Recap: Building the Case for a Market-Focused Approach w/Greg White

Please retweet: 9/12 Recap: Building the Case for a Market-Focused Approach w/ 

@GregWhiteOC http://bit.ly/n88AnN #prodmgmttalk @prodmgmttalk

At our most recent, Sept 12 Global Product Management Talk on Twitter, Greg White led us in an inquiry into Building the case for a market focused approach.  Following is an edited recap of the tweets. Cindy F. Solomon was joined by Erika L. Andersen as co-host. Use this as a jumping off point to blog your insights and responses.

• Listen to the audio part of the discussion here:  http://bit.ly/o4lAjN
• Transcript of all tweets: http://slidesha.re/mZ8okZ

Greg says, "This discussion assumes that the audience is familiar with business cases. It's about steering the direction of the company and business cases are one of the tools to do that. Another is a clear vision of the future in the form of a good product roadmap." 

MENTIONED DURING THE TALK:

                                                      ·    Ries & Trout's THE 22 IMMUTABLE LAWS OF MARKETING http://bit.ly/qm6UBD

·     You Can't Analyze Your Way to Growth http://bit.ly/pvvVBE

·     "Strategy is about taking many small risks" Jeff Bezos http://bit.ly/paUaNM

·     4-part article. Overcoming Organizational Resistance to Change: http://bit.ly/mW8cHj

·     Ford never made that quote http://bit.ly/qJFobU  

·     the pyramid, pushing decisions 2 team http://bit.ly/o6Ac3C

·     I like the Henry Ford quote, whether or not he said it http://bit.ly/nWXC8f

·     Why Twitter for this discussion? http://bit.ly/hbEgyt

Q1 How important is understanding your target market to the success of your product?

• rcauvin A1: Understanding your market of course helps in #prodmgmt. But don't forget to formulate & test hypotheses. 
• lmckeogh A1: should have a general understanding. Think it is better to understand customer's problems that may/may not jive w/ a market 
• Ycnt_ibdonlyjen RT @rcauvin: A1: Understanding your market of course helps in #prodmgmt. But don't forget to formulate  & test hypotheses. 
• lmckeogh @rcauvin : seek to debunk hypothesis rather than confirm them 

Q1a  Have you had to defend a business case, and if so, how?

• GregWhiteOC We've all developed business cases. There can be influences & agendas within the company to pursue a particular direction. 
• lmckeogh Yes. The strength of defending the business case comes from the data used. Data is the great equalizer.  
• rcauvin A1a: Sure, formulating & defending a biz case is a common Strategic  #prodmgmt  activity.  
• lmckeogh When defending the biz case, lay out the options and compare all of them equally. Remember to include option to do nothing  
• rcauvin A1a: But in addition to "defending" spell out your plan for testing the business case.  
• GregWhiteOC: Had to convince exec that customers would not appreciate. They listend, put resources elsewhere  
• lmckeogh When creating biz case, try to identify risks, their probability, and impact. Also any plans to mitigate them 
• rcauvin A1a: Business case should draw upon both strategic marketing principles & market information.
• GregWhiteOC: Your biz case must be quantifiable. Hard,fast data, not opinions. 
• GregWhiteOC: Need metrics instead of just "I think this will happen." Put into model and see if flies.
• lmckeogh When creating biz case for unknown/new market hard data is not always available. Call out assumptions and gut decisions. 
• rcauvin A1a: For marketing principles, turn to Ries & Trout's THE 22 IMMUTABLE LAWS OF MARKETING. 

Q2 What are some ways you have gained insights into your target market’s needs?

