Product management is as difficult as we make it. The most common and easiest way to make product management difficult is via intoxication with an idea, a solution, ourselves, or the doomed trifecta of all three. The antidote is to love the problem, the behaviours that influence the problem, building competence to influence new behaviours; thus the trifecta of certain[!?] success.
Every successful company has a shared clarity of context in which they operate, or what we call problem competence. Problem competence is essential for success in business, strategy, and product. Without a deep understanding of the problem at hand, it becomes impossible to create solutions that truly meet the needs of customers and drive measurable results. This is why we emphasize that problem competence precedes all other steps in the product management process, including product strategy and go-to-market efforts. It is also why we stress that solution competence is only possible with a thorough understanding of the factors that influence the problem that you're tackling. By focusing on problem competence, first, businesses can ensure that they are creating solutions that truly address the needs of their customers and drive success.
However, to be certainly clear, competence isn't always gained in the same way, even in the same company or on the same product over time. Often with new products, competence is gained with development (e.g. a narrative, prototype, immersive observations) of something to see how people react. We are certainly not advocates for paralysis-analysis, just as strongly as we are fully against blind-luck engineering (gambling).
Product strategy is the backbone of a successful business, and it is essential to align activities with the overall business goals and objectives. The value of your strategy is a direct correlation of your competence with the problem you're tackling. Our "entrepreneurial culture meets investment rigor" approach helps to drive experimentation that is focused on uncovering usable conclusions, and making data-informed decisions that ultimately lead to a product that resonates with the target audience and delivers measurable results
This approach encourages testing and validation of assumptions, and a continuous iteration process to ensure that the product stays aligned with the ever-evolving market needs and customer demands. By fostering a culture of experimentation and rigor, businesses can build a product that not only meets the needs of the customers but also drives the overall success of the organization.
Each activity of a business is an investment or gamble; it's that simple. Your strategy, backed by problem competence, defines your reality.
With a clear understanding of the problem and a solid product strategy in place, the next step is to bring the solution to market. Go to market, or GTM, is the process of getting your product or service in front of potential customers and making it available for sale, purchase, and use. This is where a lot of startups and established companies alike tend to struggle. It's not enough to have a great product or service idea, you also need to have a plan for how to get it in front of the right people and make it easy for them to buy, use, and adopt.
This is where our approach of "Entrepreneurial Culture Meets Investment Rigor" comes in strongest. We understand the importance of taking a data-informed and metrics-forging approach to GTM, while also fostering a culture of experimentation and iteration within the organization. Your coach will work with you to develop a comprehensive GTM plan that includes everything from isolating target markets, creating messaging and positioning, to developing sales and marketing plans, and setting up the necessary infrastructure to support those plans. We will also provide guidance and support throughout the execution process to ensure that your team is able to meet their target outcomes. With your coaches help, you'll be able to bring your product or service to market in a way that is both effective and sustainable.
Solution Competence is the final stage in our pragmatic method of helping clients achieve success. This stage of the loop is where reality shares its truth about the market that you've addressed. We take the context, behaviors, influences, and your go to market and show you how to expose what's working, and what's not, and how to leverage your new intelligence as an asset for your next investment loop.
This includes identifying the most efficient and effective ways to deliver solutions that meet target outcomes and exceed customer expectations. Whether it's through developing and implementing new technologies, streamlining processes, or building and scaling teams, our approach to Solution Competence is designed to help clients achieve long-term success.