Effective Customer Interviews

Effective Customer Validation Interviews Customer validation is a critical step when it comes to product development. We need it to be double-sure that we have a sustainable business model and to guide our decision-making in

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Getting Product Metrics Right

Build Great Features with Product Metrics It is more important now than ever, for product managers to work with data. Doing this could be daunting when considering the large amount that we often have to

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Customer Interview Questions

Asking the Right Questions No matter how busy we are as product managers, we must find the time to talk to customers. We need to do this to improve our chances of building our best

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Effective Backlog Grooming

Grooming the Backlog Also known as ‘backlog grooming’, backlog refinement is an ongoing or recurring event for the development team working in Agile. It helps us to be well-prepared for the next sprint. It is

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DEEP Product Backlog

Creating a DEEP Product Backlog A product backlog captures the details about all we are planning to do, to achieve our vision. It is a prioritized list of everything that is deemed necessary related to

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Meta Product Manager (Facebook)

Meta, like its FAANG counterparts, adheres to a bottoms-up management approach. This philosophy signifies a departure from traditional top-down structures, empowering Product teams to be architects of their solutions rather than mere implementers of upper-management directives.

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Understanding Tech Debt

Understanding Tech Debt Anyone that has been in the software development circle for some time has probably come across mentions of the term “tech debt” or involved in discussions on it.   But is tech debt

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When To Do a Design Sprint

When To Do a Design Sprint? Introduced by Jake Knapp while at Google Ventures, Design Sprint is a five-day process that is employed by startups and businesses to solve complex problems and validate ideas. It

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Learn Fast, Not Fail Fast

Learn Fast, Not Fail Fast You have very likely heard at some point the phrase “fail fast.” As. Product Manager this is probably something that has come up on more than one discussion – especially

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Design Principles Product Managers

Design Principles Product Managers The quality of experience that users get while using a product depends greatly on the level of thought that goes into the design. And User Experience determines to a large extent

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When to Listen and When to Watch

When to Listen and When to Watch Teams should be user-focused in their work and a part of the requirements is for them to listen to users. Yet, when building great products, it is sometimes

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Three Pillars of Product Management

Three Pillars of Product Product Management is a strategic role within an organization that deals with developing and bringing products to the market. It covers everything from idea generation and verification to planning, developing, and

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Outcome-Driven Roadmaps

What Is an Outcome-Based Roadmap? There is  an increasingly common notion in Agile that a product roadmap is more of a hindrance than a help. Some teams would be glad to do without one while

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Gartner Hype Cycle

What is the Gartner Hype Cycle? Innovation is key to a company having an advantage (a vital differentiator) over the competition. New technologies often hold or make great promises. Investors and business owners are always

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McKinsey’s 3 Horizons Model

What is McKinsey’s 3 Horizons Model? Businesses that are looking to achieve and maintain long-term growth must give due attention to existing products while also not overlooking innovation. The 3 Horizons framework by the international

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Gartner Magic Quadrant

What is Gartner’s Magic Quadrant? A good understanding of the players in an industry is valuable to an organization when it comes to getting its investment decisions right. The Gartner Magic Quadrant is a useful

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Net Present Value

What Is Net Present Value (NPV)? There are many ways or tools available to product managers for prioritizing effectively. It is very rare to find Net Present Value included among these options. This is because

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GE-McKinsey Matrix

What is the GE-McKinsey Matrix? Resource scarcity is a fact of life. While you may have many things to do, the resources available to execute them will often be limiting. This makes it necessary to

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Network Effects

Network Effects (Metcalfe’s Law) Network effects explain the success of most digital businesses around today. These include notable companies such as Facebook, Google, and Apple. While this concept might seem new, it is an idea

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Opportunity Brief Template

Opportunity Brief Template Ideas on what to do, to make your product better or to create something new can come from anywhere. However, not all ideas that are worth your money and time. You will

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Product Requirement Template

Product Requirement Template Product requirements refer to the capabilities, functionality, or features that a product needs to have. They capture what a product should do for users to find it useful. Traditionally, they are written

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Product Vision Template

Product Vision Template A product strategy is a vital requirement for building a successful product. But before coming up with one, you need to have a strong product vision. Think of the product vision as

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Product Brief Template

Product Brief Template A product brief is a very useful tool for product development teams and leadership alike, to understand where a new product of feature is going. It defines the attributes, goals, and direction

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Netflix Product Manager

Product Management at Netflix The role of a Product Manager at Netflix is distinct and compelling, shaped by the streaming giant’s unique approach to content delivery, innovation, and customer experience. As a global leader in

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Microsoft Product Manager

Product Management at Microsoft The role of a Product Manager at Microsoft is multifaceted, dynamic, and pivotal to the success of the company in delivering innovative and impactful products and services. Microsoft, one of the

