Complexity of Product Management

Good product usability, or ergonomic products does not depend only on good work of designers. The one orchestrating good product work is the product manager.

The product managers' task is complex in nature.

Product management is a complex discipline that involves managing diverse functions, balancing competing priorities, and making decisions based on incomplete information. Effective product management requires strategic thinking, creativity, technical knowledge, leadership skills, and effective communication.

To become a good product manager is a long learning journey. And, learning often is about reading books. - Recently I found this very good visual by Delibr (unfortunately I could not finde the original post any more) about "The Best Books on Product Management". Having read most of these books - in rather random order - I can recommend this chart as a very good learning path.

To just mention some of my personal favourites:

• Inspired and empowered by Marty Cagan
• Measure What Matters by John Doerr
• Hooked by Nir Eyal
• Escaping the Build Trap by Melissa Perri
• another classic, The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
• Value Proposition Design by Alex Osterwalder et al.
• Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore

Find here a list with some short summaries about all of the listed books.  - And don't stop reading!

Starter:

The book "Inspired" by Marty Cagan is a guide for product managers and product teams to create successful and innovative products. Cagan emphasizes the importance of putting the user's needs first, focusing on problems instead of solutions, and empowering cross-functional teams to work collaboratively. He also provides practical advice on how to conduct user research, prioritize product features, and iterate quickly to deliver products that delight customers. https://amzn.to/3Zyn1MT

Get started as a PM

"Cracking the PM Interview" by Gayle McDowell and Jackie Bavaro is a comprehensive guide to help aspiring product managers land their dream job. The book covers a wide range of topics, including product design, metrics, execution, and behavioral questions. The authors provide practical advice on how to prepare for interviews, what to expect in each stage of the process, and how to present oneself as a strong candidate. The book also includes sample questions, case studies, and frameworks to help readers develop their problem-solving skills and strategic thinking abilities. Overall, "Cracking the PM Interview" is a must-read for anyone looking to break into the competitive field of product management. https://amzn.to/3Iu1rSw

"Decode and Conquer" by Lewis Lin is a practical guide for anyone seeking a job in the tech industry. The book is specifically tailored for those who aspire to become a product manager, and it offers advice on every aspect of the interview process, from preparation to follow-up. Lin provides detailed strategies for answering common product management interview questions, such as those related to product design, metrics, and customer development. https://amzn.to/3kolPww

Develop in the PM role

Concrete examples, tips & tricks

"Product Management in Practice" by Matt LeMay is a comprehensive guide to the product management discipline. The book covers every stage of the product development process, from identifying customer needs to launching and iterating on a product. LeMay provides practical advice on how to work effectively with cross-functional teams, prioritize product features, and measure success. He also emphasizes the importance of a strong product culture and provides tips on how to foster it within an organization. https://amzn.to/3xKij2u

"The Product Book: How to Become a Great Product Manager" by Josh Anon and Carlos Gonzales de Villaumbrosia is a comprehensive guide to becoming a successful product manager. The book covers every aspect of the product management role, from user research and ideation to product launch and growth. Anon and Gonzales de Villaumbrosia provide practical advice, case studies, and frameworks to help readers develop their product management skills and build successful products that meet customer needs. - https://amzn.to/3KuwNez

Setting goals

"Measure What Matters" by John Doerr is a guide to implementing the Objectives and Key Results (OKR) framework, which has been used by some of the most successful companies in the world, including Google and Intel. The book provides practical advice on how to set and measure goals that are ambitious, transparent, and aligned with the company's overall mission. Doerr shares real-world examples and case studies to show how OKRs can drive innovation, collaboration, and performance within organizations. https://amzn.to/3kiX4lt

"Outcomes Over Output" by Joshua Seiden is a guide to shifting from a traditional output-focused approach to product development to one that prioritizes outcomes. Seiden argues that measuring success by output, such as the number of features released, often leads to building products that fail to meet customer needs. Instead, he provides practical advice on how to define and measure outcomes, which are the changes in customer behavior or business metrics that products are intended to achieve, and how to use them to guide product development. https://amzn.to/3xNNLNf

