Scope creep – every product manager and engineer’s favorite thing. Scope creep is, of course, when, after we’ve finalized the scope for a project or release, the requirements for that release somehow keep increasing. Whether it’s an idea for a new feature, updated customer feedback on how something should work or a just more requirements, the scope of our development work can sometimes feel quite fluid and is something that must be acutely managed. While some of this new feedback can actually be valuable, it does make it difficult to score if the goal line is constantly changing. In this episode, we discuss some tactics for managing scope creep while maintaining the value and integrity of the original product idea.

Scope creep – every product manager and engineer’s favorite thing. Scope creep is, of course, when, after we’ve finalized the scope for a project or release, the requirements for that release somehow keep increasing. Whether it’s an idea for a new feature, updated customer feedback on how something should work or a just more requirements, the scope of our development work can sometimes feel quite fluid and is something that must be acutely managed. While some of this new feedback can actually be valuable, it does make it difficult to score if the goal line is constantly changing. In this episode, we discuss some tactics for managing scope creep while maintaining the value and integrity of the original product idea.

Masters of Product Management

MPM 057: Keeping Scope Creep Under Control, with Jonathan Soares, CEO of Agency Labs

Study after study show that diversity is good for business. According to McKinsey, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity outperform their competitors by 15% and those in the top quartile for ethnic diversity outperform their competitors by 35%.  Diverse teams, those made up of people from different races, genders, sexual orientations, backgrounds, and experiences lead to more creativity, a variety of thought and more empathy for customers. And as we all know, when it comes to innovation and product development, empathy for customers is paramount to success.  Diversity and inclusion are topics that simply must be top of mind for product managers and product leaders. We can’t build products for everyone if we aren’t in the right environment where inclusion is fostered. In this episode, award-winning author & CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer Brown shares insights into how organizations can be more diverse and more inclusive.

Study after study show that diversity is good for business. According to McKinsey, companies in the top quartile for gender diversity outperform their competitors by 15% and those in the top quartile for ethnic diversity outperform their competitors by 35%.  Diverse teams, those made up of people from different races, genders, sexual orientations, backgrounds, and experiences lead to more creativity, a variety of thought and more empathy for customers. And as we all know, when it comes to innovation and product development, empathy for customers is paramount to success.  Diversity and inclusion are topics that simply must be top of mind for product managers and product leaders. We can’t build products for everyone if we aren’t in the right environment where inclusion is fostered. In this episode, award-winning author & CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting, Jennifer Brown shares insights into how organizations can be more diverse and more inclusive.

MPM 056: How an Inclusive Culture Leads to Better Innovation, a discussion with Jennifer Brown

You’ve likely heard of the Jobs to Be Done theory, popularized by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen. Jobs to Be Done is a framework for better understanding customer behavior.  The theory being that customers don’t buy products, they hire those products to do a job. As Theodore Levitt said in the 1960s, “People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole.”

You’ve likely heard of the Jobs to Be Done theory, popularized by Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen. Jobs to Be Done is a framework for better understanding customer behavior.  The theory being that customers don’t buy products, they hire those products to do a job. As Theodore Levitt said in the 1960s, “People don’t want to buy a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole.”

MPM 055: Jobs to Be Done, a conversation with Brian Rhea

Regardless of industry, size or age of an organization, or the type of products built, understanding customers and markets is the bedrock of successful product management for any company. Without that understanding, frankly it doesn’t really matter how good they are at the rest of product development and management, because they aren’t getting to the heart of problems to be solved and needs to be met. However, there are some different dynamics in product research for B2B or Business to Business organizations and B2C, Business to Consumer, organizations. In this podcast, Yana Welinder, CEO & Co-Founder at Kraftful, and former Head of Product at IFTTT shares her experiences and expertise in product research for B2B companies.

Regardless of industry, size or age of an organization, or the type of products built, understanding customers and markets is the bedrock of successful product management for any company. Without that understanding, frankly it doesn’t really matter how good they are at the rest of product development and management, because they aren’t getting to the heart of problems to be solved and needs to be met. However, there are some different dynamics in product research for B2B or Business to Business organizations and B2C, Business to Consumer, organizations. In this podcast, Yana Welinder, CEO & Co-Founder at Kraftful, and former Head of Product at IFTTT shares her experiences and expertise in product research for B2B companies.

MPM 054: Product Research for B2B Companies, Insights from Yana Welinder, CEO of Kraftful

Consumer subscription business models are sometimes quite difficult. Consumers – and we’re all guilty of this – expect so much for free these days when it comes to content, technology and online services, that it can be a steep mountain to climb for subscription products to become economically successful. The value must be proven initially in order for consumers to take that first step into paying for a product, but then we have to continue to show value for users to keep subscribing. This constant decision-cycle requires an ongoing, validated value proposition, even more so than other types of products.