• lmckeogh You Can't Analyze Your Way to Growth http://t.co/ujLduLc past doesn't include opps that exist but have not yet happened 
• ErikaLAndersen Erika: A2 Personas! (must say at least once each tweetchat) 
• rcauvin A2: prospect interviews, surveys, ethnographic studies, and put real stuff in front of them to test my assumptions.
• thebuddygroup A2: Surveys, but most importantly, studying the heartbeat -- the convos -- of our target market to see what they want & need 
• GregWhiteOC: Take concept, throw it against the wall, see if sticks 
• lmckeogh Analysis excludes ways to serve customers that have not been tried or imagined or ways to turn non-customers into customers. 
• GregWhiteOC: Put out a landing page, do some A/B testing, see if it works. 
• GregWhiteOC: This doesn't work for projects that take 60-90 days or more 
• lmckeogh @GregWhiteOC : talking to customers & listening to their problems &creating sln rather than creating sln & trying to find mkt 
• ErikaLAndersen @GregWhiteOC DOES NOT ADVOCATE the throw against the wall approach...example of what NOT to do 
• lmckeogh @ErikaLAndersen @Mack_McCoy @GregWhiteOC : when throwing against the wall, use small bits, ala Amazon approach
• GregWhiteOC The whole point of a business case and using a mkt focused approach is NOT THROWING against a wall.
• lmckeogh "Strategy is about taking many small risks" Jeff Bezos bit.ly/n5u2a1 
• Mack_McCoy @lmckeogh That's true. It could work for features or subsets, but for an entire product is incredibly risky.
• rcauvin A2: Focus not on what customers say they WANT, but on what PROBLEM it would solve, and what they DO. 
• ErikaLAndersen @rcauvin Customers know life experience, but not how to design products to meet needs. Thus, have no clue what they want. 

Q3 How do you respond to executive direction that you know is not going to be a successful model?

• lmckeogh A3: This is where your metal as product manager gets proven. If you cannot sell an idea may want to find other line of work 
• Mack_McCoy A3: Diplomatically, but also don't be shy. You're paid to make successful products, not exec's vision. Depending on...
• thebuddygroup Hopefully the execs have their own version of a cabinet, whose opinions and input they value  #BuddyUp  
• lmckeogh A3: Going back to data as the great equalizer, sit w/ exec show the data & ask to see theirs. If yours is wrong rethink it. 
• Mack_McCoy A3: ...the org, will determine how you approach. Some orgs are data driven, so you'll have to go that route. Others prefer... 
• Mack_McCoy A3: ...stories or persona or "real customer" feedback. It all depends. 
• thebuddygroup A3 If you see holes in the strategy, propose a solution, don't just point out the issue or you're causing a problem, as well 
• wapolanco A3: I'm a big advocate of "the answer is in the numbers" stats will always prove or disprove a case. 
• lmckeogh a3: it is not really exec's job to truly know what to do, they rely on others around them for advice and direction.  
• wapolanco Also, an effective PM can get top clients to comment/opine on roadmap. Sometimes that alone will persuade execs. 
• Mack_McCoy A3: Good 4-part article. Overcoming Organizational Resistance to Change:  http://t.co/ZmLgWRw   
• lmckeogh A3: how you couch the proposal is also important. Don't put exec in a meeting, hit them cold and expect a favorable decision 
• ErikaLAndersen Team: becomes collaboration with best of what ppl have to offer 
• reinfluence @rcauvin @lmckeogh Yes to empowerment! But they don't make the executive's decisions.  
• wapolanco @rcauvin: @reinfluence @lmckeogh Some of the best execs empower a TEAM to make decisions. Means moving frm mgr to leader! 

Q4 Have you ever had to create a no-go business case?

• lmckeogh A4: Yes on both. Showed 5 options that all logically built to doing nothing. Net ROI didn't get us any further ahead so why 
• thebuddygroup Sometimes you need to swat out the options to ideate 
• GregWhiteOC You need to do a lot of education and lobbying. 

Q5 How important is a product roadmap to aligning your product with market needs?

• GregWhiteOC The product roadmap supports the business case and is a great tool for socializing your vision.  
• Mack_McCoy Yes! Roadmap is key piece of internal communication & political selling. 
• wapolanco A5: Roadmap is essential in communicating the alignment between pm/org/industry. 
• rcauvin A5: A product roadmap is provisional but important for expressing & testing hypotheses. 
• thebuddygroup A5 A roadmap is very important. Know where you need to go, including budget & resource allocation, but prepare for bumps 
• Mack_McCoy @GregWhiteOC It's also a critical piece for alignment to reduce duplicate work and set the stage for the development effort. 

