This document describes a talk given by André Hess on developing product strategy. The talk discusses constructing a base strategy by answering why, where, how, and how to measure success. It also covers validating the strategy through close work with users, using data to guide decisions, and maintaining alignment. The talk emphasizes regularly reviewing and sharing strategy to ensure it evolves with the product and market.
28. Dogthlete
Dogs like to exercise but they don’t currently have a way of tracking their
daily workouts in order to know their fitness levels or their performance over
time. Also, they are very social and like to brag with their friends about their
exercise. There’s currently no app in the market that helps them achieve this.
Why are we doing this?
29. Dogthlete
Build the most engaging platform of dogs athletes in the world, recording and
sharing their workouts to improve and motivate themselves.
Where do we want to go?
30. Dogthlete
How do we get there?
● Improve the accuracy of
tracking system
● Develop social network
features
● Integrate with top hardware
dog health vendors
● Integrate onboarding
experience
31. Dogthlete
How do we know we're there?
● Monthly new signups +10%
● Sustain churn on 5%
● Workouts per user 2 a week
● Premium conversion 5%
32. Dogthlete
Why are we doing this?
Where do we want to go?
How do we get there?
How do we know we're there?
● Improve the accuracy of
tracking system
● Develop social network
features
● Integrate with top hardware
dog health vendors
● Integrate onboarding
experience
● Monthly new signups +10%
● Sustain churn on 5%
● Workouts per user 2 a week
● Premium conversion 5%
Build the most engaging platform of dogs athletes in the world, recording
and sharing their workouts to improve and motivate themselves and their
friends.
Dogs like to exercise but they don’t currently have a way of tracking their
daily workouts in order to know their fitness levels or their performance over
time. Also, they are very social and like to brag with their friends about their
exercise. There’s currently no app in the market that helps them achieve
this.
35. Validating strategy with action
● Staying as close as possible with users.
● Using Data without drowning in numbers
● Creating alignment within the organization
39. Staying as close as possible with users
● Be in the loop on the front lines of support and sales.
● Get out of your saddle (chair) and talk with users.
● Beta testing
40.
41. Using Data without drowning in numbers
Monthly new signups 10% Sustain churn on 5%
Workouts per user 2 a
week
Premium conversion 5%
The
product
dashboard
42. Using Data without drowning in numbers
Monthly new signups 10% Sustain churn on 5%
Workouts per user 2 a
week
Premium conversion 5%
The
product
dashboard
Monthly new signups 10% Sustain churn on 5%
Workouts per user 2 a
week
Premium conversion 5%
8% 4%
2.1 2%
45. Strategy in the long run
● Strategy shouldn’t be kept in the silo ( or your computer). Share it !
● Bet on risky propositions that can drive innovation when your base direction is
solid. Test your hypothesis, always.
● Strategy should be reviewed periodically.
46. Finding your 3 satellites
● Define your strategy by answering 4 questions:
○ Why are we doing this?
○ Where do we wanna go?
○ How do we get there?
○ How do we know we're there?
● Create your own product dashboard to understand where you’re at and what
do you need to adjust.
● Sharing your strategy is key to maintain alignment with your
team/organization.
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The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a network of about 30 satellites orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 20,000 km. The system was originally developed by the US government for military navigation but now anyone with a GPS device
Once it has information on how far away at least three satellites are, your GPS receiver can pinpoint your location using a process called trilateration.
They even take into consideration the effects of relativity.
This is how we now use gps devices mainly in our phones or cars to determine our location and have certainty of where we come from and where we are.
But also it’s very important because they allow us to determine if we’re headed into the right direction for our desired destination.
As product managers we usually struggle with this. We jump right on into the agile world without taking our heads out to think were we want to go and if by doing what we’re doing will take us there.
As product managers we usually struggle with this. We jump right on into the agile world without taking our heads out to think were we want to go and if by doing what we’re doing will take us there.
I know how that feels because I’ve experience companies that still work from the top-down, having executives tell us what should solutions should do but without us understanding or questioning WHY.
Have you felt like this ostrich at work too? Please raise your hand if sometime over the last year you’ve felt you’re working none stop but don’t have real clue if it’s working or not, or , if you don’t know if the path your taking is the correct one?
I’m not going to tell you roadmaps are bad but I’m going to tell you building one takes time and effort and many of you sometimes don’t have the time or product resources you would like.
Or maybe you do have a roadmap, but then, a relevant feature you want or have developed is as important that it should have its own roadmap but you don’t have the time to dedicate to it that much?