Consumer subscription business models are sometimes quite difficult. Consumers – and we’re all guilty of this – expect so much for free these days when it comes to content, technology and online services, that it can be a steep mountain to climb for subscription products to become economically successful. The value must be proven initially in order for consumers to take that first step into paying for a product, but then we have to continue to show value for users to keep subscribing. This constant decision-cycle requires an ongoing, validated value proposition, even more so than other types of products.

MPM 052: Building Consumer Subscription Products into Successful Businesses, featuring Gyanda Sachdeva, VP Product at LinkedIn

Gamification is the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g. point scoring, competition with others, etc.) to other areas, such as business, marketing, healthcare, or education for the purposes of changing behavior for positive outcomes. Heather Browning, a growth product leader with a background in game design, cognitive psychology and behavioral economics shares her insights on how to build products aimed at sustained behavior change with a focus on improving engagement and retention.

Gamification is the application of typical elements of game playing (e.g. point scoring, competition with others, etc.) to other areas, such as business, marketing, healthcare, or education for the purposes of changing behavior for positive outcomes. Heather Browning, a growth product leader with a background in game design, cognitive psychology and behavioral economics shares her insights on how to build products aimed at sustained behavior change with a focus on improving engagement and retention.

MPM 053: Gamification and Product Management: Best Practices, a conversation with Heather Browning, VP Product of Ria Health

Cybersecurity is a scorching hot topic these days. Of course, there are products out there singularly focused on cybersecurity, but the impact of cyber threats goes far beyond the target of those products and touches a plethora of others. Think of all the connected products that you own… your Alexa or Google Home, your garage door opener may be on an app, your refrigerator may be able to tell you if you have milk or not. Now think of all the medical devices in hospitals that are connected to the cloud in some way. All these products, and many more, are targets for cyber hacks. As such, the topic of cybersecurity is top of mind for many product managers.

Cybersecurity is a scorching hot topic these days. Of course, there are products out there singularly focused on cybersecurity, but the impact of cyber threats goes far beyond the target of those products and touches a plethora of others. Think of all the connected products that you own… your Alexa or Google Home, your garage door opener may be on an app, your refrigerator may be able to tell you if you have milk or not. Now think of all the medical devices in hospitals that are connected to the cloud in some way. All these products, and many more, are targets for cyber hacks. As such, the topic of cybersecurity is top of mind for many product managers.

MPM 051: Cybersecurity Trends in Product Management, with Kanika Thapar Mehta, Group Product Manager, Cisco

Empathy is a critical ingredient in successful product management. It affords us the ability to get in the shoes of our users and customers. It helps us feel their pain, celebrate their wins and feel a deep sense of commitment to help them solve their problems and be successful. Every great product manager has a deep sense of empathy. But empathy is one of those things that’s not easily defined or at least concretely described in context. Our guest on this episode, Ashley Wali, VP Product at Discuss.io, will share her experience with the evolution of user empathy and how she’s been able to incorporate empathy-building initiatives in her team and reap the benefits of those initiatives.

Empathy is a critical ingredient in successful product management. It affords us the ability to get in the shoes of our users and customers. It helps us feel their pain, celebrate their wins and feel a deep sense of commitment to help them solve their problems and be successful. Every great product manager has a deep sense of empathy. But empathy is one of those things that’s not easily defined or at least concretely described in context. Our guest on this episode, Ashley Wali, VP Product at Discuss.io, will share her experience with the evolution of user empathy and how she’s been able to incorporate empathy-building initiatives in her team and reap the benefits of those initiatives.

MPM 050: The Evolution of User Empathy, with Ashley Wali, VP of Product with Discuss.io

For most of us who have led product teams, scaling the team as you grow brings unique challenges. It’s a good problem to have, as they say. It means the organization and products are growing, but we must be diligent as we scale to maintain process consistency, product quality and team culture. While speed is important when you need more resources… skillset, mindset and cultural fit are of utmost importance and simply can’t be short-changed in the process. So it takes diligence, patience and planning.

For most of us who have led product teams, scaling the team as you grow brings unique challenges. It’s a good problem to have, as they say. It means the organization and products are growing, but we must be diligent as we scale to maintain process consistency, product quality and team culture. While speed is important when you need more resources… skillset, mindset and cultural fit are of utmost importance and simply can’t be short-changed in the process. So it takes diligence, patience and planning.

MPM 049: Scaling Product Management Teams, with Jessica Hall, VP Product Strategy & Design with 3Pillar Global

Probably the most significant aspect of product management is the ability to gather feedback from customers and use that feedback to uncover core needs. While we all likely understand the importance of this activity, frankly most organizations don’t do it very well.  Generally speaking, Business to Consumer (or B2C) companies seem to have figured this out a little better than most Business to Business (B2B) companies. While there may be myriad reasons for that, there is a lot to be learned from voice of customer mechanisms employed by many B2C organizations.

