Last week we looked at Personas as a means of product concept investigation. This method focuses on the people who may use the products being considered for development. Problem scenarios focus on the various problems the product is intended to solve for these personas. Problem scenarios are a good way to take a high level […]

Before any product direction can be undertaken, you as product manager need to develop your product concept. This is not a thick, in-depth document. Rather, it is a 30,000-foot look at how a product concept you are considering meets market needs. It looks at the market opportunity, how your company can create and deliver the […]

Last week we considered the benefits and use of the SWOT Matrix that mapped out Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Today, we’re going to look at the TOWS Matrix. You can use the information that emerges from this matrix to develop options for addressing issues that were revealed through SWOT. In case you didn’t immediately […]

Last week we began our exploration of tools to help manage your product portfolio with a discussion of the BCG Growth-Share Matrix. Today, we’re going to look at the GE-McKinsey Matrix. This is a tool that takes the value of the BCG Growth-Share Matrix and expands on it by developing the definitions of labels on […]

There are a plethora of product management tools available to help teams in every phase of the product lifecycle. Starting with this post and continuing over a number of upcoming weeks we will explore a few of the most useful product management tools. This discussion is not meant to be a complete and exhaustive explanation […]

Today I’m going to reveal the first of six new key performance indicators gleaned from the latest Global Study of Product Team Performance. But, before I do, I’d like to take a moment to revisit the background of the study. A Unique Study The survey itself is unique in that since its inception it has […]

Today we’ll consider responses to two more questions from the Global Study of Product Team Performance. How do your organization’s practices compare to the findings shared by survey participants? Question: How do you track, review, and develop ideas from your employees, customers, and suppliers? (Check one.)   Response Percentage We have no formal processes and […]

Today is the second post in a series exploring insights gained from the latest Global Study of Product Team Performance. Let’s consider what our survey participants told us in two more key areas: definition of done and first level engineering manager responsibilities. Question: Who defines your product team’s definition of done that you apply against […]

In my last post I began a presentation of the components of a market view analysis and how to present them to your company leadership. This week, I’m picking up where I left off. The list of 13 components I began explaining last week includes: Market focus Size of your market and expected growth rate […]

Knowing your market is one key to success in business. But before zeroing in on specific market threats, it’s a good idea to focus on seeing the big picture. Your company may already possess some of the information you need to gather. The best places to check are within senior management and marketing. Bear in […]