Q6 Have you ever built a product that no customers specifically asked for?

• ErikaLAndersen A6: One well-known example, Ford built Car even though customers wanted faster horses 
• lmckeogh A6: Yes. Customers exist in the problem space not the solution space. Understanding their problem can build a solution to it 
• Mack_McCoy A6: You can find that everywhere. People often fall in love with tech for tech's sake & build sol'n THEN look for a market.
• ErikaLAndersen @GregWhiteOC: Initially, no one wanted smart phones; but iPhone came out, and devs built apps
• rcauvin A6: Yes, the decision to launch my @Dadnab service a few years ago was based on market research but not requests.
• ErikaLAndersen @GregWhiteOC: Now people finding ways to use apps to serve needs, ordering burrito from chipotle
• thebuddygroup Analyze the negative space for a positive! RT@lmckeogh: A6: Yes. Understanding [your customers'] problem can build a solution 
• lmckeogh @ErikaLAndersen : actually Ford never made that quote http://t.co/iFA1wHw.
• GregWhiteOC Early phone apps were "toys" but now you can order a burrito or do your banking with an app. 
• rcauvin A6: Part of the reason for focusing on market problems rather than requests is to truly innovate. #prodmgmtGregWhiteOC: Need to solve problem for mkt, not ind customers, otherwise run around solve each cust's needs 
• rcauvin @ErikaLAndersen @lmckeogh I like the Henry Ford quote, whether or not he said it. http://t.co/3KlFRMB
• Mack_McCoy @wapolanco I kinda disagree. Twitter was in response to the pain of group txt'ing. Granted, that's not where it ended up. :) 
• thebuddygroup @wapolanco Great example. If your prototype offers insight for a great product line, you've won. Just don't waste it
• reinfluence @rcauvin @lmckeogh Sure, inverting the pyramid, pushing decisions 2 team. http://t.co/zedqLN6 But not all want to share power 
• GregWhiteOC @rcauvin also to create a solution for a "market", not a "customer" 
• wapolanco @Mack_McCoy Twitter itself is an example of this. Tool was built first, market(s) determined later. Still being defined today 
• thebuddygroup @mack_mccoy Kinda glad @Twitter steered off course! Otherwise, we all may never be in the same conversations #grouptext 
• cindyfsolomon
 Why Twitter for this discussion? http://t.co/XNKLpfA 

Thank you @GregWhiteOC for speaking today and @ErikaLAndersen for co-hosting! Everyone's participation appreciated! 

Today’s stats 304 tweets generated 279,547 impressions, reaching an audience of 12,010 followers 

Join us next week for Managing the Backlog During Initial Development in B2B ISVs w/ @Johnpeltier and co-host Roger Cauvin @rcauvin with Cindy @cindyfsolomon  http://bit.ly/qMMDVp 

Please retweet: 9/12 Recap: Building the Case for a Market-Focused Approach w/ 

@GregWhiteOC http://bit.ly/n88AnN #prodmgmttalk @prodmgmttalk

Global Product Management Talk^TM is a weekly mini-product camp Socratic discussion (on Twitter) of pre-posted questions (on Facebook) with live audio of thought leader and co-hosts commenting (on Blogtalkradio). 

                                

Recap: What Product Managers Must Learn from Brand Management w/ Mack McCoy

By Cindy F. Solomon 

Also posted at http://bit.ly/p8zv6Z  

Please retweet: 8/29 Recap: What Product Management Must Learn from Brand Managers w/ @Mack_McCoy http://bit.ly/p8zv6Z #prodmgmt

At our most recent, Aug 29 Global Product Management Talk on Twitter, Mack McCoy  led us in an inquiry into Product Managers’ Appreciation Of Brand Impression.  Following is an edited recap of the tweets.  Listen to his full discussion here: http://bit.ly/qrpvZl

Use this as a jumping off point to blog your insights and responses.

