5 popular frameworks for product management
Product Management theories look good on paper, but…
Introduction
Product management has come a long way from its traditional roots, evolving to match the pace and demands of modern businesses. As products became more intricate and users’ needs more nuanced, the frameworks used to guide these products needed an upgrade. Join us as we dive deep into the structures that have, quite literally, changed the game of product management.
1. Agile Product Management
Origin Story
In the snowy retreats of Utah, seventeen developers, frustrated with the cumbersome and slow methodologies of the past, gathered. Their goal? To devise a framework that would revolutionize the future of software development. What emerged was the Agile Manifesto — a declaration for a more adaptive, flexible, and customer-centric approach to product development. These thought leaders wanted to move away from a linear way of creating software to a more iterative process, enabling faster deliveries and constant feedback.
How can it help?
The heart of Agile lies in its commitment to responsiveness. By valuing quick iterations and robust feedback loops, Agile ensures that products not only reach the market faster but also resonate deeply with user needs. This iterative cycle of ‘develop-test-feedback-adjust’ forms the cornerstone of Agile’s success. It provides an environment where products can evolve based on real-world feedback rather than mere predictions.
How can you make this work?
The Agile methodology is further bolstered by tools that streamline its processes. JIRA, for instance, has become the go-to for sprint planning and backlog management, providing clear visuals and helping teams prioritize tasks. Trello, on the other hand, offers a more simplified and intuitive board for teams to track progress and manage tasks, making it ideal for startups or smaller teams.
Fun Fact
While Agile’s principles feel innately suited for software development, they have their roots in lean manufacturing and were influenced by processes at companies like Toyota, which emphasized efficiency, adaptability, and customer satisfaction.
Real-life Implementation
Instead of merely adopting Agile principles, Spotify remolded them to fit their unique organizational needs. They structured their teams into “squads,” autonomous groups focusing on different features of the platform. Each squad has the liberty to decide its Agile methodology, be it Scrum, Kanban, or any other. This decentralized decision-making ensures maximum flexibility, agility, and productivity, proving that Agile is not a one-size-fits-all but a framework open to customization.
2. Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD)
Origin Story
The Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) framework is often wrapped around Clayton Christensen’s intriguing milkshake anecdote. While teaching at Harvard Business School, Christensen used the simple act of buying a milkshake to illustrate a profound insight: people don’t necessarily buy products because of certain demographic factors. Instead, they “hire” products to do a specific job for them. When companies understand the “job” that customers are trying to accomplish, they can design better products.
To understand this with the milkshake story: Christensen discovered that a significant number of milkshakes were sold in the early morning. On further investigation, he realized that commuters were buying them as a breakfast substitute because milkshakes were less messy than bagels or donuts and more filling than coffee or juice. They weren’t hiring the milkshake for its taste, but rather its utility during a morning drive.
How can it help?
At its core, JTBD offers a paradigm shift from conventional market research. Instead of focusing on customer profiles, market segments, or competitor benchmarking, JTBD zeroes in on the actual reasons or situations prompting customers to use a product. It’s a switch from “who is buying” to “why they are buying”.
Fun Fact
Traditional market demographics might tell you a customer is a “35-year-old woman with two kids,” but JTBD will tell you she’s “looking for a convenient way to keep her children entertained during long car rides.”
Real-life Implementation
Slack’s application of JTBD is a masterclass in product understanding. On the surface, it’s easy to categorize Slack as just another messaging tool. However, through the JTBD lens, one recognizes the deeper needs it addresses: professionals weren’t merely looking for another chat platform. They sought an integrated workspace that reduced email clutter, streamlined team communication, and brought together various tools under one roof. Slack “did the job” by catering to these exact requirements, transforming team collaboration globally.
3. The Lean Startup
Origin Story
In the high-octane world of Silicon Valley, where startups sprout every day only to disappear tomorrow, Eric Ries observed a pattern. Many companies, brimming with enthusiasm and resources, often met untimely ends because they invested heavily in products that the market didn’t want. This observation led to the birth of ‘The Lean Startup’ methodology. It wasn’t just about building; it was about building what mattered.
The Build-Measure-Learn Feedback Loop
At its core, the Lean Startup methodology is all about learning — learning from real users, real products, and real markets. This is encapsulated in the Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop.
- Build: Develop a minimal version of your idea that lets you start the learning process as soon as possible.
- Measure: Once the product is out, understand how it’s being used and what value it’s providing.
- Learn: Armed with this knowledge, make informed decisions about whether to pivot (make fundamental changes) or persevere (keep improving on the current course).
The Power of MVP
Perhaps the most game-changing concept that Lean Startup introduced to the entrepreneurial world is the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Contrary to traditional beliefs of product launches, an MVP emphasizes the importance of getting a functional product to the market quickly rather than waiting for a ‘perfect’ version. This allows startups to test their hypotheses, gather user feedback, and iterate effectively without heavy investment.