Doing Discovery

"Sprint" by Jake Knapp is a practical guide to the design sprint, a five-day process for solving big problems and testing new ideas. Knapp, who developed the sprint process at Google, provides a step-by-step framework for running a successful sprint, including techniques for ideation, prototyping, and user testing. The book includes case studies and real-world examples to show how companies have used the sprint process to innovate and create successful products. https://amzn.to/3Iy2rp0

"Continuous Discovery Habits" by Teresa Torres is a guide to creating a sustainable and effective product discovery practice. Torres emphasizes the importance of continuously gathering and incorporating customer feedback throughout the product development process. She provides practical advice on how to conduct user research, prioritize features, and align cross-functional teams around a shared product vision. The book includes case studies and frameworks to help readers develop their product discovery skills and build successful products that meet customer needs. https://amzn.to/3knUHxz

Collaboration by working with …

… user stories

"User Story Mapping" by Jeff Patton is a guide to creating user-centric product roadmaps using the user story mapping technique. Patton argues that traditional feature-focused roadmaps are often ineffective because they do not take into account the user's perspective. Instead, he provides practical advice on how to map out the user journey, organize user stories into themes, and prioritize features based on user needs. The book includes case studies and examples to show how user story mapping can help teams build successful products that meet customer needs. https://amzn.to/3m3h6AU

… feature documents

"Epic Alignment" by Nils Janse is a guide to aligning product strategy with company objectives using the "Epic" framework. Janse argues that successful product development requires a clear understanding of how products support overall business goals. He provides practical advice on how to identify and prioritize "Epic" initiatives, which are high-level projects that align with company objectives, and how to use them to guide product development. The book includes case studies and real-world examples to show how companies have used the Epic framework to drive innovation and growth. https://amzn.to/3Exrqr2

… roadmaps

"Product Roadmaps Relaunched" is a practical guidebook that provides a new approach to product roadmapping that enables teams to build better products. The authors provide a step-by-step framework that helps product managers and their teams to create effective roadmaps that align with business goals, customer needs, and market trends. The book also includes case studies, templates, and tips for managing stakeholders and communicating roadmap decisions. https://amzn.to/41dEUSy

Changing user behavior

"Badass: Making Users Awesome" is a unique approach to designing products that focuses on creating passionate and engaged users. The book offers a blend of theory and practical advice on how to build products that help users to achieve mastery and become "badasses" in their field. Kathy Sierra uses examples from gaming, sports, and music to illustrate her ideas and provides a comprehensive framework for designing products that deliver real value to users. https://amzn.to/3ILmssj

"Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products" is a guidebook that provides a framework for building products that can create user habits. The author, Nir Eyal, presents the Hook Model, a four-step process that involves triggering, action, variable rewards, and investment, to help product designers create addictive experiences for users. The book also includes case studies and practical tips for applying the Hook Model to design products that keep users engaged and coming back for more. https://amzn.to/3YWeDXs

Develop into a product leader

"Empowered" by Marty Cagan is a guide to creating a successful and effective product organization. Cagan argues that to build great products, companies need to empower their product teams to make key decisions and take ownership of their work. The book provides practical advice on how to structure teams, foster a culture of experimentation and learning, and create a product vision that inspires and aligns the organization. https://amzn.to/3m3Y1hK

"Escaping the Build Trap" by Melissa Perri is a guide for organizations looking to shift from a feature-focused mindset to a more customer-centric approach to product development. Perri argues that too often, companies fall into the "build trap," where they prioritize building more features over delivering value to customers. She provides practical advice on how to break free from this cycle, including techniques for conducting user research, defining a clear product strategy, and empowering teams to experiment and learn. https://amzn.to/3m1PYSM

Product Lifecycle Phase

Early Phase

"The Lean Product Playbook" is a practical guidebook that provides a step-by-step process for building successful products. The author, Dan Olsen, introduces the Lean Product Process, a six-step framework that helps product managers to identify customer needs, test product ideas, and iterate quickly based on feedback. The book also includes case studies, examples, and practical tips for applying the Lean Product Process to build products that meet customer needs and drive business growth. https://amzn.to/3KtrPi9

