30 Lessons from Product
In June 2019, I reflected on my learnings from being a product manager so far. I shared 30 lessons that have assisted me while solving problems in my role. These lessons highlight moments in my personal development that influence the experiences I build today and in the future.
Lesson 1: Ask the right questions!
As a product manager I often don’t have all the information I need to make a decision. This can be scary sometimes because of the risks involved and the potential impact on users and the business. I find it very helpful to work with my team to understand the critical moving pieces.
I do this by asking key stakeholders to identify their current challenges with their contribution and to understand what an ideal situation will be. This way, I learn what people are most anxious about, which is essential to know the real weight the decision carries. From those discussions, I now have clues that I use to form an actionable plan which I share with the team to receive feedback. This is usually enough to increase the confidence I have in the choice that I have to make in order to drive the desired outcome for all.
Lesson 2: Set a bar for the experience you desire for your users.
Users have infinite needs and I’m usually tasked with ensuring we’re delivering continuous value to them by solving their problems. This translates to a long list of features with not enough time or resources to get it all done. I find it helpful to start with the user to know what the minimum acceptable experience is.
By connecting with users regularly, I’m able to understand what expectations they have for our product, which acts as a starting point for the bar. I then build my backlog and communicate with the team so we know where the bar is and agree we won’t launch until we get all the items above the bar done. This serves as the first version of the product which I test in a controlled group to understand if we indeed met the bar. Users will always ask for more but what I look for in these tests is to understand if what we shipped is good enough to solve their most important problems. If it isn’t good enough, I find out why, I adjust the bar, then I proceed to test and repeat this process until we get it right.
Lesson 3: Ship quickly!
“Everything has to be perfect!”
With the many options consumers have, it is hard to compete when you feel your product doesn’t have all the things you desire from day 1. It’s easy to focus on all the stuff you have not done and use that as an excuse to not release what you are working on to your users. I believe in growing towards perfection by releasing something small and improving it over time.
Helen and I started a side project to tell stories of how other people transitioned into a PM role, and as part of this, we started a podcast. The process of getting it all together took a while, and we initially obsessed over having all the details right before we released our first episode. After some back and forth, we decided to launch it to see what happens after. We’ve learned a lot from having it out in the world even though it wasn’t perfect. Nine episodes in, and we finally have some intro music. This was one important thing we did not have for a while but didn’t let it delay getting valuable feedback from listeners, which will help us improve the work we are doing.
If you’d like to read more about the work we are doing, please follow our medium publication.
Please subscribe to our podcast. We’d love to hear your thoughts on what we are doing.
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Lesson 4: Enjoy launch day and celebrate with your team!
At ecobee, we just launched the SmartThermostat with voice control, a product I’ve been working on for over a year. The team I work closest with is responsible for all the software features and integrations on the product and I’m very excited to share this with the world.
The moments leading up to launch day were very busy and its challenging not to obsess over little details. Especially when there is still work to be done to improve the product over time. When it was finally announced, I reminded myself to enjoy the moment with those around me. Seeing it all come together was satisfying and sharing it with an amazing group felt even better. It was a privilege working with everyone and I can’t wait for our users to start using this and giving us feedback.
Check out the awesome video we made.
Lesson 5: Speak to your users frequently!
As a product manager, I spend a lot of time figuring out what to build for our users. A starting point for me is to understand the key problems our users are currently experiencing. By creating an effective system for users to communicate their pain points, this helps me build a strong relationship with customers.
Product development centered around user input creates compelling outcomes for everyone involved. As a result, I try to speak to a new user every week to learn about their experience using our product. At ecobee, Toluwa and I built a customer call program that enables our users to sign up for calls with anyone on the product team. Focusing on learning from those that use the product frequently had brought great value and helps us determine what is most important to our users.
Lesson 6: Embrace product feedback
No product is ever perfect!
Users continue to demand better product experiences as technology progresses. It sets the expectation for companies to always deliver high-quality products that are significantly better than previous generations.
Releasing a product is the first step in the commitment to provide incremental value to consumers. Great product development happens when integrating user feedback as a way to promote continuous improvement. It is essential to focus on what people are saying about the product as well as how they use it.
I regularly read customer reviews to learn about current pain points and occasionally schedule a few calls to gather more information. Support teams are also a great resource I lean on to understand what trends of customer questions and issues they resolve. Users also love being heard and want an effective way to voice constructive opinions. Finding ways to funnel that feedback and using it to build a roadmap has a significant impact on the desired outcome for users.
Lesson 7: Testing and iterating
It could take months to deliver the first version of a product after gathering initial user requirements. While building a product is, it is essential to maintain a close relationship with users. It helps to verify assumptions and correct any misconceptions early on in the process. That is why building a culture of testing is super important in getting things aligned early on in product development.
At every stage of the product life cycle, I try to integrate some form of testing to validate the work the team is doing. Early stage mockups are a good starting point to communicate concepts to customers. User testing sessions help gather feedback to help inform design improvements and point out further expectations desired for the product.
