In this edition of Behind Product Lines, you’ll find:
A Quick Poll
10 Dials that PMs Need to Balance
A Product Manager Trait Not Talked About Often
Phrases Product Marketers Need to Stop Using as Value Props
Today’s Poll
10 Dials Product Managers are Required to Balance
Product Managers adjust dials between a set of 2 extremes.
Every product stage, industry, market, team dynamic - demands the PM to adopt a different configuration across factors like:
1. Intuition vs. Data
Data guides decisions & keeps teams objective. However, data isn't always available or reliable. That's when intuition - informed by experience, customer insights & domain knowledge - comes into play.
2. Discovery vs. Testing
Asking the right questions to uncover jobs-to-be-done is critical. Discovery ensures teams tackle a compelling problem. But PMs can't afford to go into analysis paralysis. They truly learn when they ship, test & iterate.
3. Strategy vs. Execution
Shipping requires a bias for action. From developing specs to pushing out feature launches, PMs have to "deliver" value. However, PMs also need to think strategically to pick the course to PMF that makes the most sense.
4. Yes vs. No
"Saying No" has now become an axiom in PM circles. There are several ways to say No (e.g. not now, not until X, not this but that etc.). "No" allows for focus. However, some ideas come by that truly in the interest of the team. Knowing when to greenlight those is equally important.
5. Buy vs. Build
Building features from scratch gives dev teams granular control on the product. It also keeps the experience seamless. But there will be cases where building is counter-productive & maintenance costs don't justify it. PMs will then have to step up to make the right "buying" decisions.
6. Roadmap vs. Customer requests
Strong strategy is translated into a roadmap that aligns with it. It sets up the mileposts for the team to achieve in pursuit of the vision. However, roadmaps aren't meant to be immutable. A compelling customer need or market gap may bubble up as a great opportunity to jump on. PMs shuffle.
7. Qualitative vs. Quantitative
Products thrive on feedback to improve. Numerical data is easy to measure & analyze. Feature utilization, adoption & business metrics help PMs understand how things are working. At the same time, qualitative customer feedback creates clarity on sentiments & perception. They create context of the "why" behind the numbers.
8. Moonshots vs. Roofshots
Incremental improvements based on data & customer feedback is how products inch closer to product-market fit. While that's a core activity, taking big swings through innovation & RnD investments can help products zoom past competition.
9. Self vs. Team
PMs are servant leaders. They facilitate teams by unblocking them & giving them direction. However, PMs also need to protect their time from unnecessary meetings, requests & other rabbit holes to maximize value.
10. Minimalism vs. Sophistication
Products are often made for a diverse audience. Un-initiated users desire simplicity. Onboarding flows & tours. On the other hand, advanced users admire power. Control & configs. PMs need to create experiences for both.
A Product Manager Trait Not Talked About Often
There are many traits a Product Manager should possess to rise in the ranks. But there's one that I admire a lot more than others.
Humility.
I like this quote from C.S. Lewis:
In Product Management, you do tend to fall down and you learn to rise higher from failure. Without embracing humility, you'll not only lose effectiveness but also lose the respect & influence you have over the rest of the team.
"Influence without authority" is not an acquired, inherited or granted asset. It's earned.
Sadly, humility also happens to be a trait that is vastly misunderstood.
It's difficult to say whether a candidate has it in a 45-minute interview.
But I've become slightly better at spotting what humility is NOT.
The problem is that it's very easy to conflate "humility" with other traits when virtuous behavior is observed.
Here are some statements & scenarios:
1/ "The Product Manager is humble because he lets other people in the room talk first before they do."
That's more courtesy than humility.
2/ "The Product Manager doesn't get angry when their user story or assessment is challenged."
Again, that's more diplomacy than humility.
3/ "The Product Manager changed their opinion & listened to the developer."
It might be indicative of humility BUT if this happens often, that's not a good sign either. A humble Product Manager doesn't necessarily have weakly held opinions. They are still decisive & definitive in their approach.
4/ "The Product Manager apologized & owned their mistake."
Well, great. But...do they just do this with seniors/supervisors?
Humility, in the context of Product Management, isn't about degrading one's own opinion & thinking it's lower than anyone else's.
Yes, a humble Product Manager can suffer from "Imposter Syndrome" but that needs to be used as fuel to work harder, not crumble into indecisiveness.
The best definition I have seen:
"A humble Product Manager is one whose ego, status & professional pedigree is no longer an impediment in their pursuit to achieve product success."
Product Managers that exercise humility:
✅ listen "actively" with intent, processing what's being said rather than who's saying it.
✅ are willing to learn from anyone.
✅ are genuinely thankful for everyone's hard work & effort but don't fish for compliments & don't expect to be put on a pedestal.
✅ have strong opinions about the product & it's strategy...but don't position them as impervious to strong logic or potent counter-arguments.
✅ will thank a newbie in an interview for proving them wrong or teaching them a new perspective, rather than getting back at them with an impossibly hard question as a follow-up.
(I guess the same applies to other roles in general, especially managerial positions)
Phrases Product Marketers Need to Stop Using as Value Props
As a Product Marketer, you need to internalize one over-used truism early on:
Your potential prospects don't care about your product. They just care about the problem they're solving.
Yet, marketers often resort to using "vanity" propositions in their messaging.
Here are a few to avoid:
"We're powered by state-of-the-art AI."
Your prospect:
Cool. That's what my air conditioner says too. What does the AI do for me?
Instead:
Focus on how you enable customers to make smarter decisions faster.
"We're blockchain experts."
Your prospect:
Does that mean you're good at lego? I’m all for secure transactions but how is blockchain better than my other products that boast state-of-the-art encryption.
Instead:
Highlight how existing solutions don’t provide the security you’re willing to provide.
"We help you streamline your processes."
Your prospect:
What does that mean? You’ll make them better? You’ll automate them? You’ll put them in a body of water and run a line through them?
Instead:
Be very specific about the kind of processes you have improved & what exactly they can expect to benefit from (e.g. a value prop for a recruitment marketplace: “Get relevant candidates in your inbox daily. Cut down your time-to-hire by half.”)
"We're the simplest product."
Your prospect:
OK. What proof do you have to prove that overly subjective assessment of yourself?
Instead:
Reference what customers say about your product: “It took me 10 minutes flat to issue my first invoice - it’s that easy — says Aaron from Vancouver.”
"We've got 200+ integrations."
Your prospect:
Alright. Good for you. Quick question: Can I exchange the 199 that I won't be using for a discount…or better yet a talking cat?
Instead:
Talk about the types of data you move through tech stacks. "We keep your tools in sync - be it your CRM, ERP, ATS or Invoicing software - with plug n play integrations.”
"We're built using the same tech stack as Google."
Your prospect:
Well, that makes two of us. I use Google search, mail & maps every day.
Instead:
Talk about what provisions that technology provides e.g. faster processing, multi-device compatibility out-of-the-box.
"Our data is hosted on AWS."
Your prospect:
Well, so is the tech stack of every other platform out there. And how is that my problem? I need you to tell me my data’s safe & secure.
Instead:
Mention what a AWS-supported tech stack means for the customer. Highlight your data security & redundancy capabilities.
“Supercharge your ROI”
Your prospect:
Thank you, I’ll stick with supercharging my mobile phone.
Instead:
Use conversational language without jargon. Ex: “our sales writing assistance tools improves reply rates by 14%.”
"We're a cloud-based platform."
Your prospect:
Should we pack an umbrella?
Instead:
Move beyond things that have become commonplace.
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In other words, Stop using sensationalism & bloated buzzwords.
Use messages that explain in plain words how you solve the problem differently than others.