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TikTok Product Manager

Product Management at TikTok The role of a Product Manager at TikTok is characterized by a dynamic and creative environment, driven by the unique nature of the platform. TikTok, owned by the Chinese tech company

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Uber Product Manager

Product Management at Uber The role of a Product Manager (PM) at Uber is both challenging and dynamic, reflecting the company’s position as a leading player in the ride-sharing and transportation industry. Uber’s PMs are

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7 Product Management Conferences

Top 7 Product Management Conferences Product management conferences offer product managers one of the best avenues for learning and updating their knowledge. They provide an opportunity to network with other professionals in the field and

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12 Product Management Blogs

Top 12 Product Management Blogs Product professionals can benefit immensely from reading blogs related to their job, especially those published by some top names in the field. No one is an island of knowledge. Regardless

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12 Product Management Books

Top 12 Product Management Books Product management books are essential when learning your craft.  Where to begin though?  There are a lot of books out there, so which ones should an aspiring Product manager read? 

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3 Pillars of Product Management

3 Pillars of Product Management The role of Product Management is often misunderstood by those outside of Product, and even some within Product who haven’t received appropriate training.  It is for example tempting to think

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21 Product Management Frameworks

21 Product Management Frameworks Effective product management is critical to the success of any product development process. It helps to ensure that everything to be done matches the needs or pain points of customers and

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12 Product Management Thought Leaders

12 Product Management Thought Leaders It has been said that you can learn Product Management in a weekend, but it takes a lifetime to master.  And so it is important to continue learning and stay

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Group Product Manager

The Group Product Manager is a hybrid role that is an individual contributor but also responsible for leading a team.   The GPM can be found writing user stories and grooming a backlog, but also

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Director of Product

Director of Product The Director of Product is a critical role in Product Management, and typically the level at which product strategy lives within the Product organization.  To really anchor on what a Director of

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VP of Product

VP of Product The VP of Product is an important role in Product Management, but the specific responsibilities can vary significantly depending on the size and structure of an organization.  For example, the VP might

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Chief Product Officer

Chief Product Officer The Chief Product Officer (CPO) is by definition, the top of the food chain for Product Management, within an organization.  Their principal responsibilities are at the portfolio and executive level, not on

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Big Tech Product Management

Product Manager at Top Tech Companies Working as a Product Manager in the world’s top tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, Facebook, Apple and Amazon is rewarding both professionally and financially, but also comes with

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Google Product Manager

Product Manager Role at Google The role of Product Management at Google is multifaceted and crucial to the company’s mission of organizing the world’s information and making it universally accessible and useful. Google, as one

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Amazon Product manager

Amazon Product Manager Role Amazon is known for its highly successful business model of delivering the best products to consumers around the globe. Product Management is one of the key roles at the company making

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Apple Product Manager

Product Manager Role at Apple Apple provides Product Managers with an extraordinary environment that allows them to excel in their duties. Developing phenomenal and impactful products that serve the masses, PMs at Apple play a

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Product Strategy vs. Product Roadmap

Product Strategy vs. Product Roadmap Product strategy and the product roadmap are central to the work of product managers. Both of them are critical for setting the right outcomes and promoting success. However, there are

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Top Product Management Tools

Top 7 Product Management Tools Product management covers many things, but it’s mainly concerned with ensuring efficient resource allocation and delivering winning products. There are a variety of applications available to product managers and product

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MECE Principal

What is the MECE Principal? MECE stands for Mutually Exclusive, Collectively Exhaustive – “completely” is sometimes used in place of “collectively.” It is a principle commonly used by management or strategy consultants for making complex

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Key Product Metrics

What Are Key Product Metrics? Product metrics give you an idea of how well your product or solution is doing. They provide useful insights into how users or customers interact with your product and what

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Growth Product Manager

What is a Growth Product Manager? Growth product manager (GPM) is a role that focuses on metrics that are related to the success of a product. A person occupying this position – sometimes called a

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E-Commerce Product Manager

What is an eCommerce Product Manager? Product Management fundamentals apply to just about any digital product endeavor.  Ecommerce has a unique set of constraints and challenges however that shape the role, in a unique way

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Technical Product Manager

What is a Technical Product Manager? A technical product manager is a type of product manager, who works on a technical product, and thus has more technical skills. The description of this job title might

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SaaS Product Manager

What is a SaaS Product Manager? The realm of Product Management is a diverse landscape, with various niches presenting unique challenges and opportunities. Among these, SaaS Product Management stands out as a domain where the

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Product Launch Analytics

Defining Product Metrics Imagine you’re launching a new product or an important new feature and you need to define the metrics to track.  How do you determine what to track?   These metrics will be

