Slice, Dice, and Decide: Leveraging Sushi Techniques in Product Development
I’m a foodie at heart. I always believe being a foodie, doesn’t mean just whipping out the MasterChef vocabulary for every dish, rather it means being bold to try and savor the new dishes, their flavours and of course their stories.
That said I was always hesitant to try sushi, until recently one of my friends introduced me to it.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and as I did I observed the layers in it and how intricate it was. Right from cooking the rice just right, to filling in the correct proportion and to finally ensuring a tight roll making sushi is an art in itself and the chefs are artists indeed.
In Japan, sushi chefs are called ‘Itmae’ or in front of the board. Itamaes master the craft of making sushi rolls. Becoming an Itmae takes 10 years of gruelling practice and mastering each aspect of sushi making.
An interesting scaled down parallel to a Sushi chef is the role of a Product Manager in the product lifecycle.
Both product managers and sushi chefs create a final product that appears deceptively simple but requires significant skill and experience to perfect.
The key skills required for each role can be mapped to each other.
Rice Preparation — Understanding user pain points
- Rice is the foundational component of sushi. Understanding how to prepare the rice, ensuring it is cooked right is one of the most critical skills of a sushi chef.
- Product managers need to deeply understand their users’ needs and pain points to create products that truly address their requirements.
- Like rice preparation, user understanding involves attention to detail and consistency. Product managers must gather and analyze user data, conduct market research, and empathize with users to identify pain points and opportunities for improvement.
Knife Skills — Data analysis
- No one has ever eaten at a live sushi counter and not marveled at the chef’s amazing knife skills. Knife skills are essential for precise cutting and presentation of ingredients.
- One of the best advices I have got as a PM, is make data your weapon (or as here knife). Just as a sushi chef’s knife is a crucial tool, data is the primary tool for product managers.
- They need to interpret user data, market research, and A/B testing results precisely to make informed decisions for product development.
Fish Storage and Selection — Prioritization
- Sushi chefs must carefully select and store fresh fish. Selecting the freshest, highest-quality fish is essential for taste and also safety. Different cuts are suitable for various dishes, requiring careful storage and handling.
- Just like selecting the right fish, a product manager needs to prioritize features and functionalities based on user pain points, market demand, business goals and resource constraints.
Style and Speed — Storytelling
- A sushi chef, cooking behind the counter is like a dance. Every act from chopping, to rolling is a movement in itself which is almost poetic. This style and effortless speed is a result of years of training. At the end the chef creates beautiful and visually appealing sushi while working efficiently.
- Steve Jobs is one of my idols in product vision and at the core he is a story teller. Presenting a product vision and roadmap requires effective storytelling. Product managers need to communicate the value proposition and user experience in a clear, concise, and engaging way, similar to how a chef presents a beautifully crafted dish.
Courtesy and Patience — Stakeholder Management
- Sushi chefs often work in open kitchens, interacting directly with customers. Courtesy and patience are essential for building rapport and providing a positive dining experience.
- Product managers work with various stakeholders, including engineers, designers, marketing teams, and executives. They need to effectively communicate, manage expectations, and navigate diverse perspectives, just like a chef manages a busy kitchen environment.
The journey of a sushi chef and a product manager may seem worlds apart, but a closer look reveals a surprising kinship. Both professions demand dedication to craft, a hunger for knowledge, and the ability to transform simple ingredients into something extraordinary. So next time you savor a perfectly prepared piece of sushi, take a moment to appreciate the artistry and skill that went into its creation. After all, it might just inspire you to take your own product to the next level.