Mack McCoy says, “If you think you’re just selling a product, you’re wrong!  Customers have moved on. They see BRANDS as services and products as a component of the relationship they have with a variety of brands at any given time. Everything is migrating into a service. Customers still buy individual products, but their experience IS your brand impression - the product is important but it’s only a part of their entire relationship.”

INTRO

• Link resources for today's talk http://pack.li/2w
• Transcript of all tweets: http://slidesha.re/qUE0fT

Please welcome @Mack_McCoy, Global Product Marketer for Discussion On What Product Managers Must Learn from Brand Management to Succeed.  Mack McCoy is Co-Founder, Executive Director, & Director of Social Media for Product Camp SoCal and Treasurer & Founding Board Member of Orange County Product Managers.  Mack has more than a decade of experience in product marketing, business transformation, product management and quality assurance focused in the Internet and Telecommunication industries.

MENTIONED DURING TALK:

• Definition: Brand Management http://bit.ly/qBCtmP 
• Definition: Product Management http://bit.ly/nBOMzL
• The Real 5 P's of Marketing http://bit.ly/rnkco3
• Find the Right Job for Your Product http://bit.ly/p7uvlQ
• Products to services: why it's not so simple http://bit.ly/oaIYdj
• Why your product must be social — not just your marketing http://bit.ly/n6Z5kB
• How is a product manager different from a brand manager? http://bit.ly/qOotHr
• Don Norman http://bit.ly/qYVVhK

Q1 How is customer experience defined in your organization?

• Reason for first question "it always starts wi/ customer! Step back: do people understand brand vs. product mgmt?" asks @Mack_McCoy  
• @mack_mccoy Brand Manager asks more fundamental ques - what is the pain the customer is trying to solve?  What are consumers trying to do/solve by buying ur product or service?
• @mack_mccoy brand management makes & maintains a promise to the customer 
• http://t.co/0NQbvWY Brand Management def - broad: develop promise for brand 2 embody, make promise & maintain the promise 
• @Mack_McCoy  Apple has done a consistent job of delivering on brand promises. Excuse the fanboy, but reason why Apple succeeds is they keep promise to customrs. #prodmgmt in tech has a tendency to focus on technology instead of the customer.  #prodmgmt should look to#brand management to create exceptional customer experiences
• ErikaLAndersen @Mack_McCoy: Can get so caught up in product/launch, lose sight of what customer values Question: is customer experience and brand experience the same thing? 
• @Mack_McCoy says Cust Exp is subset of brand exp, it drives brand experience. Cust Exp feeds brand exp - all messaging...There is more in brand experience eg: messaging.  look at cust exp from acquisition thru billing...
• ErikaLAndersen @Mack_McCoy: customer experience is biggest part of the brand experience. Thanks! 
• cindyfsolomon @ErikaLAndersen brand management success is measured by customer impression, experience and resulting behavior 
• @Mack_McCoy #prodmgmt should establish & maintain emotional connection with customer when developing prods & services 

Q2 Where does customer experience begin and end when you think about your products/services?

• @Mack_McCoy #prodmgmt should be thinking about brand & customer exp comprehensively so u can to stay top of mind 
• BreSwim Customer experience begins at first impression whether online or elsewhere 
• brainmates Good #prodmgmt should consider all touch points. When deploying tech, don't lose sight of humanity. 
• ErikaLAndersen @Mack_McCoy: So you're not limiting cust exp to jst prod use, but from 1st ad, set up, etc? 
• ErikaLAndersen Shld user test not only prod design, but setup, uploads/downloads, everything customer does w/ prod
• @Mac_McCoy - cust exp should be defined first & foremost by the customer not by the Product Manager
• cindyfsolomon @Mack_McCoy to @ErikaLAndersen Yes, Absolutely. Its about trying to understand what is the pain you are solving 
• @Mac_McCoy We r fundamentally trying to sell something so we need to understand why people want to buy 
• ErikaLAndersen According to Don Norman: Design at three levels, visceral, behavioral, & reflective 
• @Mack_McCoy ethnography, anthropology, customer surveys - all this info provides info about customer so we build best prod 
• ErikaLAndersen Visceral: first impression; Behavioral: Using product; Reflective: thinking abt it later 

Q3 In your company/position, who’s responsible for the overall customer experience? Who’s really in the driver’s seat?