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How to Build a Product That Sucks

How to Build Products That Suck No product manager or company would set out to create a product that disappoints. However, the reality is that many products, if not most, simply suck! It’s true that

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Top 10 Prioritization Frameworks

Top 10 Prioritization Frameworks It may be argued that the key function of Product Management, is prioritization. For instance, you set the product vision, direction, and strategy in the roadmap so that they guide what

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Product Feedback

Obtaining User Feedback With so many questions going unanswered, Product Feedback is an uphill task, but one that can be done with expertise if the company is well-equipped and ready to do the job. The

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Product Specs

What Are Product Specs? Product specification (Also called Product brief) refers to a product document that outlines the requirements for a new product feature or functionality. It is a sort of blueprint containing vital information

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Product Requirements

What are Product Requirements? A product requirement is something that Product Management typically creates, providing the outline of acceptable criterial to the design and development team, so they can determine an appropriate solution to the

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Empowered Product Teams

What is an Empowered Product Team? Empowered Product Teams put product managers front-and-center, to guide their respective teams and initiatives.  In traditional companies, it is common for strategy and vision, and roadmap to come entirely

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GAME Framework

GAME Product Analytics Framework Success metrics provide a quantified measure of a product is doing; They are a lens into the health of your product and its performance. Defining these metrics is therefore intrinsic to

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Product Council

What is a Product Council? A Product Council is a forum or group of key stakeholders existing to set the direction for and review the product. It helps in making better and well-timed decisions on

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Theme-Based Roadmap

What is a Theme-Based Roadmap? A theme-based roadmap, simply put, is one that is organized into strategic themes. It is similar to an outcome-driven roadmap, except that themes are more descriptive of focus areas than

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Opportunity Space

Opportunity Space Product teams are familiar with the terms, problem space and solution space. One relates to the needs of customers while the other is finding a solution to the identified problems. But there is

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Outcome vs. output

Outcome vs. output Product Teams In the dynamic field of product management, a crucial challenge lies in the dichotomy between the role’s strategic nature and the prevalent organizational tendency to dictate what Product Managers should

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Balanced Portfolio

What is the Balanced Portfolio? A balanced portfolio is an investment strategy that is aimed at ensuring the right mix of investments. In a product sense, it is a portfolio that balances new, growing, and

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Product Requirements

What are Product Requirements? A Product Requirement defined an aspect of a product or feature that must be satisfied in the solution that is created. It is a guide for the design and development teams

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Stakeholder Requests

Stakeholder Requests Stakeholders are representatives within the organization that have a vested interest in the success of a product.  They typically come from proximal executive ranks, or functional group’s whose KPIs are directly impacted such

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Story Mapping

What is Story Mapping A story map is a helpful tool when planning a release. It is based on user stories of what needs to be built. With user story mapping, product teams can describe

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Good Product Manager, Bad Product Manager

Good Product Manager Bad Product Manager, Revisited Any Job post for a Product Manager usually has a long list of responsibilities attached to it. These are what make a good Product Manager according to the

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History of Product Management

History of Product Management Product Management can be traced back to the 20th Century through a chain of events that happened through a young and enterprising economist who dared to ask, “How can I sell

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What is a Product Manager?

What is a Product Manager? A Product manager is a key organizational function that guides each step of a product’s lifecycle beginning from development until it gets to the market. To build top-notch products, product

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Product Development Stages

What are the States of Product Development? Product development, in simple terms, could be described as the creation or manufacturing of a product. In this sense, it refers to what takes place in a factory

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Northstar Framework

What is the NorthStar Framework? The North Star Framework emphasizes a single metric, on which success hugely depends. This model centers on the aptly-named North Star Metric (NSM) that captures the key value that your

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Competitive Analysis Frameworks

Competitive Analysis Frameworks C A competitive analysis framework is a structured approach used by businesses to evaluate and understand their competitive landscape. It involves assessing the strengths and weaknesses of both direct and indirect competitors

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Product vs Feature

What is a Product vs. a Feature? In the simplest terms, a product can be described as something that customers consider valuable enough to pay for. It is an item, tool, environment, or even a

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Agile Scrum Team

What is an Agile Scrum Team? Scrum is an agile framework where teams work collectively in order to achieve a specific goal and is majorly used by software development teams. Borrowing its name from a

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Product Manager vs Business Analyst

Product Manager vs Business Analyst A Product Manager (PM) and a Business Analyst (BA) are two separate roles united by a mutual goal which is to build the right systems and products. However, there are

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Product Manager vs Product Owner

Product Manager vs Product Owner The role product owner is often associated with Scrum which is an agile framework that aids in the design, building and sustaining of complex products. According to the Scrum Guide

