Product Coach Podcast

This podcast is inspired by the book 'Priniciples' from Ray Dalio. As i was reading through the book it struck a chord with me as it resonated with the trials and tribulations of what a product manager goes through, we experience a number of situations for which we don't have answers. In this episode we glean on a few nuggets of wisdom which can remarkably change the way in which you go about executing your job.

As product managers we love using frameworks and we are so good at using frameworks in managing products but we are terrible at managing our own careers, we don't manage our careers with the same tenacity and vision as with how we manage our product roadmaps. In this podcast we are going to talk about how to plan for that next move and to build up your confidence to take the next step.

We have all heard this statement that "Data is the new oil". Why has Data become so important? We are now at a point where every aspect of a transaction is now recorded and there are as fewer instances where we dont have data. There are some super apps out there which offer every thing possible under the sun from making a peer to peer payment, hiring a nanny, buying a coffee, investing, insurance and booking a taxi. These companies know everything about the person - all their spending habits, savings propensity, likely expenses for the month and the list goes on.

Product managers today are in at a unique advantage today to shape their product roadmap with ready access to massive data lakes and intelligent algorithms which provide valuable information. In this podcast we discuss the merits  of data driven design decisioning. 

Commerce has always been about selling more and keeping customers happy. When customers come into the physical store the shopping experience and the ability to touch and feel the product before the sale is made, or even having a delightful conversation with the sales person drives the decision to purchase. So it should seem logical that if the physical store has been replaced by an App then that App needs to similarly wrap the customer with a blanket of affection, care and trust. This is where understanding the end user, empathising with their situation and then translating into good product design with simple, intuitive, connected and immersive user experiences will drive customer acquisition, sales and growth of e-commerce. 

Digital experiences should be all about freedom of choices, transparency and immersive user experiences. If one of these are compromised in the product design then expect to see lower user acceptance. In this podcast we travel back in time to 2000 where we share how design and experiences have evolved to where we are today. It's important to understand this context as many people in leadership roles today just don't understand why UX is important.

A playbook puts together strategies, decision criteria, assumptions and inputs which are required to chart a way forward. It also serves as a compass to navigate through the obstacles to reach the desired goal. Playbooks are used in sports and there is merit in incorporating this approach in product management. A well documented playbook extends into incorporating your learnings and experiences being synthesised into a set of crisp notes which you can call on in the future. The playbook is influenced by your organisation, culture, people and the typical challenges that you would encounter in managing and launching products. The playbook is also your library of best practices, political toolkit and your battle card which will help you build a habit of thinking ahead and planning for the best execution outcomes.

In our fast paced digital world how can a product manager stay relevant to customers and the business? Future proofing and solving the problems of tomorrow requires a different kind of thinking. One has to start by getting into a deep work flow of carefully analysing the visualising how the next couple of years will shape up. While there is no crystal ball for accuracy there are cues which can be taken into consideration to form a view of where society and business is heading.Think about how the future narrative of business will change in the next 5 years and how we must as product managers position ourselves for our own career growth and how we need to change the way we think and empower ourselves to continuously adapt. The products of the future will be smart, connected, decentralised, and immersive. If we limit our creativity and innovation to the problem statements that are driven from the events and systems that exist today, then we are not doing justice to our roles as product managers. We must ask ourselves "What will the problems of tomorrow be?"

Product managers who are in the B2B space have their work cut out for them. B2B product delivery is complex. There is very little wiggle room to test a product concept and get direct user feedback. Products that are not of a "one size fits all". There are specific nuances across countries and industries. Companies selling into the B2B space have specialised sales managers who have domain knowledge and insights into how these companies operate - who their customers are, how they buy, how they in-turn sell their products and grow their business. Building a partnership with sales will enable better understanding of what problems needs solving and in turn influence the product design. Knowing your role and power of influence with the sales team is critical for win-win outcomes. Product plays the role of the manufacturer (the guy in the kitchen who cooks all the great food for everyone), the sales folks bring in the diners.

The product manager role has picked up significant traction in the last five years. It's no longer seen as a job which gets piggy backed on the back of another role. Today the profession is getting a lot of attention and it is now recognised as a critical role, where the product manager is that go to person sitting at the intersection of business, customer, technology and user experience - driving business growth, manage execution risk and solving customer problems. This podcast gives insights for graduates and early career professionals who want to give product management a shot

The new normal is accelerating the future of work and shaping a new outlook for product managers on what the future of work could look like. The Future of work prior to the pandemic was geared towards which jobs could be automated through artificial intelligence and robotic process automation. The OECD has now defined the future of work as : "The future of work is now. Digitalisation and globalisation have sparked radical shifts in how we live and work. The coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis has accelerated these beyond anything we could have imagined. These changes raise essential questions about the precarity of our jobs, the support available if we're unable to work or retire, the skills we need for current and future jobs, the quality of those jobs, and what voice we have in shaping these outcomes". 

In this podcast we  look into the near future and predict  what lies ahead for product managers. In the years ahead the role of a product manager will evolve  into a mash up of varied skillsets covering both business and technology and a convergence of roles. There are many factors which are pointing to this new world of product management. 

In a product management team there needs to be diversity of skills and talent to take on the business opportunities as they come. There are workers who are comfortable with chugging along doing the everyday tasks and making sure that products and platforms are operating optimally. There is another group of workers who get more excited pushing the boundaries and dabbling with the creation of new products and experimentation. This is where builders come in. Builders are comfortable to be dropped into the deep end. They absorb information in quick time  and makes them an ideal candidate to lead new product development. Find out what makes a good builder product manager.

Getting things done, there is more to just influencing and prioritising. Communication is a key aspect of the product managers daily role. The narrative used by the product manager when interacting with technology and the various business teams differs. In this podcast we walkthrough how the PM successfully engages different teams to get things done.  

Ecosystems have been the buzz for quite a few years now and product managers should embrace this more. Ecosystems take time to build out and the journey can start with just one product. In this podcast I plot my personal discovery with apple and  how apple started their modern day ecosystem through their iPod. Not only did the ecosystem evolve over the years from music to everything else that we see today, but their ecosystem has also played a pivotal role in the growth of their overall business. 

This case study examines how the company went from being the market leader in mobile communication to a company which today is far away from its glorious years. We talk about how continued innovation is important and why product management should play a pivotal role in influencing corporate strategy and why the product roadmap should adapt to what users want.

As product leaders it is implied that we need to lead the transformation  to digital. As a key engine of growth PMs need to think digital and put their hands up to ask for more investment to deliver digital experiences. PMs are also being asked to respond quickly to market events and to be ambitious.  Its a great time to be a product manager, we are in the drivers seat and have the opportunity to take the business forward in these trying times. 

From one product manager to another, many of us are going to continue working from home for the rest of the year. We have to continue collaborating with co-workers and customers and make good with what we have access to at home. This podcast will provide you some tips on improving your workflow so that you can run more efficient engagements. Setup your environment to stay productive and learn to use your communication tools to be run effective meetings.

A manifesto for product managers encourages a culture of openness and accountability. Every product manager should have one. The product manager plays a important role in an organisation. Without the execution of a certain set of principles a product manager cannot fullfll their role and chart out the future roadmap which an organisation needs to compete effectively.  Every product organisation should look to cultivate a habit of encouraging the creation of a manifesto for product managers. The ways of working are changing, there is also a drive for inclusion and diversity in the workplace. A good manifesto can help drive that.