Once an early prototype is ready, I recruit real customers to use the product and collect feedback on functionality. It provides an environment to learn about the problems users might still be experiencing. Which then provides an opportunity iterate to address critical areas before releasing to a broader audience.
Lesson 8: Be flexible when working with teams.
As a product manager, I get to work with multiple teams to deliver unique customer experiences. Each team has a style of solving problems that I usually have to adapt. It requires a lot of effort to learn different ways of communicating to drive the desired outcome for everyone involved.
Taking the time to learn more about the individuals that make up the team is an effective way to know how things typically get done. It provides insights into the current process that helps me understand the ways I can easily adjust. I learn about their expectations and strive to be flexible to maintain productivity. It then allows me to collect feedback and prioritize the suggestions that benefit the teams in the long term.
Lesson 9: Get to know your team.
Building a strong relationship with team members is one of the easiest ways to be successful as a product manager. Building a solid rapport with the team makes it smoother to rally everyone behind an idea. It is easier to communicate the vision and drive the project to completion. To get to this point, I spent a lot of time getting to know the team outside of work.
The person behind the “Engineer” or “Designer” title is more important. Making an effort to learn about other interests of each member of the team goes a long way. It doesn’t have to get too personal but being able to relate to other topics outside of work significantly improves communication. Conversations relating to work become so much easier to have which lays the foundation for seamless product development.
Lesson 10: Use your product!
Empathy is very crucial for product managers to have. It aids in understanding how and why people use products. Using it as a superpower helps create a strong desire to deliver the best experience for users. By regularly using the products I help build, the realities of user pain points are apparent to me. Experiencing the problem then incentivizes me to make it better.
Lesson 11: Engage the team!
It’s a common misconception that all ideas have to come from the Product Manager. Involving team members during early ideation or brainstorming sessions are very valuable. Engineers and designers have so much to contribute which promotes healthy communication and seamless product development.
Lesson 12: Set the vision!
Standard practice for a product manager is to communicate the vision of the project to the team. When doing so, appealing to the interests of individual members helps to demonstrate how each contribution impacts the project. Having everyone in the same room helps paint a clear picture and also informs the team on how to support one another.
It helps to talk about short and long term goals along with the impact on the user and the business which provides a north star for everyone to follow. Therefore, allowing the team to be creative and think ahead to things that can benefit others or improve workflow and maximize productivity.
Lesson 13: Stay organized!
With the many responsibilities of a product manager, it can get overwhelming to accomplish desired goals. It is helpful to create a system to keep track of all the things that need to get done in priority order.
There are many valuable resources available to help stay organized. I’m a big fan of the book getting things done by David Allen, which provided a structure for me to maximize productivity. Therefore, improving workflow which positively impacts the output of the team.
Lesson 14: Experiment with new ideas.
Finding the balance between trying new ideas and improving existing ones is always challenging. Doing things differently always comes at a cost, so it is essential to find ways to experiment and learn how users react before diverting all effort into new ideas.
Helen and I have been working on our podcast for a couple of months. The episodes are about behind the scenes work we do for our project. We recently had the opportunity to interview Carlos, the founder, and CEO of product school. It is the first interview we have done on our podcast, and we look forward to hearing feedback on whether we should do more interviews or carry on with our current format.
If you’d like to read more about the work we are doing, please follow our medium publication.
Please subscribe to our podcast. We’d love to hear your thoughts on what we are doing.
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Lesson 15: Manage your time!
Once an effective system is in place to keep track of high priority items, it is essential to properly allocate the right amount of time to complete those tasks. It is helpful to make educated guesses on how long tasks typically take and plan the days to accommodate all the to-dos. Therefore, leaving a refreshing feeling of productivity which further enhances product development.
Lesson 16: Write things down!
Product managers possess a wealth of information about multiple parts of the project, most of which lives in their mind. Building a habit of documenting processes and insights provides an opportunity to create resources others can leverage. It can also be helpful when circulating updates about the project and communication across several channels.
Lesson 17: Stay focused!
It is essential for the entire team to know the reasons why they are working on a problem. After setting the vision, the product manager is required to ensure the team is focusing on their tasks. Introducing new ideas or other initiatives makes It easy to get distracted from the goal. Therefore, aligning on priorities helps empower the team towards success.
Lesson 18: Manage Expectations!
Misalignment can regularly occur when multiple stakeholders are involved in a project. With varying definitions of success, it is the responsibility of the product manager to ensure expectations are well managed. Take the time to consult with each team to negotiate, therefore providing the opportunity to properly communicate desired accomplishments with the current timeline and resources available. Maintaining that relationship throughout the product life cycle help to ensure there are no surprises during releases, and everyone can be happy with the final output.
Lesson 19: Be resourceful.
