User Experience and product management (Full Version)

Reprinted from http://hi.baidu.com/askhexiao/blog/item/ff0772f04ba35baea40f52d2.html

User Experience and product management (Full Version)

I simply translated the articles Jeff Lash and Chris Baum posted by Mr. Guo on the relationship between user experience and product management. The time is tight and I haven't checked them yet. The full text is as follows:

Chapter 1

User Experience (UE) Professionals are gradually interested in their work from a business perspective. In their core concepts, UE focuses on understanding user requirements and creating useful and easy-to-use products to express such requirements.

UE personnel often feel very frustrated when their research, design, and creativity are not respected accordingly. Almost every UE employee has knowledge about interaction and processes despite lack of knowledge, however, based on their feelings or without reason, they reject the bad experience of dealing with leaders based on research.

Many UE personnel gradually realize that they have experience and insights to use authority and play a greater role in helping build products, product managers are also more interested in Interaction designers, information architects, and usability engineers who wish to expand the impact to ensure smooth user-centered product development.

For many UE practitioners, they have become Product managers,
PM) is a reasonable conversion because the two often require similar skills, features, and capabilities. In addition, product management is a common role of many organizations. It is easier to transition to such an existing role.
If an information architect or interaction designer chooses to use this direct method to influence products, they also need to learn to think differently.

What is PM?

Traditionally, PM is a product supervisor. To facilitate discussion, we define products as software, websites, network applications, LAN or technical products.

As a leader, PM will be responsible for the success of the entire product, including the user experience. For technical products, user experience is a very important part of product success, including other aspects, such as product sales, technology, law, business model, positioning, brand and marketing.

PM should act as a leader rather than a dictatorship to ensure product success and receive support from all parties.Like the President working with officials in charge of Defense, transportation, and agriculture, the PM team also includes people in marketing, technology, finance, and other fields. Unlike vote-based democracy, PM is responsible for users and customers and determines democracy through revenue, profit, use, and other market-driven factors.

Various tasks and fields involved in product management make PM proficient in all aspects of business.

PM's Responsibilities

The basic responsibility of PM is to understand the market and promote product development to adapt to the market. As UE personnel are often familiar with the design user needs and have the corresponding market knowledge, therefore, they have the potential to become excellent PM.

PM has the following high-level responsibilities:

• Establish a product strategy with a long-term and persuasive vision for the future of the product.
• To turn policies into product routes, with clear vision and strategies, PM should work with the management to confirm and execute policies.
• Write a document to support business strategies and market needs, identify the main routes, and then refine specific executable requirements.
• Determine to provide appropriate feature features (features) at the right time in an appropriate order, and divide these features based on the degree of Customer Value and market relevance.
• Determine proper communication channels with the market, send appropriate messages to the appropriate people in the appropriate manner, and confirm that the customer understands their products.

Differences between product management and user experience

Despite its broad and strategic responsibilities, PM also needs to mask their strategy at the tactical layer. In some details, the PM may overlap with the UE personnel. As Johor Korman wrote:

When I describe what I do to people who do not know "Interactive Design", I first say, "I observe the needs of users and determine which products are most suitable for them, then develop the Code of Conduct for this product to promote the work of the development team. "People often respond: in my organization, we call this" PM ".

At first glance, the role of user experience is surprisingly similar to that of product management. However, you will find that product management differs from user experience in terms of responsibility, focus, and dependency.

Responsibilities:PM is responsible for overall success, while UE personnel is responsible for interface design to meet user needs and ease of use. UE personnel should also focus on overall success like sales, marketing, and engineering personnel, although not responsible for these aspects.

Important:When the UE personnel focus on the interface and product experience, PM will examine these interfaces and product experience in terms of overall market feedback, specific market planning, competitiveness, technology, benefits and losses, and callable resources.

