurturing & maintaining relationships so as to smoothen out one's whole workflow.

🎯 Start off by investing ample time on relationships!

Good luck!

9/n

You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/BgpInv/F46s6of

Building relationships is a crucial PM trait!

Given a product org., a PMs workflow gravitates towards user centricity but what's needed for alignment is beyond just that?

For instance:

➸ what role do actors play?
➸ how do value drivers play a part?

Here's a CASE STUDY:

#prodmgmt #valuedrivers #growth #alignment

1/n

My recent article delves deeper into highlighting the importance of identifying value drivers, cascading it & how it would help all internal teams align better if it were to be done diligently.

Link here:
https://mgmtinc.substack.com/p/identify-your-value-drivers-today

2/n

So, as is suggested, there could be multiple actors in the system.

It is imperative that each and every internal team gets a hang of each of those actors & their value drivers.

Let's try & build an understanding of this over a generic (non-SaaS) CASE STUDY of ACME Corp.

3/n

BACKGROUND:

➸ a garden is a great way to turn barren & empty rooftops, balconies into green patches adding to aesthetics, environmental factors, step towards sustainable living

➸ ACME Corp helps turn boring empty spaces into interesting green-patches, free of maintenance

4/n

Now, let's start over with the template & get to the details pertaining to ACME Corp.:

1) VISION
the vision of the org. ought to depict something big & impactful, set in the future, like so:

➸ "Make dwelling spaces more greener fostering an adoption of sustainable living"

5/n

2) ACTORS
as a portal we ought to connect quite a few actors viz:

➸ Producers / Resellers of Saplings / Seeds
➸ Gardeners
➸ Property owners

3) PERSONA
we'd cater majorly to 2 owner types:

➸ B2C - individuals
➸ B2B - builders / commercial complex owners

6/n

04) VALUE PROPOSITION

➸ turn any empty dwelling space into interesting green-patches

➸ do your bit contributing towards saving the environment

➸ all that with a "ZERO EFFORT" from your side over maintenance

7/n

05) VALUE DRIVERS
as is evident there are 3-4 actors here:

➸ producers of saplings / seeds
➸ resellers of saplings / seeds
➸ gardeners
➸ property owners (users)

Here's a model depicting how they fit in with the workflow & where ACME Corp. figures.

8/n

Remember: each ACTOR in the system could have different VALUE DRIVERs

Lets' list them out one by one:

➸ FOR producers of saplings / seeds:
- "procurement value"

➸ FOR resellers of saplings / seeds:
- "reseller invoice value"

9/n

➸ FOR gardeners:
- "payouts" (off user calls - first set-up / maintenance thereof)

➸ FOR users:
- "user invoice value"

➸ Success criteria:
("user invoice value") >>> ("procurement value" + "reseller invoice value" + "x % of payouts")

where x = take rate of gardeners

10/n

05) NSM
the north star would be:

➸ "no. of gardens under maintenance"

We have all the data now to fill into our template.

So let's just finish that final step:

11/n

Also, if you want to download the High Res template alongside the case study as a reference head over to this Gumroad link here:

https://3475652248832.gumroad.com/l/nmqqy

Pssst: It's FREE!

12/n

You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/BgpInv/VUUo3Y6

How do you identify "Value Drivers"? (includes a CASE STUDY)

Getting team (A) to function like (B) needs a mindset-shift which may not be that easy.

What's the trouble❓

I popped a question to leaders, strategists, product thinkers & engineers worldwide.

A thread🧵 of those excerpts:

#prodmgmt #outcomes #outcomesthinking #mindset
1/n

My recent write-up explores details about the difference between outputs & outcomes thinking while explaining how pinning on outcomes could be imperative given an org. / product team being more focused or goal-oriented.

https://mgmtinc.substack.com/p/how-to-build-an-outcomes-thinking

2/n

So, here's the question that I had popped:

💠 why is it so tough to get teams to adapt to outcomes thinking moving them from a mindset that's oriented towards outputs❓

📢 ‼️ ALERT ‼️
Here's a valuable list of those learnings:

3/n

• @gibsonbiddle

• Main problem identified
- lack of highlighting the value addition to the users much earlier in the PLC, around the roadmap-stage itself
- not being open to experimentation & factoring those learnings

4/n

• @dreasaez

• Main problem identified
- leadership using the wrong incentives
- teams pinning on wrong metrics

5/n

• @ianharveyOT

• Main problem identified
- communicating the value isn't as straightforward as it'd seem
- the lead time could act as a deterrent
6/n

• @JustAnotherPM

• Main problem identified
- teams can't differentiate between outputs & outcomes
- focusing solely on outputs would never suffice

7/n

• @carlvellotti

• Main problem identified
- culture of incentivizing outputs
- defining success of outcomes could get tricky

8/n

I tried covering engineering's perspective as well.

