Simplify, Simplify, Simplify is to the PMs… what “Location, Location, Location” is to real estate agents

I often see many features built for customers that are over-engineered. It’s like holding your nose by reaching around your neck rather than from the front. This happens because Product Managers (PMs) themselves come from technical backgrounds, and/or development has too much say in the requirements. Complex features make PMs feel proud as they can take hours to explain what the feature does. Their PowerPoint presentations are longer. Sometimes, management unfortunately encourages this as they also feel that the more complex the explanation, the better the implementation

No matter how deep into B2B you get with complex setups to achieve something, it should be possible to complete the setup in 3–5 steps. The feature should be self-explanatory and intuitive; otherwise, with a minimal in-product tutorial, the user should be able to understand what needs to be done.Over engineered products are difficult for users to understand and also difficult to maintain.

To avoid a feature factory and simplify processes, PMs can use a method like the 5 Whys to decide if a feature needs to be built. For example,

1st Why: Why is the new search feature not performing?

Answer: Users are complaining that search results are often irrelevant or inaccurate.

2nd Why: Why are search results irrelevant or inaccurate?

Answer: The search algorithm does not seem to be accurately matching user queries with relevant products.

3rd Why: Why is the search algorithm not accurately matching user queries with relevant products?

Answer: The search algorithm was implemented based on an outdated dataset and without considering current user behavior patterns.

4th Why: Why was the search algorithm implemented based on an outdated dataset?

Answer: The data team did not have access to the most recent data due to delays in data integration processes.

5th Why: Why were there delays in the data integration processes?

Answer: There was a miscommunication between the data team and the development team regarding the timelines and requirements for data integration.

Root Cause of this use case

Miscommunication between teams led to the use of outdated data for implementing the search algorithm, resulting in irrelevant and inaccurate search results.

Actionable Steps of this 5 Whys example

Enhance Team Communication:

Update Data Integration Processes

Improve Search Algorithm

User Testing and Feedback

Documentation and Training

By doing this 5 Why analysis you are safe to stay within the parameters of the problem space and only build what is necessary without digressing into unwanted territories and make things complicated for the users.

Or you can use the Amazon method

Draft a Press Release:

Customer Focused: Write a mock press release that describes the product as if it has already been launched. Focus on the problem it solves, the benefits it provides, and how it works.

Clarity and Simplicity: Ensure the press release is simple, jargon-free, and easily understandable by the target audience. It should be compelling enough to convince customers of the product’s value.

Develop FAQ Documents:

Customer-Facing FAQs: Create a document with anticipated questions from customers, providing detailed answers. This should cover functionality, pricing, usage scenarios, and benefits.

Internal-Facing FAQs: Prepare another set of FAQs from the perspective of internal stakeholders, addressing concerns about development, marketing, and support.

Create User Stories, Mockups, and Diagrams:

User Stories: Develop detailed user stories to visualize how customers will interact with the product. Ensure each feature aligns with solving a customer problem.

Mockups and Diagrams: Include visual representations of the product and its interface to provide a clear picture of the end result.

Work Backwards to Define Requirements:

Technical Specifications: Based on the press release and FAQs, define the technical specifications and requirements. These will guide the engineering and design teams.

Iterative Feedback: Review and iterate the press release and FAQs with feedback from stakeholders to ensure clarity and feasibility.

Develop and Test:

Prototyping and Development: Develop the product according to the defined requirements. Use prototyping and iterative testing to ensure the product meets the envisioned customer experience.

Customer Feedback: Continuously seek customer feedback throughout the development process to validate assumptions and make necessary adjustments.

At the end of the project, you can match your mock press release with your real press release and they should match. This objective makes the the project stay on course of simplicity for customers

An elevator pitch is a brief, persuasive speech that you use to spark interest in what you are doing in a project. It’s called an “elevator pitch” because it should be short enough to present during a quick elevator ride, typically around 30 seconds to 2 minutes. The purpose of an elevator pitch is to convey your feature or a product, in a clear and compelling way, making it easy for the stakeholders to understand and become interested in what you’re building. Now you need to execute your idea to match the elevator pitch.

Key elements of an elevator pitch include:

Clarity: Clearly articulate what you’re offering or proposing.

Impact: Make it memorable and impactful, focusing on the most compelling aspects.

Relevance: Tailor the pitch to the specific audience or listener.

Engagement: Use storytelling or compelling language to engage the listener.

Last but not least, UX and UI are your allies in making a feature simple and intuitive. Imagine there are no written help articles for your software. Use visual cues to gently guide the user from one task to another. Include descriptions and guidance throughout the feature with information messages that explain what needs to be done. The less they have to use your help articles, the more successful you are.

For example, I am always impressed by the UX and UI of the Indian mobile app Urban Company, where you can get services in various categories. I want to draw your attention to two aspects of this app’s landing page:

In the search box, there is a clue for users: “Search for Facial” and this text keeps rotating between various categories “Search for Kitchen Cleaning”, “Search for AC Service” etc. This is a clever way of drawing users’ attention to search for all that is available on the app.

Look at the tiles of various categories. They are so neatly placed on the page, and there is no other clutter, hence fewer distractions for the user.

Urban Company (Indian mobile app) landing page

I hope you will be inspired from this article to build simple yet impactful features. Remember, ”Simplify, Simplify, Simplify”.