Dependency:Information architects (IA), graphic designers, usability specialists, and others focus on the interface. They need to rely on their own or similar roles to complete their work. PM firmly requires others to execute their product strategies. They need to integrate more subtle product goals, strategies, influences, firm and fair decisions, and other factors, these requirements are more than those of UE personnel.

Perhaps Johor Korman has better explained the difference between PM and other roles, such as UE:PM is responsible for What the product should do, while other roles are responsible for How the product does that).

Conflicts between product management and user experience

The most common conflict between UE and PM occurs in the discussion of what the product should do and what the product should do. The two parties often argue who should be responsible for defining the features and requirements of the product. PM feels that they should be responsible because they manage products, but UE personnel feel that they should be responsible because they spend time dealing directly with customers and users to study user needs.

In the end, PM is responsible for the success of the entire product, and they become the final arbitration of the product. A good PM focusing on the market should be able to understand the market background and customer needs, and determine appropriate product features and functions based on first-hand experience and existing research.

However, UE personnel are often very enthusiastic about this because they think they are closer to customers and users and should be responsible for collecting and defining product requirements.

A good PM should be as close to its own users as the UE staff, otherwise it will leave the user and only know to sit in the office and hold the Conference, so that the UE staff can do such research.

Good PM can understand the role of user experience and understand its importance, pay attention to their investment, and use their research and suggestions to create excellent products. Just as the president needs advice from his cabinet members, PM should also make decisions using his "Cabinet members"-user experience, marketing, and technology.

The conversion from UE personnel to PM roles is far more than operating all interface designs. A very important and challenging task of PM is to determine the product objectives and policies, establish internal and external product leadership capabilities, create business models and obtain capital, and focus on the overall situation from the perspective of small matters, it also coordinates the market, engineering technology, finance, sales, and UE to make a success.

In chapter 2, we will introduce you to all aspects of product management, including what you can't do in the UE position but what you need to do in the PM role, what preparations do you have to make in the PM, and the defects that people with the UE background often encounter after the PM, to help you make this change.

Chapter 2

In the previous chapter, we outlined the responsibilities of PM, the differences between PM and UE personnel, and the reasons for conflicts between the two roles.

Now we will introduce the key points, responsibilities, and challenges that will change when UE personnel become PM, what are your gains and losses after you leave the UE job and how you prepare for this change.

When you jump to the PM role, you 'd better understand the impact of this jump on yourself.

As UE personnel, you cannot do what PM must do.

After you become PM, your daily work will change dramatically! You must use all your knowledge to invest in the entire product. As an UE engineer, you may be able to do the same, but limited to administrative authorization, you may not have to deal with all the decision-making departments in the company. Here are some of your "new responsibilities ":

Focus on product policies and customer and end user needs(This is also the reason for your decision on conversion)

You must study customers and users for a long time to find out the fit between user needs and business goals, learn about this knowledge and use it consciously. Determine the user focus from the overall product, not just the design.

Communication, policies, and pricing must all be integrated into the "customer experience". In the past, we often did not have enough knowledge about the importance of these aspects, after you become PM, you must be responsible for all aspects of the product experience.

Balance the power of all parties

Ensure that your product focuses on customer and user needs, but other aspects are equally noteworthy, including but not limited:

• Sales Target
• Market/brand goals
• Technical Trends
• Document Management
• Budget Management
• Market Trends
• Competitiveness
• Business Model and return (possible personnel fluctuations, board changes, Price Leverage, etc)

A good product requires a series of trade-offs between business goals, user needs, and market effects. As a PM, you must strive to strike a balance between the parties.

Product promotion

You must support both internal (including sales, marketing, management, developers, etc.) and external (including customers, users, industry analysts, and media. It is not enough to develop a good product. You must also let people know about it and promote its benefits.

Provide strategic investment to other products in the organization

If you are a PM from a medium-sized or large company, you need to influence other products in this position. You will also communicate with other PM companies, think about all the company's product lines, and integrate your products.

Challenges and pressures

The new role PM will give you a sense of honor and responsibility, and the new title may give you more influence than others, but it is also a "Thorn Rose"-you must also cope with challenges and pressure.

