YOUR GUIDE

I’ve spent a lot of time doing customer research in healthcare. One thing I’ve noticed is how often participants naturally talk about outcomes.

When I talk with a nurse, they’ll talk about the clinical outcome they’re trying to achieve for the patient. We all want the person receiving care to get better, go home,...

Product managers often tell me they struggle with saying no, especially when they feel the need to explain why. The challenge isn’t really how to say no. It’s having enough clarity about what deserves a yes.

There are three questions that can help when making product decisions.

1. Does it create meaningful val...

This week, I’m traveling with a client to visit several of their customers. We’re looking for opportunities for new products, so we’ll be spending time observing and learning how their customers do their jobs.

I’ve done a lot of customer research over the years, and one thing I’ve learned is that asking customers...

One thing I’ve come to appreciate about product management is that not every decision lives on the same time horizon.

Some decisions improve products that already exist. We solve quality issues, reduce costs, or make incremental improvements that create more value for customers.

Other decisions are focused on to...

One thing I’ve noticed about product managers is that they spend their days moving between completely different perspectives.

In a single week, they may meet with the executive team, talk with engineers about a new concept, discuss a manufacturing issue, meet with a distributor, and spend time with customers.

Ea...

I was talking recently with a product manager who was preparing for a strategy discussion with his leaders.

He had blocked two hours to think through his product line. Instead, something unexpected came up that demanded his attention. By the end of the day, he had only spent about thirty minutes on the work he or...

I recently spent time interviewing customers and industry experts to better understand what drives adoption of new products. What stood out to me was that people rarely talked about the product alone. They talked about whether the product solved a meaningful problem, whether the value justified the investment, and...

Many product managers are responsible for maintaining the product roadmap, but over time the roadmap can slowly become something it was never meant to be. 

This is especially common in manufacturing companies, where product decisions are influenced by engineering, sales, and leadership. Instead of showing where t...

One thing I’ve noticed about product managers is how willing they are to help and step in wherever needed.

That instinct builds responsibility and keeps things moving. But over time, it can blur the role.

Product managers become the default owner of things that really belong elsewhere.

• Marketing needs messagi
...

Most product teams don’t struggle to understand their customers. By the time an idea reaches approval, teams have usually done the work. They’ve talked to customers, explored concepts, and tested whether the solution helps achieve a real outcome for customers.

The problem shows up after the green light.

A projec...