Product success for LinkedIn product manager

Before the national day, there is a chance to participate in the "3W Coffee" hosted by the Sina SIF Forum, the keynote speaker is LinkedIn's vice-president, Deep Nishar, on the topic of his 7 views on product development and user experience.

I will state his point of view (bold) in this article, and attach his comments and understandings to the following. Deep Nishar talked about 7 ideas that are enlightening to me, the significance of which is to help me comb the product view has been scattered, formed a "program", this program will help us in recruiting, training product personnel and systematic product work to provide good ideas.

1. "Find the user and their scene"

Deep Nishar This list of the Harley Davidson and target supermarkets in two cases, designed to illustrate the characteristics of users and their lifestyles, and ask the product staff to build a product based on a deep understanding of this.

This view of Nishar is a faithful succession to the views of countless predecessors in this field. If you've read design psychology and about face, you know that Norman and Cooper attach great importance to the observation and abstraction of consumer characteristics and habits. By the way, what to look at the user: goals, motivations, attitudes, behavior.

2. Simple is a Feature. Simplicity is a feature

The PPT of the document translation Nishar this sentence feature translated into a function, I think it is not appropriate. If you have read the Taiwan version of the red skin of the "User Needs Analysis" (the signature is not clear, check home after the revision) can clearly distinguish between functions (function) and characteristics (feature), and then do not repeat.

Nishar the problem with the Microsoft Office suite's product design evolution process as an example, a process from simplicity to complexity to simplicity. (Note that simplicity and simplicity are different, and that the meaning of "approx" is evident in office 2013, which can be interpreted as "hidden")

In my personal product practice, I have 3 understandings of simple is a feature:

1. "Complete first, then perfect" product development principle requires us to "simple"

"The only quick not to break" this word has become the truth of our internet industry? In short, it is one of the best Internet practice methods to make assumptions and quickly build the least feasible product (MVP) for validation. Since to be quick, we must do "few few", which requires us to plan the product in each iteration cycle through the "trade-offs" and achieve simplicity.

2. "Focus on core issues" requires us to enforce "simplicity"

For product development, focus is what we have to do. Focus on the user's pain point and focus on the business model (refer to the Wikipedia Business model Canvas), which is an issue that every person involved in product design and development must think about. In order to achieve real focus, we must temporarily ignore some of the branch issues. When we see only one problem at a time, when we solve only one problem, we can achieve simplicity.

For example, long Weibo, we solved only one problem "insert Picture" in the first version, because it was the core contradiction of the creators, content quality requirement, business model and so on.

3. "Simplicity is often complicated behind the scenes."

Let the user experience the simplicity of the operation and process is the pursuit of product designers, and can do this, behind the support is often the "complex design and development process" and "complex technology implementation program." Simple and complex this contradictory body in our product development process repeatedly appeared, forcing us to continue to make trade-offs. In front of us not to stick this sentence? "Do one more step, moving users," that is to leave the complex to themselves, the simple gift to the user.

3. Embrace Constraints embraces limitations

I like this sentence, I used to be because of "limitations" and distress, and now I found that "limitations" is a successful assistant.

For example, give you a piece of white paper, let you draw a "clear mood" of the painting, How do you do? Is it difficult? There seems to be countless choices, so you're stuck in the mire of choice! If you are not white paper, but with lines of "grass, houses, clouds, flowers", then you only use the blue sky, green rendering grass, red paint the roof, is not much easier?

The so-called "have the benefit, no thought" (from the "Moral Sutra"), this "has" is often the "limitations" of the performance, a framework, a rule, a boundary, generally do not allow you to overstep. But this limitation is "advantageous", its benefit lies in "clear", "focus".

We also often encounter constraints (limitations) in the promotion project, time, manpower, resources, this 3 corners constitute the limitations of our project management, through the balance of these 3 elements, we can promote the project in the limited.

Constraints do help to find the circle of your influence, the circle of your, focus and circle of Sorry, write excited, English unconsciously came out. I mean, "limitations" also help you find your "impact circle", "Focus Circle" and "Cognitive circle", and you can focus on your "impact circle" to do things, so the probability of success will increase a lot.

4. Data is your Guide. Data is a guide, but not unique.

But Guide to Where? Where do you point to?

The data is our most need to use carefully the product development basis, to tell the truth, I sometimes more believe the interview, but the data and interviews with each other is the means of objective understanding of the problem.

Data can provide clues, and in data mining you can often find "incredible" correlations.

Data can provide validation of assumptions. This is the most important thing to be careful of, and you have to consider whether a certain data can be a direct relevant element of the hypothesis or falsification of evidence.

5. Innovation is not instant. Innovation is not an overnight process, but a continuous accumulation of

Innovation is an "enlightened" process, because you are difficult to break free from the limitations of the "era", so in this field is rarely seen "epoch-making" progress, most of the progress is "small and effective." Does anyone want to mention an example of "Apple"? Then go to "epiphany" yourself.

Product innovation needs to be accompanied by changes in user habits, the process of change is slow, aware of the change process is also slow, which formed a "tracking change-analysis of demand-improve the product" of the continuous accumulation process.

6. adapt– Adaptation

The best explanation for this article is "lean" in the "transformation" of the conditions of judgment and transformation of the operation of the elaboration.

To put it simply, if you find that market feedback contradicts your assumptions after building a product and putting it into the market, should you choose to "stick to it" or "change it in a timely manner"? Persist in the end may be "half dead", transformation to adapt to the market can often Nirvana rebirth.

7. Manifest Destiny Success Natural Law

Mr Nishar When it comes to this question, I think it is very metaphysical, I personally have some experience in this view, but not clear, or to say that there are some hanging. If I were to translate this, it might be "the natural way" or "Nature selection".

For example, software development has gone from a programmer's workshop-style development to a large-scale engineering development, which has drawn many ideas and methods from the Architecture field. The early engineers must have remembered the exciting moment of analogy design after chewing the timeless word of architecture.

In the same way, we can learn from the "successful model" in many fields such as natural ecosystem, alternative product form, other industry or social phenomenon, and apply it to the design and construction of Internet products.

Nishar from his reference to do 2 summary:

1. Faster than slow

Two antelope was chased by tigers, want to not be eaten, do not need to run over the tiger, one run faster than the other one, run slowly to be eaten.

2. The framework for flexibility is more likely to prevail (less understanding, no misinterpretation)

The above is the summary of Nishar preaching

Nishar's summary of the success of the product also helps us to sketch out the capabilities and issues that must be paid attention to by product managers and other product-class personnel.

1. Focus on the user. Must have the ability to communicate with the user in various forms and to obtain real demand. (including interviews, including statistical data on reading user behavior)

2. Focus on product efficiency and effectiveness. Simplicity if the effect is not achieved is simple, so product personnel must pay attention to their products can help users achieve goals, and then the goal is to achieve the efficiency and complexity of how the balance?

3. Consider limitations and risks. From all aspects of the limitations are likely to hinder the success of the project, how to turn the limitations into a booster?

4. The ability to design data, analyze data, and apply data.

5. Organization's awareness, methodology and ability to implement continuous innovation and help organizations accumulate innovative experiences

6. Methods and capabilities to determine the life cycle of products and to make transformational roles

7. Individual learning and summarizing ability

Hope Mr. Nishar's sermon could inspire more product managers and product designers.

By: The Hundred Treasures bear