As PM, you have limited power.

Guy Kawasaki described PM as "a person with full responsibilities but no power ". Most people who work for your products will report to different management teams, and few or even none of them will be directly responsible for you. You must sort out these scattered resources to guide their work-although they have gained different directions from their respective managers.

You must make a decision and take responsibility for it, not just suggestions.

In fact, you have to make many decisions and take responsibility for them. Not everyone will agree (your decisions ). Of course, if you do a good job, you can prove to them that your decision is correct and clearly explain your principles, others will not seem anxious or contemptible-but it is not easy!

The PM from UE may find that the created experience may not be the "best" experience for the user, because other important factors (such as management needs, business strategies, and business models) need to be taken into account, so that these people can understand that this may impair users, however, the final decision to benefit products often takes time.

You will often be at the center of the stakes

Sales staff want to have different features, developers push back your schedule, financial staff need new back-end features, commercial developers want to make some product adjustments for partners, designers want to change some functions are implemented, users want to add a new function launched by your competitors, and management wants your product to be integrated with the company's new products ......

PM is in such a different competitive center, and in some companies such a situation is very bad. You must adjust these conflicting ideas, set priorities for each other to promote product strategies, and ensure that everyone is happy (at least not angry with someone ).

Successful PM always balances the requirements of all parties around the overall goals and strategies and determines what can be done to maximize support for these goals. The deeper the PM's understanding of the target and strategy, the more he can consider the balance. Sometimes a small concession can get more benefits, and sometimes it is necessary to better sort out the goal.

The management needs to obtain information about the product from you.

PM is not just a member of the product development team. You are a symbol of the entire product. Whether you have done a good job or screwed up the job, or whether you are able to control the job, you must be responsible for it.

What can be done by UE personnel but not by PM

From the UE position to the PM position, people will be excited and challenged with their new responsibilities. At the same time, they will also lose some aspects of their UE work:

PM does not have to intervene in too many details

This is the most difficult challenge for many people who are used to asking questions. As a PM, many specific jobs can be assigned to others, a pm that has spent too much time dealing with detailed issues is doomed to fail to do their jobs well-PM needs to focus on the strategic layer rather than the tactical layer.

PM does not pursue perfection and theoretical perfection

There is a joke that the UE staff often say "It depends on... ". For PM, maybe it depends on something, but it doesn't matter. This is not a theoretical issue, but a question about what we are going to do and why.

You must get used to the concept of being enough to make decisions that may not be perfect for the user but are very useful with limited resources.

PM is not just a suggestion for the core issues of the Product

This is a little different from the above. UE practitioners put forward suggestions, and PM needs to develop policies, higher user experience, function settings, market planning, pricing, and other aspects. The reason for this is to facilitate your reflection. If you just get used to suggestions or make decisions hard, you may not be a PM.

PM is not an artist or expert practitioner

PM does not focus on a certain part of the product, but knows the global situation. They are a bit like the captain or coach. At this level, PM needs to ensure that people working together can reflect product goals in all aspects, such as marketing strategies, interface design, and copyright writing.

Since it is not an expert, it is difficult to adjust various aspects. PM must continue to learn how to lead other experts to a common goal in subsequent work.

Better working with your PM from now on

If you know about "behind-the-scenes" product management, you may be tempted. There is a shortcut to help you start: From now on more closely and effectively work with your PM!
This approach is worth a try even for those who do not have such traits, skills, or just want to be PM. As an UE practitioner, you can better understand the responsibilities and challenges faced by colleagues of other roles.
To help you adjust the way you work with others, and ultimately make you more valuable, respected, and influential.

People with a UE background can get along well with PM in some fields, and some methods can help you explore the path, whether or not you have taken this step.

Leadership

Do not ask PM or other colleagues for specific research and design results. In many cases, other colleagues welcome your initiative and creativity, but they also retain different ideas, as long as the task is done, it can be quickly discussed in a public and centralized manner. It is always better to stay at the theoretical and hypothetical levels.

