Mark Calkins
I am a software product manager. I also have expertise in product marketing, marketing, UX design, prototyping and web development.
Mark Calkins
@markcalkins
markcalkins.com
Companies who are market-driven are 31% more profitable.
—George Day, Professor of Marketing, Wharton School of Business
Market-driven companies are:
—From Pragmatic Marketing interviewing 45,000 alumni at 3,000 customies
You are not your target user.
"IF I HAD ASKED PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANTED, THEY WOULD HAVE SAID:
FASTER HORSES..."
—Henry Ford
What business are we in?
What business are we not in?
What is unique about what we offer?
How can we compete?
It is not the product or service, rather it is the experience users have that creates your competitive edge
User problem:
Difficult to program a thermostat
Solution:
Your opinion, while interesting, is irrelevant
The only thing that matters is the user's opinion
Customers don't care about products
They only care about solutions to their problems
qualitative + quantitative market data =
understanding your users
"A Day in the Life"
You are in the business of continuous problem solving for your market
When You Identify a Major Pain Point
URGENT | NOT URGENT | |
---|---|---|
IMPORTANT | Quadrant I - Crisis - Pressing problems - Deadline projects |
Quadrant II - Planning - Prevention - Learning, developing |
NOT IMPORTANT | Quadrant III - Interruption - Low-value, required work - Some meetings |
Quadrant IV - Busy work - Time wasters - Pleasant activities |
Many pricing strategies
Sprint 1
Sprint 2
Sprint 3
Evolution of requirements documentation
Stories
(Issues)
Epics
Initiatives
Created by the Product Manager
Created by the Product Manager or Scrum Master
Created by the Product Management Lead
Stories
(Issues)
Epics
Initiatives
As a user, I want to know where to go first to get started
Create onboarding tools
Improve user engagement of our application
UNIT OF WORK
As a (persona), I want (action) so that I can get (an expected action).
As a user, I want to get a loan so that I can purchase a new car.
User Story:
As a conference attendee, I want to be able to register online, so that I can do it quickly and cut down on paperwork
Acceptance Criteria:
Prioritize user stories within an Epic and prioritize Epics between each other
Stories
(Issues)
Epics
Initiatives
As a user, I want to know where to go first to get started
Create onboarding tools
Improve user engagement of our application
UNIT OF WORK
Initiative
Epic Epic Epic
Story Story Story
Story Story Story
For (target buyer) who (needs/cares about), (product) is a (product category) that (delivers benefit). Unlike (primary alternatives), (product) is/uses (differentiation).
For the novice user who wants an easy way to create a personal website, Wix is a website builder that is intuitive and very easy to use. Unlike other lightweight site builders, Wix uses artificial design intelligence to make it super easy to build a website.
Target user: small business
Objective: get a website
Get your business online. Simply and quickly.
Increase your visibility. Appear more credible. Reach a larger market.
The process of managing the entire product lifecycle—from inception to development to product rollout to ongoing enhancements to eventual disposal of the product
When is it appropriate to phase out a product?
Mark Calkins
@markcalkins
markcalkins.com
By Mark Calkins
Overview of the product manager duties and responsibilities.
I am a software product manager. I also have expertise in product marketing, marketing, UX design, prototyping and web development.