1. 3 Common Mistakes Made by People
New to Product Management
Karla Schönicke, November 2017

2. 1 - Not Talking to Your Customer

3. Often people new to product management are getting so
caught up in the management part, they forget about the
product and who it is actually for or which problem the
product solves.

4. Yes, it can be super exciting to get to know all the
methods, frameworks and tools. But without anybody
needing your product because it doesn't solve their
problem (no problem-solution fit), you'll soon have no
product to manage at all. Oops.

5. 2 - Thinking of Yourself as the Customer

6. You have used numerous products and services before,
so certainly you will know, how people will feel about this
app, use a certain website or like a new feature, right?
Actually no. You just assumed your own preferences to
be the same for your target group. That is a trap anyone
building a product has stepped into at least once in the
process. It's cool as long as you stay clear of it in the
future and use data instead.

7. Data-driven product management is by far the most
reliable way to find your target group’s sweet spot and
build a business on that. Everything else is wild guessing.
If you don't have useful data available yet, then start
actively collecting it. Soon enough, you’ll love your data
and never want to work without it ever again. Promise.

8. 3 - Just Building What the Customer Says

9. This usually comes in disguise of short-term success
and praise from customers. Unfortunately, they tend to
say one thing and mean something else. By just building
what they ask, it’s very likely that they are still not
satisfied with the solution.

10. For this reason, it is your task as the product manager
to keep digging until you get to the core: their unfulfilled
need. This can surface as a painful problem or a
powerful desire.
Since you are the shaper of the product, use your skills
to then build a product that delivers a solution to the
customer. They’ll thank you with their money. Awesome.

11. Bottom Line
- Talk to your customer, observe their behaviour and
get into their shoes.
- Collect and interpret data to make informed choices.
- The product is your responsibility, shape it into a
need-fulfilling aka valuable product or service.

12. And now: Let’s Build Something!
PS: You do have questions? Feel free to contact me.