Fun Fact
The perfect product isn’t the one with the most features; it’s the one that solves user problems efficiently. Hence, an MVP can sometimes be as simple as a landing page, a demo video, or even a manual service.
Real-life Implementation
Take Dropbox, for example. While most startups were investing in coding elaborate features, Dropbox took a different route. Instead of creating the full product, they made a straightforward video demonstrating their idea of a seamless file-sharing service. This video, serving as their MVP, was released to a targeted community. The overwhelming interest and signups it garnered were indicative of the market demand, giving the Dropbox team the validation and confidence they needed to build further.
The Lean Startup in Retrospect
Today, as countless startups attribute their success to the Lean Startup principles, it stands as a testament to the power of focused, user-centric product development. Eric Ries’s methodology serves as a beacon, illuminating the path for budding entrepreneurs and reminding them that in the world of startups, it’s not about resources burned, but lessons learned.
4. The Hook Model
Origin Story
The genesis of the Hook Model traces back to Nir Eyal’s relentless pursuit to understand the anatomy of product addiction. His insights delved into a landscape where some digital products seemed irresistibly captivating to users, while others faded into obscurity. Eyal’s deep study and eventual consolidation of his findings birthed the Hook Model, a framework that unraveled the blueprint behind the most addictive tech products.
How can it help?
The Hook Model’s prowess lies in its systematic approach to habit formation. At its heart, the methodology aims to convert sporadic users into loyalists by embedding certain behaviors as habits. The end game? Ensure products are not just used but are integrated into users’ daily lives, making them indispensable.
The essence of the Hook Model is captured in its 4-step loop:
1. Trigger: This is the starting point, the cue that prompts the user towards a particular behavior. Triggers can be external, like notifications, or internal, stemming from users’ emotions or states.
2. Action: Following the cue, this step involves the simple behavior the user undertakes in anticipation of a reward, like opening an app or posting a picture.
3. Reward: Once the action is taken, the user receives a reward. It could be intrinsic, like the feeling of social validation from likes on a post, or tangible, like discounts or points.
4. Investment: This final step involves the user making an investment, be it time, data, effort, or even money. This investment sets the user up for future interactions with the product, solidifying the habit loop.
Fun Fact
If you’ve ever found yourself endlessly scrolling through a social media feed without any conscious intention, you’re experiencing the Hook Model in action. It’s an intricate dance of triggers, actions, rewards, and investments that keeps users engaged.
Real-life Implementation
You receive a notification (the external Trigger) that your lives in Candy Crush have been restored. Prompted by this, you launch the game (Action). As you progress, the game offers positive feedback via points and level completions (Reward). Then, noticing you’re close to surpassing a friend’s score or unlocking a new game feature, you’re motivated to continue or even consider in-app purchases (Investment). This cycle, initiated by a simple notification, effectively draws players back into the game repeatedly.
5. Outcome-Driven Innovation (ODI)
Origin Story
At the heart of ODI lies a pivotal shift in perspective. While traditional product management frameworks often prioritized features, specifications, or technology-centric views, ODI emerged with a laser focus on the endgame: the desired outcomes of users. This approach was born from the realization that while features can be copied or surpassed, truly understanding and fulfilling unique user outcomes creates unrivaled value and differentiation in the market.
Superpower
The core strength of ODI is its ability to bridge the gap between what a product does (its features) and why a user would want it (the outcomes). By emphasizing desired outcomes, companies can move beyond assumptions, using data-driven insights to understand the tangible and intangible benefits that users seek.
Two essential tools guide ODI’s approach:
- Outcome prioritization: This involves identifying and ranking user outcomes based on importance and the current level of satisfaction. It helps in focusing efforts on areas with the most significant opportunity for innovation.
- Feature mapping: A systematic process that aligns features to specific outcomes. This ensures a clear line of sight between what’s being built and its impact on users’ desired results.
Fun Fact
While many product management methodologies lean heavily into the ‘how’ of creating products, ODI is almost like a detective’s approach to the ‘why.’ It deciphers users’ motivations and aspirations, creating a blueprint for innovation.
Real-life Implementation
Through Outcome-Driven Innovation, Netflix identified that beyond a vast content library, personalization was key for its audience. Instead of solely expanding their movie collection, they honed in on a sophisticated recommendation algorithm, ensuring users found content tailored to their preferences and moods. This ODI approach didn’t just enhance user satisfaction; it cemented Netflix’s position as a pioneer in curating deeply personalized viewing experiences.
Conclusion
These five frameworks aren’t just academic concepts; they’re living, breathing strategies that have redefined the landscape of product management. From understanding the core needs of users to innovating based on outcomes, they provide a roadmap for success in an increasingly complex digital world.
Written by: Inchara, kubo media team.
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