Slides Yogesh Sharma recently used in his discussion w/ mentees of The Product Mentor. Synopsis: Good product management practice consists of various technics. To develop an excellent product it is really important to understand your customer’s need or to understand the problem your stakeholders are trying to solve. Big question is how do you know that what is the real that stakeholder’s are trying to solve and how relevant is the problem ? The Product Mentor is a program designed to pair Product Mentors and Mentees from around the World, across all industries, from start-up to enterprise, guided by the fundamental goals…Better Decisions. Better Products. Better Product People. Throughout the program, each mentor leads a conversation in an area of their expertise that is live streamed and available to both mentee and the broader product community. http://TheProductMentor.com

1. TPM
Yogesh K Sharma
Stakeholder
Management-
The Importance of
iterative interview of
Stakeholders

2. Who are Stakeholders

3. Who are stakeholders?
• Stakeholders can be:
• User of the application/ product.
• They can be collaborator who help the
team to build the product.
• There are stakeholders who don’t have
clear role in the firm but do have interest
in the product development.
• Stakeholder is a person who cares about the
outcome of the product.

4. Product Management Lifecycle
Innovation*
• Generate ideas
• Prioritize ideas
• Product
Discovery
• Create initial
Proposition
Analysis*
• Validate market
need.
• Justify
investment
• Write
Requirements
Development*
• Hone
requirements
• Design
Solutions and
deliver
• Demonstrate
requirements
met
In-Life
• Sell
• Track
Performance
• Fix issues
Go-To-Market
• Validate fit for
market (trial)
• Finalize
Proposition
• Prepare for
launch
• Major features
are supported
for limited time.
• Announcement
of product
discontinuation
• Online support
documentation
End-of-life

5. Why are we interviewing stakeholders?
• Why are we interviewing conducting the
interview?
• What information are we looking for?
• Which questions will get us closer to our
goal?
• When will we conduct the interview?
• Who will interview ? Fortunately in this case
it’s me
• How will the interview be conducted?

6. Why do need iterative interview process for stakeholders?
• To ensure that we are on right path.
• Not to overwhelm stakeholders with everything all at once.
• To ensure desired outcome will be “well received”.
• To ensure “pain-points” mentioned are real ”pain-points” and not
the “pseudo pain-points”
• Will I attain “Nirvana”!

7. Iterative interview process
Vision/
Innovation/
ideation
Personas
Scenarios
User
Stories
Paper
Wireframing
Development

8. The Art of 3 Why’s and 3 How’s?
• Innovation Phase:
Listening the ideas
Asking the stakeholders why and how it will help to end user.
• Analysis:
Discuss the analysis and sharing the analysis: process flow
Asking the stakeholders why and how it will help to end user.
• Development:
Breakdown of major epics
Asking the stakeholders why and how it will help to end user.

9. Innovation Phase
• Innovation Phase:
• Ideas are coming thick and fast
• Identifying the problem that we want to solve
• Why?
• High level solution
• What will be possible solutions?
• How will they be built? – How ?
• How they will be delivered? – How ?
• Document high level requirements
• Get confirmation and sign-off

10. Analysis Phase
• Analysis:
• Share the learning
• Discuss the customer journey and create a customer journey and create
customer journey map
• Personas & Scenarios
• Why this customer journey make sense?
• Don’t engage in the opinion battles! – bring the new
information to table.
• How the new information makes an impact?
• Ask for Feedback and integrate the feedback

11. Development Phase
• Development:
• Sharing the Prototype
• Simulates an experience
• With the intent to answer a specific question, (Does it really improve?)
• So the creator can iterate and improve the experience
• User Stories: Desirability , Usability, Feasibility, Viability
• Does it still required?
• Why it is still important to user?
• Why this solution is better than other solutions?
• How it is technical possible?
• Ask for Feedback and integrate the feedback

12. Benefit of iterative interview Process
• Earning trust and buy-in
• Stakeholders and PM have a common objective to bring a successful
product.
• Stakeholders interviews are mutually beneficial.
• Helps to clarify their own thinking.
• Boost their confidence that we will meet the project objectives.
• It helps in establishing the relationship
• Future problem-solving become easier
• Develop collaboration and transparency within the team

13. Thank You
Yogesh K Sharma