Mature "product manager", how many pit digging

When you have experienced a bumpy growth as a mature "product manager," look back at the road you walked through. There are so many "pits" that have been dug up by you and then filled in.

The "pit" I am referring to here is not a derogatory term because you will accumulate more precious experience after the experience of these "pit" exercises. Note that I have to say "But" here. When you have not filled in this "pit" and walked over, you would suffer from unusual pain because of "being caught in it." Or even want to give up, believe me, and I feel both We have had it before. So today we come together to see what these "pit" are, how we can avoid it, and how we can find it afterwards.

1, with the feeling, follow the feeling go

First of all, I have to admit that there are some talented, and acquired product managers who have accumulated through many years of experience. They really do things with their senses. What are the needs of users, how they are designed, and follow their own wholeness There is no data or theoretical support for my inner feelings and experience. I admire these people very much. I think they are very good, but these people are not the target we are going to discuss today.

Back to the point, when you take over a need, when you roll up your sleeves ready for a big deal, you have begun to "fall into it." First, you analyze what you can do to meet this need, reviewing how competing competing products handle such issues, and can not wait for market research, when logic and processes are running fast in your head Indeed, what else can happen, of course?

Suggest:

I have to praise your efficiency and reaction speed, but, before doing it calm down to analyze the ins and outs, the quickest and most suitable, and only the latter will allow users to accept, and can form a virtuous circle. I suggest you do not take it for granted when you have not figured it out. You can go find the target user to hear the demand (listening), you can draw the user portrait (the demand and function is on?), You can seek team support (brainstorming divergent thinking). This problem is one of the bigger issues that the product manager needs to face in the process of growing up.

2, lack of communication, lack of information

Come, we recall what we often output, ① competing product analysis; ②, PRD documents; ③, product prototype: ④, data analysis; ⑤, product planning, and so on.

What is the role of these products?

- Communication, efficient communication.

The product is your child, Daddy is the product. Any product output by the product manager is intended to make the product (internal research and development, design, testing, marketing, operation, promotion, etc.) understand with the outside What is the product, what products, what products can solve the problem.

But please note that communication must mean the lack of information, and finally you may be sad to find someone actually did not understand the essence of this inside.

Suggest:

Clearly tell the story: time, where, How, to describe the function as a story, with the function of the scene, allowing other partners to better understand your starting point.

Listening solves most problems because you know where each other's problem is, not where your problem is.

3, did not put the product prototype in this position

Should the product manager draw a prototype? No doubt, my answer is in the affirmative. Because as a "product manager," you need to have the ability to export ideas. This is not contradictory to the prototype of "interactive designer" and can enhance mutual understanding.

But now a lot of "product managers" think it is OK to have a prototype of "interactive designer", and do not need it yourself. Just ask each member of the team if your team can not understand your thoughts. What is the end result? Under what is that turn over?

Suggest:

Early in the project, the initial iteration, drawing a simple interactive wireframe, and team members for product features, product scenarios, product-targeted users in-depth exchange, there is definitely a multiplier effect.

4, endless demand changes

Demand changes, is the nightmare of how many items.

Just on the line not long before the function will be off the assembly line, you want to develop what the students feel? The original overtime to do out of the function, it goes so far. You can say there is no emotion? In the process of changing the demand of the project, resulting in the demand of the project is not controllable, the project schedule is not controllable, the product is indefinitely postponed.

Suggest:

Although the demand change is a nightmare, but in fact is very common in the iterative process, because there are many details of the part to be able to think clearly in the iteration, see clearly.

The prioritization of needs, on the other hand, represents another important "product manager" -the ability to control the core requirements. Sort the needs of change, according to light, heavy, slow, urgent classification, which determine what needs to be handled in our version, which next version processing, here reflects the "product manager" another skill - decision-making.

The reason why many companies want to recruit relatively experienced "product managers" is the same. The control of core needs and decision-making capabilities, both of which are continuously accumulated in the work category.

5, this is BOSS to add

This I do not think I said too much, whether it is entrepreneurial team or a big company, have such a problem, and very serious, and even many projects have therefore abortion. Not the ability of BOSS not, but a lot of time in the project BOSS is not clear.