Your Baby is Ugly!
(but I think we can fix it…)
Mike Ditson
Product Camp Austin
July 20, 2013
mikeditson@yahoo.com
Strategies for the inherited product

“Yay! A new PM job, what do I get to work on?”

Ugly Product Problems
• “Step-child” Products
• Out-dated technology
• Starved for resources
• Over-due customer commitments
• Failure to launch
• “Forgotten” in the acquisition

WWSTD?

How did God
Create the World
in seven days?
No installed base!

“Luke, I
am your
father…”(but, you know, in a good way!)

“Neat!”
- Father of THE INTERNET!

Take Inventory

START with your angry Customers…
• Your first ~ 3 months are the only time you can claim “innocence.”
• You still have “beginners mind.”
• BUT – you still represent the company.
• NEVER pass the buck.
• Apologize. “I am sorry you have had this experience.”
• THEN, you own it! (i.e. Do NOT drop the ball. More on that later)

Where does your Product fit in your company’s portfolio?
High Growth Low Growth
Material
Not Material Emerging Declining
MatureGrowth

What else is in the briefcase?
Salespeople sell…
what’s easy

Understand Stakeholders….

The Usual Suspects
VP
Services
VP
Sales COO/CFO CEO VP
Engineering

Haters/Enthusiasts

“Don’t let product people get driven out of decisions in companies
where sales and marketing are in charge.” - “S.J.”

Plans of Attack

Your points of Leverage

Angry customers

LoneWolf
McQuaid:
That….sales
guy.

Tighten your Sales/Marketing Focus
• I am NOT (in any way) smarter than Ray Ozzie.
• But… could tightening the focus help?

Should we do a
re-write?

“The Crusaders were not nice people…”
- Bill Davidow

Do you have Marketing?
• Do programs comply with “strategic principle?”
• Does marketing understand why customers will buy the product?
• Does a crusade mentality exist?
• Is customer satisfaction guaranteed?
• Does the product match the sales and distribution channels?
• Will the promotion program work?
• Is the product different?
• Does a marketing plan exist?
• Is pricing fair?
• Are the marketing programs integrated?
• Is marketing in touch with the customer base?
• Does marketing respect sales and vice versa?
• Does marketing drive the organization?
• Are products managed through their life cycles?
• Is a forecasting system in place?
• Does marketing have quality control?

Can you
Lipstick it?

Should we just Sunset this beyatch?

Beware Pitfalls. Mind your FOUR P’s!

Taken Yesterday! (July 19, 2013)
“Much Less NEAT now!”
- Father of THE INTERNET!
It’s alive!! For 16 years!

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