• @ShawnRMclean

• Main problem identified
- culture of incentivizing outputs

9/n

• Arun Kumar VP of Program Management at Standard Chartered

• Main problem identified
- lack of differentiation between outputs and outcomes

10/n

⚖️ The VERDICT:

It is important for leaders to first connect with & get to understand the dynamics of their teams & then use that to level-up, get them to think from the perspective of outcomes.

11/n

As you see, when this is not impossible, there could be many nuances to it, which ought to be factored in before you start onboarding teams to set foot towards that much needed paradigm shift in enforcing & enabling them to think "outcomes over outputs".

12/n

That's it folks!

For more write-ups about product concepts, mental models, case studies:

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Also:

➡️ RT the first tweet marked "1/n"
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You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/BgpInv/7OISBHo

Troubles in onboarding teams to "Outcomes Thinking"

Talking of growth, there are 2 alternatives at a broad level:

1. realize churn, act in retrospect
2. build effective onboarding strategies targeting retention

Let's explore the onboarding experiences one can build over this thread🧵

#productmanagement #UX #strategy #design
1/n

When it is great to have an user onboarding strategy it falls short somewhere as CHURN could still impede & hamper growth.

Here's a thought arching towards making onboarding sustainable.

You can read more about it here: - https://mgmtinc.substack.com/p/guide-to-make-user-onboarding-more

2/n

Let's now straightaway dive in & explore the user onboarding experiences.

1. Interactive walkthroughs

Ever used an App & felt lost on how to start off / go about a particular task?

You aren't alone.

That's where interactive walkthroughs do fit in really well.

3/n


For ex: remember the first time you got onto @SlackHQ how everything about the layout was fed to you?

Also, remember how there were continuous pop-ups describing each element on the UI.

Some apps have a toggle switch to shut these off to not annoy the experienced users.

4/n

2. Guided product tours

You can't generalize the experience of the users as it could be so diverse, also working with averages could lead to mismatches & eventually fall-outs.

Fully guided product tours make total sense as it could be descriptive enough for all users.

5/n

When guided tours could swell in size, it is a really good ploy to break it all down & build those really short snippets explaining each section / feature of the product / module.

For ex: @twilio showing how to switch menus in this snippet.

https://twilio-cms-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/SwitchingMenus.mp4

6/n

3. Context-sensitive help

This is perhaps the oldest of the lot.

Being stuck with some element of the UI / not knowing how to go about achieving & needing some quick fix or help is something everyone correlates to.

Remember Clippy by @Microsoft @Office?

7/n

4. Tooltips

A short message that harmlessly pops-up on the side or at the exact site of the problem within say a 15p x 15p area could be a life-saver for most users.

Even better is how the Tooltips have evolved over the years to enforce action via embedded CTAs.

8/n

For ex: @MiroHQ

Be it the tooltip that is instructing you to press your mouse for a prolonged period to unlock the UI element & carry on working

(or)

the navigation around the screen with the right-mouse-button which could be tricky for a newbie

are great examples

9/n

5. Detailed flows

If the product has many steps giving the impression that it is complicated to work with, a detailed flow ought to be mandatory to build & deploy so as to send out a strong message on these lines:

➡problem?
➡we heard you already
➡here, check this out

10/n

For ex: @figma

Using prototyping & depicting interactive flows users would have with the App along with transitions could be complicated for beginners.

Detailed flows explaining the right usage to derive the best value is a great ploy.

Like so:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-d6zNGeF59M

11/n

6. Prompts

Arching into habits of collecting feedback, be it generic / totally specific to a workflow to gauge:

➡ elements of design
➡ relevance
➡ ease of use
➡ user experience &
➡ satisfaction

are welcome provided they're used sparingly & at the right time too.

