The document discusses best practices in product management, emphasizing the importance of user research, defining target customers, and iterating solutions based on user feedback. It highlights the distinction between product management and project management and presents frameworks for evaluating product opportunities and measuring success. The author, Matt Danna, encourages collaboration within teams and stresses the need for adaptability and curiosity in developing successful products.

1. BUILDING THE RIGHT PRODUCT
FOR THE RIGHT CUSTOMER
@mattdanna

2. with the right amount of luck...
Building the right product
for the right customer
in the right market
by the right team
using the right technology
at the right time
SUCCESSFUL PRODUCTS REQUIRE....

3. SOME USER AUDIENCE RESEARCH...

4. Designers?

5. Engineers?

6. Product Managers?

7. Matt Danna
VP, PRODUCT
Fullscreen is a new media
company that powers the
creation and sharing of
content for the connected
generation.

8. IT / Human-Computer Interaction
Software Engineer
Product Designer
Product Marketing Manager
Product Manager
Innergy Labs
Freelance

9. WHAT IS PRODUCT MANAGEMENT?

10. “The Biz” Technology
User Experience
Product!
–Martin Ericksson

11. investigate
opportunities
define
solutions*
“To discover a product that is valuable, usable and feasible.”
–Marty Cagan

12. Investigate & Assess Opportunities:
SUPPORT TRENDS
USER FEEDBACK
DESIGNERS
ENGINEERING
BUSINESS STAKEHOLDERS
MARKETING
SALES
MARKET TRENDS
USABILITY TESTING
NEW TECHNOLOGIES
ITERATION
USER BEHAVIOR
BUGS

13. Outline features & functionality,
the user experience,
and the release criteria
Define Solutions (Product Discovery)
The process of discovering the solution to an opportunity

14. PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
VS.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT

15. PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

16. PROJECT MANAGEMENT

17. FAST GOOD
CHEAP
PROJECT MANAGER TRIANGLE

18. FAST GOOD
expensive

19. GOOD
CHEAP
slowww

20. FAST
CHEAP
crap

21. FAST GOOD
CHEAP
PROJECT MANAGER TRIANGLE
“impossible”

22. FAST GOOD
CHEAP
Research,
Design, & QA
Product
Engineering

23. investigate
opportunities
define “inexpensive”
solutions

24. BUILDING THE RIGHT PRODUCT
FOR THE RIGHT CUSTOMER

25. What’s the first step in
building the right product??

26. Don’tbuildtheproduct!
Building = expensive

27. “Desire Path” Image credit: Google Maps

28. Determinewhoyouruseris
CUSTOMER DEVELOPMENT

29. Selectiveservice
Be critical regarding what customer you’re trying to serve

30. Customer Development capabilities:
USER PERSONAS
ONLINE INTERVIEWS
COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS
WEB ANALYTICS
DATA MINING
FOCUS GROUPS
MARKET RESEARCH
SURVEYS
ONSITE VISITS
TALK TO THEM IRL

31. VITAMIN
OR
PAIN KILLER?

32. Opportunityassessment
How viable is the potential opportunity?

33. POEM
FRAMEWORK
Product Opportunity
Evaluation Matrix
(POEM)
CUSTOMER
PRODUCT TIMING
FINANCE
COMPETITION
PRODUCT/
MARKET
FIT?

34. ADOPTION
PRODUCT/MARKET FIT
TIME
Discovery Stickiness Virality Revenue Scale
TRACTION
Courtesy

35. Prototype&Test
Before building full product

36. CONCIERGE MVP
(Minimum Viable Product... not Most Valuable Player)
YOUR BFF!

37. Capitalized on lodging
shortage during a design
conference in San Francisco.
!
Founders sold space in their living room
to validate whether customers were willing
to pay for sleeping on air beds.
Images credit: Shana Wright (

38. WIZARD OF OZ MVP
(shhh there’s a wizard behind the curtain)

39. Nick Swinmurn founded
Zappos.com in 1999.
!
Validated the hypothesis that people
would buy shoes online without
having any actual inventory.
Images credit:

40. Images credit:

41. Alwaysquestionyour
assumptions
!
Put your ego and emotions aside

42. Mercedes “KEYLESS-GO”
SOME OF THE BEST PRODUCTS
DON’T HAVE AN INTERFACE
Unlock Lock
Images credit:

43. Definesuccess
Be opinionated!

44. METRICS:
MEASURE TO LEARN & IMPROVE
EXPLORATION
investigate an assumption,
look for causalities,
validate customer feedback,
validate internal opinions,
etc.
REPORTING
measure progress,
measure feature impact,
see customer happiness/health,
etc.