This is where the fun begins and where I hope this talk hopefully will help you.
When Carlos and I were discussing today’s presentation I told him I wanted to talk about strategy but in action, in the most practical way as possible. That’s were we added guerilla to the title.
My goal here today is that you take something home that you can put into action tomorrow and even though we’ve scheduled an hour for this I want to be lean and simple on my presentation (even on the time) so we can have time for questions.
And speaking about that, please write down your questions so we can talk at the end, I would love to have time for that and to be able to have a conversation. Many times insights come best from questions from others that can clarify the content here.
So I’ll be talking today about three things:
How are you going to put into action a strategy if you don’t have one.
And please, please, please don’t tell me you have an strategy but don’t have it written down.
If you don’t have it somewhere, if you have never discussed it or even validated with other people.
If you have one and you have never wrote it down then this is for you. Or if you have but struggle with the format this is for you.
When I’m on a daily or weekly meeting and I’m giving my update to the team I usually found myself laughing or being made fun of because I usually say that I’m planning.
One co-worker of mine had a sticker that said “my grandmother only know I work on the internet” (or interé in spanish)” and it was really funny because back when I started it was hard to explain it. Later I’ve found myself telling my grandmother that I’m paid to think and plan.
And for me that’s why this quote struck me so hard, because going back to what I was saying of the ostrich, we can’t get stuck with out head down all the time writing our stories, checking with UX team for the overall designs and battling with developers on the delivery.
However, I’ve found that when I nailed on a lead strategy framework that can help me structure the strategy, it was easier and faster for me to put into action where I and my stakeholders wanted to take the product.
Allow me to go back and refresh ourselves with the very definition of strategy.
This is very basic, but so is common sense, and you know what they say about common sense: “Common sense is the least common of all senses”
(read it)
Humans learn best when they’re told stories.
One of my goals as PM is to be able to share what I’m doing and that anyone in the organization can understand what are we doing and the direction we’re taking the product.
I really love what they say that Jeff Bezos in Amazon like to have their meetings written down before hand. Because our brains process good storytelling much better than data.
Forcing you to write it down will make your own life be questioned
If you need a KPI as a product manager yourself, count the amount of times you’re asking WHY.
And if it’s not enough, then you need to start doing so.
As product managers we have an inherited role to be able to communicate why we’re doing what we’re doing. Without this it’s really hard to know if what we’re doing is correct.
Asking why we are doing this is the basis to formulate an answer that will justify the effort it’s being undertaken because there’s an opportunity, a niche or a business goal that needs to be fulfilled.
But is not only asking why but understanding the answer. Ask questions, as much as you need.
Ok so problem defined, what’s next?
What do you want to do about it. Given a need, what will your solution look like.
Does this sound familiar? If so, yes, that’s our product vision?
How do we create such a vision, let me give you a tip: stakeholders, development team, executives. You create the first one then ask for their opinion. It’s easier to criticize and add when you have something in front.
If you have a destination then it’s easier (not easy but easier) to determine what are your possible routes to reach your destination.
Do you want to go on a bike? Car? Train? Flight?
KPIs
This will allow anyone, no matter the role to understand what and most importantly why we’re building what we’re building.
It’s really important that any feature or initiative is tied to a goal
This will allow anyone, no matter the role to understand what and most importantly why we’re building what we’re building.
It’s really important that any feature or initiative is tied to a goal
This will allow anyone, no matter the role to understand what and most importantly why we’re building what we’re building.
It’s really important that any feature or initiative is tied to a goal
This will allow anyone, no matter the role to understand what and most importantly why we’re building what we’re building.
It’s really important that any feature or initiative is tied to a goal
This will allow anyone, no matter the role to understand what and most importantly why we’re building what we’re building.
Again, anyone , no matter the role, to understand why and what we’re doing.
Conversation with stakeholders.
Once we’ve established what we want to do now we can start working on the differente initiatives that we have established.
I won’t go into the whole development process dont worry.
I want to tell you practical things that I do that have helped me a lot to continually validate and understand if we’re going in the right direction.
A conversation with a user can teach you more than any number.
Using Data without drowning in numbers.
Remember the data
Why is this important?
Product management is as much of a science as art (but do test your hypothesis)
I really like this image I found to
Closing lines within the organization.
Monthly meeting
Sharing with your team the strategy
Remember that GPS work with more than one satellite so don’t rely on yourself as the only one giving proper direction.
Allow your users, your stakeholders, your data and your organization to give you input and conext so you can have even more satellites to use as guides.
I with this talk it can help you better locate them and be able to guide your products to success.