12/n

For ex: popping questions like:

🔹"how satisfied are you with the way you went about accomplishing your task over the app"?

or just a plain & simple

🔹"please rate your experience"

Here's a thread describing the effective use of prompts:
https://twitter.com/BgpInv/status/1634081179262681088?s=20

13/n

7. Questionnaires / Surveys

When the need to talk 1:1 with users running over those moderated sessions to understand their choices in depth can't be discounted, the need to embed questionnaires & surveys could become imperative at times over some situations.

14/n

When prompts in essence capture highly specific info targeting one variable contributing to UX, questionnaires & surveys delve deeper capturing info over multiple variables / to get a hang of intricate nuances of choices around one specific variable.

For ex: these 3 steps

15/n

Acquisition & activation could follow once marketing strikes a right chord with content targeting the right persona.

The worst that can happen post that is to lose out on your user base owing to bad experiences.

So, user onboarding deserves some really serious thought.

16/n

That's it folks!

For more write-ups about product concepts, mental models, case studies:

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http://mgmtinc.substack.com



Also:

➡️ RT the first tweet marked "1/n"
➡️ Follow me on @bgpinv for all things related to product


You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/BgpInv/81Fk7Kt

Effective Onboarding Strategies for Better Retention

Engineering CAN seamlessly replace product management teams, provided they overcome these blockers?

But what would it take to overcome them?

Let's explore them in detail here.

A thread🧵:

#productmanagement #blockers #engineering #prodmgmt

1/n

In my recent write-up, I have covered:

☛ common ground / overlaps
☛ differences &
☛ list of 10 blockers

that could possibly disallow engineering to overtake & replace the product function with in a given org.

Link here:
https://mgmtinc.substack.com/p/engineering-can-replace-product-management

2/n

Let's now go over each of those 10 blockers & chart out few steps to overcome them.

1) Lack of Research / Immersion

- help digest the sole purpose of research
- focus on understanding users
- focus on unearthing pain / friction points
- pin on effective research methods

3/n

2) Cognitive Bias

- focus on the importance of meriting the problem as is
- help them understand the ill-effects of assumptions, extrapolations & jumping to conclusions
- help them understand "state of confusion" is also a yield
- put an extra emphasis on data & insight

4/n

3) Thinking from Solutioning Standpoint

- remind them that they have to start operating in the problem space now
- convey the importance of establishing a validation of problems
- provide them with training on product thinking
- test them on product sense periodically

5/n

4) Lack of Idea Validation

- emphasize & re-emphasize the importance of talking directly to the user groups & deriving insight from it
- underpin the importance of extracting insights from user interviews
- teach them to collect feedback openly & interpret it effectively

6/n

5) Building for No-one

- get it etched that it is perfectly ok NOT to build in some cases
- convey the importance of collecting & interpreting Quantitative & Qualitative feedback
- train them on projections, estimations (ex: TAM)
- train them on data-backed decision making

7/n

6) Decisions Under Chaos

- get them comfortable working with chaotic states & total clutter
- help understand high-agency
- help build accountability & take ownership guiding & aligning all teams on goals
- explain how they'd be at the epicenter of resolving chaos

8/n

7) Multi-level Ambiguity

- underpin the importance of working well & finding their way out of ambiguous situations
- teach them the art of prioritization (the techniques used & also how internal decision making patterns play out & affect all the decisions taken)

9/n

8) Marketing & Sales

- earmark them for regular positioning exposure that'd help invoke their creative sides
- root on empathizing & understanding motivations of the users / putting user centricity at the helm
- begin by handing them that odd sales / marketing assignment

10/n

9) Customer Support

- teach them to merit & classify problems using relevant prioritization methods
- help them understand it is not ok to customize for everyone
- get them to understand the importance of factoring in the VOM before going ahead with building features

11/n

10) Tech Debt

- explain the importance of factoring in Tech Debt
- underpin on solving for problems / friction points aligned with the strategy -> roadmap -> backlog
- teach them effective ways to communicate with customers sans committing to any sort of timelines

12/n

⚠️ STRICT WORD of CAUTION:

I'm not in any sense claiming that product teams could get replaced, even if you resolve these blockers.

There'd still be:
- strategy
- visionary work
- great communication &
- being glue that binds

which could take a lifetime to master

13/n

Also, it's a well known fact how the lack of product teams in a product org. could put you years behind the market as the major issues would be to:

- build the product right &
- build the right product

But if you are hellbent over it, this could be a START.
Good luck!

