A high-level introduction to Product Management. Used for the Techstart Academy 'A Start-up's guide to Product Management' at the MAC in Belfast, November 2018

2. wtf is
product?
Emma Mulholland
@e_mulholland
Product Manager ShopKeep
Co-founder ProductTank Belfast
Trainer Mind the Product

3. @e_mulholland
Wee bit about me

4. Covering
● Building products is risky and hard
● What is ‘Product Management?’ Why do I care?
● And what is a Product Manager?
● Some theory and tools
@e_mulholland

5. 80%
of new products fail
@e_mulholland

6. @e_mulholland

7. Product
Management
delivers user and
business value by
solving a problem
@e_mulholland

8. Product management lives here
product
team
User
(usable)
Technology
(feasible)
Business / Market
(viable)
@e_mulholland

9. The Product Manager
https://williamgill.de

10. @e_mulholland
True story

11. @e_mulholland
So how do Product Managers -
Product Manage?

12. @e_mulholland
Product -
Market fit
Is there a good
market for this?
Product-
Problem fit
Does this solve
the problem?

13. Lean canvas - Ash Maurya
Product Market @e_mulholland

14. Lean canvas
1. Problem
○ Existing alternatives
2. Customer segments
○ Early adopters
3. Unique value proposition
4. Solution
5. Channels
6. Revenue streams
7. Cost structures
8. Key metrics
9. Unfair advantage
@e_mulholland

15. User
Problem Hypothesis about
solution
Measure through
KPIs
Experiment
Value
Make assumptions. Validate.
Repeat.

16. @e_mulholland
I’m confident!
How do I start to build?

17. Well defined user
problems,
give us a clear
product vision
Product Management - nuts & bolts
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18. Product Strategy
Vision
Roadmap
Product Management - nuts & bolts
Epics
User stories
@e_mulholland

19. Empathize Define Ideate Prototype Test
• User research
• Personas
• Journey maps
• Value chains
• Role playing
• 5 whys
• Lean canvas
• Uncertainty
mapping
• Sketching
• How might we
• Crazy 8s
• Brainstorming
• Story boarding
• Mental model
mapping
• Dot voting
• Comp analysis
• Paper
• Wireframes
Tools
• Balsamiq
• Pop
• Marvel
• Guerrilla testing
• Usability testing
• Surveys
• Observation
Some product manager tools
@e_mulholland

20. The post it note is
your friend
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21. @e_mulholland

22. @e_mulholland

23. @e_mulholland

24. So wtf is Product?
● Mindset
● Theory
● Tools
● Method to decrease risk and increase opportunity
@e_mulholland

25. Main takeaways
● Fall in love with the problem
● Understand user and business value
● Capture and validate all assumptions
● Get something into the hands of your users quickly
@e_mulholland

26. TRAINING
Metrics & Analytics 201
Product Management 102
User Research
DATE & LOCATION
Jan 17th, Belfast
March 21st, Belfast
May 22nd, Belfast
For tickets & info:
https://www.mindtheproduct.com/product-management-training/
@e_mulholland

27. Want to know more?
@e_mulholland

28. Thank you :)
● linkedin.com/in/emulholland/
● emma.mulholland@gmail
● @e_mulholland