• >@Mack_McCoy - Its diff for diff companies. Often Product Manager is in the middle. In small companies, its the Product Manager who drives customer experience 
• BreSwim @cindyfsolomon Marketing in many cases. Often responsible for driving potential customers to become current customers. 
• ErikaLAndersen Person who works with customers most, who has the empathy, should be driving 
• liz_blink Is that not everyone?
• @Mack_McCoy to @BreSwim Shouldn't we go further - once we have customer, want to keep and grow them. Could argue mrktg resp...we need to go further. How do we keep current customers? 
• @Mack_McCoy its a triage if its a support issue - could fall to dev, eng when enhancing existing prods...
• ErikaLAndersen I think marketing creates msgs to send out; person driving should listen more than speak 
• brainmates RT @liz_blink: Is that not everyone? It should be! Unfortunately we forget about the customer in day 2 day biz…
• @Mack_McCoy products will be successful whenever salespeople have excellent rapport w/buyer, company in B2B… emulate that "warm" relationship w/B2C transactions 
• brainmates Great advice from @Mack_McCoy. If we want buyers to buy, we need to create an emotional connection throughout whole journey 

Q4 What drives your customers’ decision-making for buying/upgrading your products/services? Do you know? Should you care?

• > 
  ErikaLAndersen @gander2112 says that all the time- that we must listen & observe more than telling/talking to recognize 
• @mack_mccoy absolutely! To encourage brand loyalty mrktg can't be the only! Often 1st impression is from mktg 
• Mack_McCoy @BreSwim Yes. Often many don't understand why brand exp is so important & their role in bldg it. 
• BreSwim @cindyfsolomon @mack_mccoy Q: is it more difficult to engage employees in importance of brand experience than it is the customer?
• @liz_blink: We act as if customers distract us from work! 
• cindyfsolomon A4 - leading question - of course we care as Product Managers - its what drives us! 
• @Mack_McCoy we think if we have all the check boxes, then we'll win but everyone says you must build comprehensive experience 
• cindyfsolomon @Mack_McCoy Wholefoods does a good job focused outside on brand impression - but don't treat their employees well... 
• ErikaLAndersen Think it'd help to give engs personas, ensure countless decisions they make reflect custs? 
• @Mack_McCoy  older processes dehumanized data as it distilled down into features. Agile & personas return connection 
• chrisboothe RT @brainmates: Good #prodmgmt should consider all touch points. When deploying tech, don't lose sight of humanity.

Q5 Where do you capture data about direct customer experience, feedback, perception?

• @Mack_McCoy now golden age of voice of customer -info readily avail at reduced cost 
• @Mack_McCoy 1. many tools agregating info from all sources 2. consumer/customer panel 3. solicit feedback - surveys 
• @Mack_McCoy Social Media + Customer Panel + Surveys + Feedback + Customer Support Info = ways to get 2 customer 
• @Mack_McCoy  Often info from customer support wasn't making it back to ProdMgmt & Engineering
• cindyfsolomon Best source of info re: product, company, customers & history is #Customer  Support people & dept!
• ErikaLAndersen @cindyfsolomon: Key for prod mgmrs: make friends with customer support 
• liz_blink You should be allies anyway!

cindyfsolomon Thank you @Mack_McCoy for speaking today! Everyone's participation appreciated!  

Mack_McCoy Thank you! It was fun. 

NO Speaker next week - USA Labor Day Holiday - enjoy! Join us Sept 12 for @GregWhite of PCamp SoCal 

Please retweet: 8/29 Recap: What Product Management Must Learn from Brand Managers w/ @Mack_McCoy http://bit.ly/p8zv6Z #prodmgmt

Global Product Management Talk^TM is a weekly mini-product camp Socratic discussion (on Twitter) of pre-posted questions (on Facebook) with live audio of thought leader and co-hosts commenting (on Blogtalkradio).