Probably the most significant aspect of product management is the ability to gather feedback from customers and use that feedback to uncover core needs. While we all likely understand the importance of this activity, frankly most organizations don’t do it very well.  Generally speaking, Business to Consumer (or B2C) companies seem to have figured this out a little better than most Business to Business (B2B) companies. While there may be myriad reasons for that, there is a lot to be learned from voice of customer mechanisms employed by many B2C organizations.

MPM 048: Customer Feedback: What B2B Companies Can Learn from the B2C World, with Rebecca Nathenson, Senior Director of Product Management for Jobvite

There are many products that stand the test of time and become embedded in consumers’ lives. Think banking, healthcare, insurance or, depending on where you live, taxi cabs. For decades at a time, consumers are content in how they interact with these products, until someone comes along and disrupts the experience in ways consumers didn’t even know possible.  This episode is about the strategy and process of rebuilding century old products for the modern consumer.

There are many products that stand the test of time and become embedded in consumers’ lives. Think banking, healthcare, insurance or, depending on where you live, taxi cabs. For decades at a time, consumers are content in how they interact with these products, until someone comes along and disrupts the experience in ways consumers didn’t even know possible.  This episode is about the strategy and process of rebuilding century old products for the modern consumer.

MPM 047: Rebuilding Century Old Products for the Modern Consumer, Lessons from Insurtech: a conversation with Kate Terry, Co-Founder & COO of Surround Insurance

Succeeding in product management and innovation while our industries and markets are changing around us is something we deal with every day. As the saying goes, “The only constant is change.” That’s what it feels like sometimes as product managers and product leaders. We rarely have the luxury of a slow-moving market. We must constantly be on top of changing market dynamics and evolving customer needs while still trying to manage the day-to-day process of developing and supporting products. It’s one of the things that make product management so difficult but also so rewarding when we get it right.

Succeeding in product management and innovation while our industries and markets are changing around us is something we deal with every day. As the saying goes, “The only constant is change.” That’s what it feels like sometimes as product managers and product leaders. We rarely have the luxury of a slow-moving market. We must constantly be on top of changing market dynamics and evolving customer needs while still trying to manage the day-to-day process of developing and supporting products. It’s one of the things that make product management so difficult but also so rewarding when we get it right.

MPM 046: Driving Innovation in a Fast-Growing Industry: The Importance of Organizational Collaboration, with Kevin Wunder, Senior Director, Product Management of Loveland Innovations

We hear a lot about AI – artificial intelligence – these days. According to McKinsey, AI technologies are projected to increase labor productivity by up to 40% and Executives are highly optimistic in its potential—80% believe artificial intelligence improves worker performance and creates jobs.  Frankly not all of us know a lot about AI and specifically how we in product management will need to understand, embrace, and utilize it. Chris Butler is an expert on AI and he will share his thoughts on how AI is going to impact product management and how product managers and product leaders can leverage AI for the betterment of their products, their businesses, and customers.

We hear a lot about AI – artificial intelligence – these days. According to McKinsey, AI technologies are projected to increase labor productivity by up to 40% and Executives are highly optimistic in its potential—80% believe artificial intelligence improves worker performance and creates jobs.  Frankly not all of us know a lot about AI and specifically how we in product management will need to understand, embrace, and utilize it. Chris Butler is an expert on AI and he will share his thoughts on how AI is going to impact product management and how product managers and product leaders can leverage AI for the betterment of their products, their businesses, and customers.

MPM 045: Product Management and AI, an interview with Chris Butler, IPSoft’s Chief Product Architect

Iterative planning & design, also known as design thinking, is a process and philosophy that centers around deeply understanding customer problems, then designing solutions and testing those prototyped solutions in an iterative way, continuously getting real feedback from customers and improving the solution along the way. If there’s one key tenet of product management, it’s that uncovering and truly understanding the core need of the customer is crucial, and design thinking is a great tool to aid in that.

Iterative planning & design, also known as design thinking, is a process and philosophy that centers around deeply understanding customer problems, then designing solutions and testing those prototyped solutions in an iterative way, continuously getting real feedback from customers and improving the solution along the way. If there’s one key tenet of product management, it’s that uncovering and truly understanding the core need of the customer is crucial, and design thinking is a great tool to aid in that.

MPM 044: How Design Thinking Can Help Your Product Management Team, with Bob Burgarino, EVP with Apiture

On this podcast, we discuss how skills that are critical to Product Managers - skills such as influencing others, initiative, a sense of ownership and empowerment, and many others - can be taken into other roles.

On this podcast, we discuss how skills that are critical to Product Managers - skills such as influencing others, initiative, a sense of ownership and empowerment, and many others - can be taken into other roles.

MPM 043: Bringing Product Manager skills to Non-Product Roles, a Conversation with Michael Smith, Practice Manager UPMC Susquehanna

Masters of Product Management captures the ideas, commentary, and lessons learned from product management thought leaders across the globe. Each episode is filled with real-world insights from practicing product managers and leaders, allowing you to learn, apply, and succeed in your product management career. Hosted by Steven Haines of Sequent Learning Networks.

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Masters of Product Management

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