Ask PM what their product goals are.

The goal is very important in two aspects: first, PM may not have carefully thought about the product goal before, it may make you one of the most trusted consultants and help them set up their goals.

Second, if the PM already has a goal, you will be able to clearly establish a series of goals and expectations. If there is a problem with their goals, you can also clarify and confirm and decide how to bring them back to the right path.

Help PM evaluate various design factors

Do not just propose a design scheme and let the PM make decisions, but prepare yourself to participate in discussions on the impact of specific design choices, the reasons behind your design have been presented to others for their broader connection with the product's vision and goals, listening to PM's instructions and figuring out the reasons for their rejection or approval.

Put forward strong suggestions with forward plans

Some of the evidence and experience you provide will allow you to become a product more closely, not just a reference. You can also get exercise in the process of making decisions from complicated factors. If you want to do PM, it will be helpful.

Presenting your long-term plans for your work will enable you to become one of the most important members of the team and show you the potential to take on more responsibilities-no matter what your current role is.

Help PM out of office

PM should not turn a blind eye to customers and users, although some people do this. You should ask them when they last saw users and bring them into formal or informal user research, or tell them some meaningful stories in user interviews and invite them to join us next time. If the request is rejected, continue the invitation next time.

If PM can voluntarily visit users and ask them to take you with them. In addition to understanding user needs, this is also a good opportunity for you to have time to ask PM for their views, interests, and goals.

If you really cannot bring PM out of the office, bring users in. In this case, no PM (including other developers) can make excuses to refuse to communicate with users.

Learn and prepare to become PM

So you want to be PM? Do not know where to start? In addition to the above, you should also increase your knowledge in product management and find what you need to change your role.

Think about what you did on the road to UE: books, blogs, meetings, group discussions, various organizations, and mentors. They all play a major role. If you want to become a PM, these methods are still valid.

The best condition for being PM is through training and meetings. I almost forgot to mention it. At the IA 2007 Summit: You want to become a product manager and have a preparatory meeting. This half-day training camp will focus on how to change the role from UE to PM, this includes how to better balance your existing skills and how to avoid potential deficiencies.

Other organizations provide similar training camp activities, including:

• Practical Marketing
• 280 Group
• Blackbot
• ZigZag Marketing
• Silicon Valley product team

There are many excellent blogs discussing product management. You can also choose from them:

• Roger Cauvin's blog
• Blogs for practical marketing
• SVPG blog
• Product Management observation
• Tyner Blain
• Michael's Product Management and Marketing
• How to become a good PM (one of its co-authors is Jeff Lash)

There are also many books about product management from the UE perspective, which should be a collection of PM:

• Win in new products: Product acceleration from creativity to startup, Author: Robert Cooper
• Alissa Dver, author of Software Product Management
• Product Manager manual by Linda Gorchels

In addition, those who want to become PM should also read some comprehensive management books, including leadership, management, marketing, finance, technology, and strategy.

There are two mainstream organizations in product management: PDMA and AIPMM ). Both provide training, meetings, local discussion groups, and other product management resources.

At the same time, you can also use some of your professional networks to get help from services such as LinkedIn-help you contact and answer product management questions. Project Management in your company can also guide you, and product managers from other organizations can also give you different or more sincere help.

If you want to learn about product management and how to proceed to this step, contact your manager. A good manager will help you achieve your career growth, even if it means you will enter another position in the company.

Therefore, do you want to become a product manager?

I felt a little tired when writing this article. We have collected many ideas in this regard. Choosing this path helps you balance your understanding of how people use products and gives you the opportunity to fully consider all aspects of products and experiences.

If you find that PM is not suitable for you after reading this article, it is also good-you still have a lot of options in the workplace, from becoming a manager to opening your own company, continue to practice your design ideals.

No matter which one you choose, I hope you will benefit from our experience. Good luck!

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