"The Lean Startup" is a groundbreaking book that introduced the concept of Lean Startup methodology, a scientific approach to building and scaling startups. The author, Eric Ries, emphasizes the importance of validated learning, rapid experimentation, and iterative development in creating successful businesses. The book provides practical advice and case studies for applying Lean Startup methodology to validate product ideas, measure progress, and pivot when necessary to achieve product-market fit. https://amzn.to/3ZaQwUy

"Value Proposition Design" is a practical guidebook that provides a framework for creating compelling value propositions that resonate with customers. The author, Alex Osterwalder, introduces the Value Proposition Canvas, a tool that helps product managers to understand customer needs, define value propositions, and test product-market fit. The book also includes case studies, examples, and practical tips for applying the Value Proposition Canvas to build products that create real value for customers. https://amzn.to/3YXDuKj

Scale-up Phase

"Crossing the Chasm" is a classic business book that provides a framework for understanding and navigating the challenges of marketing new technologies to mainstream customers. The book introduces the idea of the "chasm," a gap between early adopters and the mainstream market, and provides strategies for bridging this gap. The author, Geoffrey Moore, also presents a framework for creating a marketing message that resonates with the needs and values of mainstream customers. https://amzn.to/3xNJNEo

The Soap Dispenser on Public Toilets

Every time I wash my hands in a public toilet I notice how badly positioned the soap dispenser and sink usually are. 

Yes, you should wash your hands with soap ... And, to do so, making use of the dispenser usually creates a big mess.

Soap dispensers regularly are placed to the left of the sink. If there are several sinks next to each other depending on where you are standing it might be to the right ;-)

The dispenser is mounted in a way that if some droplet of soap - given principles of gravity - drops, it drops on down to the floor.

Watch out for it! - You will rarely find a public toilet where underneath the soap dispenser there is not a big mess. Even the regular cleaning by cleaning staff over time can not cope with permanent stains.

The worst is with automatic dispensers. Dispensers having a sensor and dispensing only after the hand has been moved underneath. - Given the issue of latency time ... these designs are just too slow ... (see also my articles on general issues with latency in the automatized and digital world: Latency no. 1 and Latency no. 2) ... to securely drop the pre-specified amount of soap into the users hand. Usually one has already pulled back the hand before the soap dropping, resulting in systematic mess with soap on the floor.

As a result it then requires at least two attempts by the end user in order to get his soap into the hand which heavily impacts soap consumption.

A little bit better are dispensers which deliver soap as foam. The improvement here is just that the foam either sticks to the dispensers nozzle, or that the portion of foam does not drop that fast, so that a fast reacting user can still catch it before it is hitting the drop zone on the floor.

Now, the big question: why is this almost everywhere - exceptions apply - the case?

• Is there a norm or standard that requires such design?
• Is it just because nobody cares?
• Is it because consumers and users just accept it and do not complain?
• Is it because the cleaning staff just accepts it?
• Why?

I doubt that I am the only one to notice. And I doubt that I am the only one who sees this a problem.

And given the enormous number of public toilets around the globe I doubt that there is no opportunity for a decent solution to that problem!

A gardeners struggle - the soil bag

During spring and early summer, in the time of the year when plants start growing, everything is sprouting, nature in bloom, people start working in their gardens. According to statistics a habit two thirds of people in Switzerland share (reference).
The current COVID measures seem to drive this statistics even more in favor of sales of gardening supplies (reference).

Everybody is buying soil in various quantities. Many different flavors of soil. And, all packaged in laminated plastic bags. Bags, usually 80 - 100cm long, 40cm wide, and 8cm thick. Filled with premium soil at volumes of few liters for plants on terraces, up to 50 liters of garden soil for big projects. In any case, the package has a certain weight.

I never understood this packaging format! Why would you choose such packaging?
Obviously the responsible designers for these products have never been working in the garden. Or, they are extremely resilient to handling inconvenient products.

Every time I have to carry such a package I get upset.
If I grab the package with two hands on one of the short ends, it is difficult to carry the package and it risks constantly to slip out of my fingers.