14/n

You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/BgpInv/bp6sESB

⚠️ "Paving way for ENGG. teams to replace Product teams"

Preparing a 30-60-90 post joining is a great practice as a PM, no doubt!

But you know what'd be better?
- preparing it around the final stages of interviews & reaffirming it

This thread helps you achieve just that:

#productmanagement #career #interviews #careertips

1/n

At EACH stage of the interview funnel, a few well thought out questions could help spill the beans over a lot of things that may not be shared transparently.

Why?
- because they aren't things anyone would want to share / endorse thus justifying a probe all the more

2/n

Here's my recent write-up on this topic (check link below)

It talks about how you could gain clarity about your employer's  expectations & prepare your 30-60-90 sans waiting for it until after onboarding.

🎯 just a set of questions on target

https://mgmtinc.substack.com/p/deducing-your-30-60-90

3/n

As you can see the MATRIX is split into a 3x3

Rows - LEVELS
1. PRODUCT-level - understanding the product in question
2. TEAM-level - info about all teams
3. CULTURE-level - values that're regarded important

Columns - DAYS / PERIOD:
a) 30
b) 60
c) 90

So, let's dive in.

4/n

1. PRODUCT-level

It's only but fair that you understand more about the product you're going to be managing.

So, here's a set of questions that you could ask.

a) 30 [Tech / PM round - for immediate attention]
- which product is it (in case of many products / a suite)?

5/n

NOTE: there is no taking away from the effort you ought to put in over researching the product

- what stage is the product in now?
- goals that demand my immediate attention?
- metrics that have been defined for it?
- success team had had over chasing those metrics?

6/n

b) 60 [Skip-level manager round - up next]
- what's your roadmap looking like for current / upcoming quarters?
- how many EPICS are ready-to-roll (as in well researched leading to multi-level discovery)?
- what is the top priority as of today?
- the users impacted & how?

7/n

c) 90 [CXO / Leadership round - much later]
- how would you define long-term success of this role?
- could you share a few performance metrics tracked for the most recent product / feature release?
- what are the projections like for this upcoming release?

8/n

2. TEAM-level

To be able to collaborate & coordinate well with your teams is just an understatement for a PM.

You could get familiar with the teams' capability via these questions:

a) 30
- current teams & size
- major internal stakeholders
- their impending outcomes

9/n

- how often do they get on calls with PMs?
- daily / weekly team rituals

b) 60
- how'd you describe the performance of the product teams?
- have they collectively bagged any internal performance-related awards recently?
- how frequently have you hired in the recent past?

10/n

- are you happy with the TAT of PMs onboarding & hitting comfort levels / building amazing camaraderie?
- if (YES / NO) can you please explain a bit about the "why" as relevant & applicable?

c) 90
- would you say your teams have maintained up-to-date documentation?

11/n

- what answer would I get from your engineering team members when I question them about the quality of product documentation?
- how frequently does the assessment for a team's workload balance happen here?
- what's one thing you'd change in teams & their functioning?

12/n

3. CULTURE-level

The values that underpin the culture of the org. is of utmost importance & one can't afford to condone it.

Some questions you could pop:

a) 30
- how frequently do teams talk to users & for what purposes?
- feasibility of talking to users at short notice?

13/n

- feasibility to access one's own past performance / feedback?
- what's it that you love about working here?
- are calls with external stakeholders / managers of the user groups pretty normal here & why?

b) 60
- how frequently do product teams interface with CS & why?

14n

- frequency of skip-level meetings?
- how frequent are team-building exercises where people combine todo something away from work?
- how much time are product people allotting to training & development over a quarterly cadence?

15/n

c) 90
- how frequently do leaders discuss features / feature requests with the teams?
- if I ask your engineering / CS teams about org. culture, what'd be the most likely response?
- supposing you had the super-powers, what'd you like to see change in your team?

16/n

When the questions could subtly differ based on the position one's applying for, the framework remains the same over being able to talk to interviewers at each stage & build clarity.

Here's Gumroad link here with questions to help PMs:
https://3475652248832.gumroad.com/l/wtahp

17/n

That's it folks!

For more such write-ups about product concepts, mental models, case studies:

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http://mgmtinc.substack.com



Also:

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You can read the unrolled version of this thread here: https://typefully.com/BgpInv/kn183KS