The document discusses product management and provides tips for product managers. It outlines the key responsibilities of a product manager, which include owning the vision, design, and execution of a product. It also discusses strategies for identifying good product managers and prioritizing product features and roadmaps. The document contrasts consumer products with enterprise products and provides growth strategies for startups.

1. Product Management 101
Amit Ranjan
Cofounder, SlideShare

2. Presentation Flow
• Product Management
‐ what, why, who
• Product Manager skillsets
• Difference between Consumer & Enterprise
products
• Strategies for Hacking Growth

3. • Product Management is the function that
manages the product life cycle through
activities like planning, forecasting,
production, marketing.
• The Product Management role can have
different flavours
‐ engineering, design, sales, user acquisition,
marketing, data etc

4. • Product Managers have responsibility but no
authority
• They own the product, but don’t manage the
people building the product
The Product Management Dilemma

5. “A great product manager has the brain
of an engineer, the heart of a designer,
and the speech of a diplomat…”

6. “The best Product Managers become
CEOs of their products (minus P&L
responsibilities)…”

7. Product Management owns the vision,
design, and execution of the product

8. • Vision
‐ align org goals with market conditions & user needs
‐ ‘get’ the pulse of the product (think movie directors)
• Design
‐ give shape to the product: feature mix, user
experience
• Execution
‐ work with engineering, quality, marketing to deliver

9. Identifying a Good Product Manager
• Strong product sense/instinct
• Carries multiple points of views
• Communicates clearly
• Simplifies & prioritizes
• Measures & iterates
• Understands good design
• Writes effective copy

10. “Product Managers are God’s gift to
mankind…. against feature bloat”

11. "Every failed product had an awesome
spreadsheet…"

12. Product Managers: “The Art of Saying No”
• So many reasons to say yes
‐ “But the data looks good…”
‐ “But it’ll only take a few minutes….”
‐ “But this customer is about to quit…”
‐ “But we can just make it optional…”
‐ “But my cousin’s neighbour said…”
‐ “But we’re allowed to work on whatever we want…”
‐ “But 713,000 people said they want it…”
‐ “But we’ll achieve our monthly target…”

13. How to tackle casual product feedback
• One person's opinion (OPO)
‐ what if the one-person is Steve Jobs
• Strong suggestion
• Vocal minority phenomenon
• Mandate
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140602024642-22330283-avoiding-the-unintended-
consequences-of-casual-feedback

14. 3 point thumb rule for product prioritization
• Product features (prioritizing for a product)
‐ Metrics movers
‐ Satisfiers
‐ Delighters
• Product Roadmap (prioritizing overall product plan)
‐ Core
‐ Strategic
‐ Venture

15. Both consumer & enterprise products
deliver user values & functionality but…
- Consumer: you build for end-users
Enterprise: you build for end-users & buyers
- Consumer: satisfies the user’s emotional need
Enterprise: workflow efficiency is focus
- Consumer: build what users love (partners: Eng/Design/Pdt.)
Enterprise: revenue driven (partners: Sales/Marketing)
- Consumer: often requires an artistic mindset
Enterprise: requires a business mindset

16. Early Stage Startups - Growth Strategies

17. “A startup is a temporary organization
which is searching for a repeatable and
scalable business model…”

18. Startups = Growth

19. Three stages of startup growth….
• Initial period of slow or no growth
‐ startup tries to figure out what it's doing
• After product market fit
‐ rapid growth, reach as many people as possible
• Startup grows into a big company
‐ growth slows due limits of market size &
organizational bloat

20. Growth Strategies
• Consumer Products case study
• Enterprise Products case study

21. References
• http://crankypm.com/2006/11/08/that-all-the-responsibility-and-no-authority-saying/
• http://steveblank.com/2010/01/25/whats-a-startup-first-principles/
• http://www.paulgraham.com/growth.html
• http://blog.intercom.io/product-strategy-means-saying-no/
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20140602024642-22330283-avoiding-the-unintended-
consequences-of-casual-feedback
• https://www.pinterest.com/pin/47850814762416434/
• http://www.sachinrekhi.com/blog/2013/01/28/what-is-product-management
• http://www.quora.com/What-distinguishes-the-Top-1-of-Product-Managers-from-the-Top-
10/answer/Ian-McAllister
• https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-enterprise-products-differ-from-consumer-angela-
yoonjeong-yang
• www.dilbert.com
• http://www.quora.com/What-are-the-best-ways-to-prioritize-a-list-of-product-features
• http://www.instigatorblog.com/the-role-of-product-managers/2012/06/08/
• https://medium.com/design-of-a-technology-business/ultimate-guide-to-product-prioritization-
b08c18d5c00f

22. https://twitter.com/amitranjan
https://www.facebook.com/amitranjan
http://in.linkedin.com/in/amitranjanprofile