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Product Manager vs UX Designer

Product Manager vs User Experience The best products are created by multi-disciplinary teams which are able to deliver the best experience for clients. A Product Manager + UX designer collaboration is vital in any endeavor

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Product Manager vs Program Manager

Who is a Product Manager? Product managers are tasked with the role of strategically driving the development of products until they get into the market as well as ensuring products are constantly improved to effectively

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Product Manager vs Product Marketer

Product Manager vs Product Marketer There is often confusion distinguishing between a product manager and a product marketing manager abbreviated as PMs and PMMs especially in organizations which have multiple product lines and business units

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Product Manager vs Product Designer

Product Manager vs Product Designer A good product should provide an excellent user experience which requires close collaboration between product management and design. A product designer should work closely with a product manager to get

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Wireframes

What is a Wireframe? A wireframe is generally a low-fidelity representation of the major features and function of a web page or app screen. The idea is to start with a ‘blue print’ to ensure

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Use Case

What is a Use Case? A use case is a description of a scenario in which a user will engage with a product or system. It serves as the basis for analysis how the system

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User Experience

What is User Experience (UX)? User experience (UX) describes the quality of interaction that a user has with a system and their resulting perceptions. It is how useful and usable the system is, and consequently

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The User Is Drunk

What is The User Is Drunk? The ” User is Drunk” concept in Product design stresses the need to make things as simple as possible when designing products or websites. It underscores the importance of

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Product Architecture

What is Product Architecture? Product architecture relates to how a system’s or product’s function is organized into physical parts or components. It is the chunking or organization of functional elements as well as how these

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Design Ops

What Is Design Ops? Design Operations or Design Ops – describes an alignment of the design process across products and disciplines. The Nielsen Norman Group defines it as “the orchestration and optimization of people, processes,

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Product Mission

What is a Product Mission? Product mission is a short statement that spells out the ultimate goal of a product. It makes clear the purpose(s) that what you’re offering serves and for whom. Succinctly, it

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Product Operations

What Is Product Operations? In the dynamic realm of product management, a relatively recent yet pivotal player has emerged to streamline processes, enhance collaboration, and ensure strategic alignment – Product Operations, affectionately known as Product

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Weighted Shortest Job First

What is Weighted Shortest Job First? Weighted Shortest Job First, abbreviated as WSJF, is an ostensibly easy Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) technique for prioritizing items on a backlog. It seeks to identify the most economically

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Opportunity Solution Tree

What is an Opportunity Solution Tree ? Opportunity Scoring Tree (OST) is a diagram that aims to help the product discovery process to run smoothly. The visual aid provides clarity on how you intend to

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Large-Scale Scrum

What is Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS)? One of the popular frameworks in Agile software development for applying Agile in the enterprise context, Large-Scale Scrum (LeSS) is a lightweight way of scaling Scrum in large organizations. It

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Product Positioning

What is Product Positioning? Product positioning is an attempt at creating in the minds of customers the right perceptions about your product, including showing how it differs from rival offerings. You could think of it

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Feature-Driven Development

What Is Feature-Driven Development? Feature-Driven Development, also known as FDD, is an Agile model for software development that involves short iterations. It refers to a lightweight, incremental process in which development work (and progress) revolves

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Feature Bloat

What is Feature Bloat? Feature bloat describes a phenomenon in which too many features are built into a product, and a team focuses more on output than outcome and often leads to adding features for

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Feature Factory

What is a Feature Factory? Feature factory is a term that is used to describe a company that is more interested in pushing out features while caring less about solving real problems. This term is

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PERT Chart

What is a PERT Chart? PERT stands for Program (or Project) Evaluation and Review Technique, an approach for analyzing and presenting the tasks involved in a project. The PERT chart is a diagram displaying the

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Product Brief

What is a Product Brief? A product brief is a document that defines a problem to be solved and generally includes goals and/or some set of high-level requirements. It provides a starting point for the

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Value vs Complexity

Value vs Complexity Prioritization Matrix In simple terms, value vs. complexity is a framework that enables you to prioritize initiatives by considering their inherent value and complexity of execution. It is a tool that you

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Featureless Roadmap

What is a Featureless Roadmap? A feature-less roadmap is a departure from traditional roadmaps in that it places less emphasis on features and more on outcomes (outcome vs output).  The idea may sound like a

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Minimal Lovable Product (MLP)

What Is a Minimum Lovable Product? The minimum lovable product (MLP) is a relatively new concept that provides a seemingly better alternative to the more popular minimum viable product (MVP). First coined by Brian Haaff

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Customer-Focused Product Teams

Customer-Focused Product Teams Almost all product managers and CEOs will say they care about their customers when asked. But we all know that actions speak louder than words. If the culture of the company is

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