If I grab the package with my hands along the longer dimension, then the package - given its weight - is bending through, slips out of my hands, and falls down on the ground.

If I grab it in the middle along the shorter dimension, it is bending through equally and it becomes difficult to carry.

When then loading the packages into the car, the next struggle starts. The dimensions of soil packages are not really fit for purpose. Obviously I need to pile the packages into the trunk of my car. And this is not an easy job. Virtually impossible if you are not Olympic weight lifter. Unloading is the same struggle in reverse order.

And then when ripping them open and trying to dose the amount of soil to be scattered into the plant bed. As soon as a certain amount of soil is missing in the package, the laminated bag becomes unstable. If not emptying the entire bag at once it becomes difficult to handle the package in controlled manner.

  

My practical experience with such packages is repeatably negative leading to higher levels of frustration.

How could one decide for this packaging format? What have been the requirements to come up with such package design?

One reason might be the possibility to pile many packages on a standard palette for transport and storage. 

Obviously an important argument and requirement. Efficient transport and storage is essential for a economically viable product. But, does it need to come at the price of modest customer experience and usability.

What I wonder is, if this packaging format has ever been put at a test with real day to day users.

Apart from the described scenarios above, many users can barely carry such packages given its dimensions and weight. I don’t want to know to how many serious back problems of people struggling to handle such packages the lack of customer centricity can lead.

Another interesting observation is the fact, that all manufacturers of packaged soil products use the exactly same packaging design. Why is that?

I can imagine several hypothetical reasons.

1. Nobody cares about the user, given the fact that there is no alternative and people still are buying.
2. Every producer is copy pasting from his competitor. Nobody is searching for differentiation. Nobody believes in consumers paying a premium for improved usability.
3. Even tough there are many different vendors and brands there might be only very few producers of soil.
4. There is only one serious manufacturer of respective packaging and filling systems. This would explain why there is almost no alternatively packaged products available.
5. The packaging design experts are only doing me-too. With complete lack of usability exercises or user research.
6. The cost requirements for packaging of garden and plant soil are so incredibly low that no other packaging is affordable.

There might be many more reasons ... And, are we as consumers willing to accept these?

What price would we be willing to pay for a better packaging design allowing acceptable handling of soil bags in the shopping, the transport, and use process?

How would a better package look like? What would be the features of a more ideal soil bag? Is there a format that could meet most of above requirements?

Some internet research gives already some hints. There might still be some products which are packaged in other format. Formats which might be more convenient to handle.

The package here to the right for sure has several advantages over the standard laminated bags. 

The handle on the top - foldable for being able to staple them on a palette (transport and storage requirements) - seems key to me. Only with a handle one can carry packages in a serious way. And depending on other dimensions and weight of the package it would even allow me to carry two packages at once, one with each hand. A much more balanced and more efficient way of carrying them.

If the package is less of a slim long bag, but more of a cuboid shape the usability of carrying them by the handle on the top becomes even better. A cuboid shape also fulfills the requirements for stapling the packages on a palette. They could be better organized into the trunk of a car, and could be better stored around the garden.

Also when using them in the garden; cutting the cuboid package open at one corner would allow to much more keep the shape of the package and dosing soil for use.

So, pretty simple and obvious to come up with a packaging format that might lead to much better customer acceptance. 

I am not a packaging expert. And I can well imagine that a packaging system for a cuboid product with a handle requires to manage some more degrees of freedom. But, given the quantities of soil being produced and sold in that business, and given the fact that such packaging and filling can be highly automated I would assume there is a case for such scenario. I could well imagine that going for such packaging could be a differentiating factor.

If you had the choice? Which package would you buy? And, would you pay a price for more convenience?

The right conclusions

To design ergonomic products, or to provide a best in class user experience, the designers and researchers have to draw the right conclusions.

Conclusions based on evidence, based on data, based on analytics.

How to come up with the data and evidence leading towards respective conclusions and design decisions.

It is important to design some good experiments and take control over how and from what sample the data and evidence is acquired.

Otherwise, data could infer some conclusions as described on the right. - The perfect explanation for the extinction of dinosaurs. - Same might apply with babies and storks...