Things don’t always go according to plan, priorities change, people leave, and delays can happen. During times like this, it is crucial to be creative in solving the problems that surface. Being flexible and open to change provides an opportunity to be resourceful in mitigating future risks as a result of the current situation.
Lesson 20: Recognize the efforts of others.
Product managers commonly get highly praised once a project is complete. It is important to remember that shipping a product is a team effort. Many people came together to make the product a reality, and their contributions should always be called out the right way. Writing personal notes to team members and thanking them for their commitment helps show appreciation. Other gestures of thanks also help reaffirm team members that their role was significant in reaching the desired goal.
Lesson 21: Be consistent.
Starting something new can be scary. Even after identifying a need, there is still a lot of work to be done to achieve the desired goal. Being consistent in those commitments help to show signs of progress, no matter how small to produce meaningful results.
Helen and I meet every week to discuss the project we are working on to tell stories of how other people transitioned into a PM role. Today we released the final episode of the season for our podcast. We will be taking some time to grow our community and then resume with season two in a couple of months.
If you’d like to read more about the work we are doing, please follow our medium publication.
Please subscribe to our podcast. We’d love to hear your thoughts on what we are doing.
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Lesson 22: Encourage creativity.
Product managers deeply understand users problem, and when defining a solution, it is possible to get very specific on design and implementation. However, giving designers and developers autonomy to be creative in the work they do allows the possibility of improved user experience. It provides the opportunity to think of missing pieces or going an extra step since not confined to strict requirements on the output.
Lesson 23: Learn to say no.
Taking suggestions from the team is very important. It makes product development inclusive and fun. However, it is also necessary to say “no” sometimes to some recommendations. The ideas could be great, but with limited time and resources, it is critical to prioritize. Saying no to a team member must be accompanied with valid reasons to help them understand and not discourage sharing in the future.
Lesson 24: Reflect regularly.
Shipping a product is excellent! Everyone feels relieved, and celebrations are in order. It is a great accomplishment that provides an opportunity for future learning.
Product managers typically look to the future to solve users problems, but it is crucial to reflect on what could be better. Periodic retrospective sessions with the team are great for uncovering areas of improvement. Learning from the past is also a great way to prevent mistakes in future projects.
Lesson 25: Always simplify.
Successful products are designed to guarantee users familiarity with ways to carry out desired tasks. To achieve this start from first principles by ensuring the team is clear on the vision and how it applies to the user and the business. Communicate in clear terms ways to ensure everyone can understand their role. Everyone should focus on iterating and improving on the product’s ease of use. Techniques such as writing down all the steps it takes the user and finding ways to make the desired action seamless.
Lesson 26: Be data driven.
Talking to users is very important and should always be a consistent practice with product managers. Building a habit of monitoring numbers that drive the desired engagement is also great practice. What people do is different from what they say. Using metrics to tell a more realistic story of the use of every product is important, and it uncovers ways people possibly struggle with some functionality.
Lesson 27: Build a culture.
Every product manager has their style of getting things done and working with teams. It is essential because the first task in a project is rallying people around and convincing them to spend their time building something.
The team is just as invested in the PM as they are the product. It is why developing a unique culture with teams helps strengthen relationships which make working easier. Working with a PM should be exciting, and others should look forward to the opportunity to build something great with you. A well-defined culture helps create a cohesive team, which is great for moving fast and solving problems.
Lesson 28: Collaborate with other teams.
It is common for product managers to have functional elements of every department in the company. Spending time with those who are experts in their field helps provide additional insights on how to improve the product.
For example, customer service teams have a wealth of information about users. They get quick feedback about the product, which can be valuable to help prioritize what to fix or what next to build. Building a habit of leveraging those relationships with other teams can help accelerate product development, and improve the end user experience.
Lesson 29: Learn from others.
Shipping is the best way to learn about building products. Those who have done it many times have their share of highs and lows. They have made a lot of mistakes and learned from them. It is helpful to seek guidance from more experienced product managers to learn about their experience over the years. Getting advice helps to prevent mistakes and provides additional knowledge that can be used to improve personal processes.
Lesson 30: Keep learning.
It is the most significant practice for product managers. It is a role that provides numerous opportunities for learning to occur. User needs change at an unpredictable pace, technology is always advancing, and competition forever has a way of sneaking up.
A successful product manager is one that knows that it is possible to improve the product and processes around the development. Meeting high standards of quality is always a priority in everything that relates to the product while also ensuring the team is encouraged to utilize their full potential.
It is a rewarding job with lots of responsibility, which isn’t necessarily defined. Creating time to learn and investing in best practices helps overcome the challenges that are required to deliver great products.
Share your experience with others
Going through this exercise made me realize how important it is to be a team player. It is what product management is all about; ensuring those around you are well equipped to carry out their tasks to reach a collective goal. I’m still improving, and I look for opportunities to be better every day. I encourage others to share their insights with the community to create an environment where we can all learn and thrive together.