45. “PIRATE METRICS” ARE A GOOD PLACE TO START
Acquisition
Activation
Retention
Referral
Revenue
AARRR!!

46. Datainfluenced
…Not data-driven

47. Quantitative Data
Qualitative Data
Competition
User Interests
Strategic Goals
Business Interests Ethics & Regulations

48. User-centered
…Not user lead

50. “GENERATION FACEBOOK
IS TAKING ACTION -
AGAINST FACEBOOK.”
-TIME MAGAZINE
“THERE HAS BEEN AN
OVERWHELMINGLY
NEGATIVE RESPONSE TO
FACEBOOK’S LAUNCH OF
TWO NEW PRODUCTS…”
-TECHCRUNCH
“FRANKLY, THE ONLY POSSIBLE OUTCOME
IS THAT FACEBOOK WILL BE FORCED TO
PROVIDE AN "OFF SWITCH" - THE MAJORITY
OF USERS WILL THEN OPT OUT OF THE
SYSTEM, MAKING IT FAR LESS USEFUL.”
-PETE CASHMORE, MASHABLE

51. Selectiveinnovation
Be careful where you spend your time

52. There’s no need to reinvent the sign-in form...
!
Or design a custom icon web font...
!
Or construct your own analytics suite...
!
Or build a home-brew customer support solution...
!
Etc etc etc
EVEN THOUGH YOUR DESIGNERS OR
ENGINEERS MAY MAKE IT SOUND SEXY...

53. KEEP YOUR ENGINEERS AWAY FROM
“HACKER NEWS ENGINEERING”

54. Avoiddistractions
...like a plague

55. Heavy documentation is wasteful
= distraction

56. Always keep one eye on competition,
but stay focused on your own productImage credit:

57. DISTRACTION
OR
OPPORTUNITY?
HINT: If it takes away focus from your core value proposition, it’s a distraction.
Is it a...

58. If your product isn’t getting traction...
Failasfastasyoucan!

59. ADOPTION
PRODUCT/MARKET FIT
TIME
TRACTION
Discovery Stickiness Virality Revenue Scale
ITERATE OR PIVOT Courtesy

60. ADOPTION
PRODUCT/MARKET FIT
TIME
Discovery Stickiness Virality Revenue Scale
PRODUCT DISCOVERY &
CUSTOMER DEVELOPMENT
SCALE,
MARKETING,
OPERATIONS
BIZ DEV, ETC
TRACTION
Courtesy

61. If your product is getting traction...
Focusonbuildingtheteam
thatwillbuildyourcompany

62. Product
Manager
1 Product
Designers
2 Product
Engineers
6: :
MAGIC RATIO
FOR TEAM COMPOSITION
Remember the FAST, GOOD, CHEAP? This is one way to create that rhythm.

63. WHEN HIRING...
I DON’T LOOK FOR PROBLEM SOLVERS.
I WANT PROBLEM SEEKERS.
!
THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX?
I TRY TO FIND PEOPLE WHO ARE OKAY
IF THERE IS NO BOX.

64. 1) Can they do what the job requires today?
2) Can they do what the job will require in 2 years?
3) Could they do the job better than I could?
4) Can I learn from this person?
5) Would it be a delight to work with this person?
5 QUESTION INTERVIEW RETROSPECTIVE

65. Havefun
and stay curious!

66. QUESTIONS?

67. 1. Meet with your users
2. Determine pain points
3. Iterate
If you remember nothing else...

68. THX! <3
@mattdanna
Matt Danna
@fullscreen
Oh, and Fullscreen’s recruiting!
fullscreen.net/careers