🔥Question of the Week🔥

Hi there 👋!

Aneesha here 🔥! Today’s a hot sunny Saturday, oof 😮‍💨.

So, this week's question is about finding the right balance between user needs, product vision, and other business goals.

It’s indeed a common problem among new product managers. I recall struggling with this issue when I was new too 😶!

There isn’t a right answer to this, to begin with.

But if you’re gonna force me into giving you something, here’s my attempt at a near-right answer 🤷‍♀️.

Very well. You need to get the basics right, to begin with:

• You have a clear idea of what your users are expecting

• You know exactly where you want to take your product - your product vision

• You know to talk to people around you - communication and collaboration!

I am going to make this very simple for you to understand. Let’s go!

Understand what your users need 🔎 

You have probably already heard of Jobs-to-be-done. It’s a great way to know what your users need and not want.

If you’re building everything that your users are telling you to, you’re making a feature soup!

Well, no, don’t do that 😂.

So, how do you crack this code?

• Talk to your users: Craft surveys and conduct interviews to get users talking (or typing!). Ask insightful questions to understand their struggles, desires, and secret product fantasies.

• Observe like a hawk: Watch how users interact with your product (or similar products). What are they getting stuck on? What workarounds are they inventing?

• Think like your user: Put yourself in their shoes. What problems are they trying to solve? How can your product be their answer to a problem?

I know, it's easier said than done. It takes a lot of re-iterations to master this art. One thing you should do before you start, is QUIT enforcing your ideas/opinions/thoughts before your users.

If you really want to understand them - be them. Think like them. Be VERY open to soaking in whatever they’re trying to say or mean. That’s when you really crack the code.

Align your Product Vision 👁️

Your next step in finding the right balance is going to be to align your product vision.

Why is a product vision important?

Everyone’s saying it is important, but no one says why 😤. So let me help!

A clear vision gets everyone excited! How? It injects a sense of purpose and motivates the team to create something truly unique and awesome.

Think of it as the team's North Star ⭐️. It keeps everyone, from engineers to designers to marketers, focused on the same ultimate goal. No more arguments about what kind of features the product should have!

Moreover, a strong vision helps the product adapt and evolve while staying true to its core mission.

How do I craft an epic product vision?

Most people who are starting out in product management think, rather, made to believe, that crafting great product visions is a task reserved for legendary PMs. That’s a lie, my friend!

Anyone who’s got these 👇️ right, can do it:

• Know your why: What problems are you trying to solve? Who is your product for?

• Beyond the features: Don't get bogged down in the nitty-gritty. Focus on the impact you want to create, not just the specific tools.

• Simple yet powerful: Keep it clear, concise, and easy to understand. Even your grandma (or a confused sidekick) should get the gist!

Always remember this one thing , everyone wants an easy life - be it work or personal! No one wants to read a fancy vision that they find difficult to process or take away anything from!

You simply make your life easier, if you do the same for others. You save time for everyone, even you!

Talk to people around you 🗣️ 

I am going to be honest - but communication is difficult for me. I am not an introvert (although I used to be).

Since recently, I have actually been very much extroverted when I meet people. I don't have any friends 🤫, so I just love to open up and start a conversation!

It’s the fear of going wrong for me. And the fear of being judged in a professional setting. I am working on myself for that (I will share some tips that have worked for me!).

But if you aren’t like me, you’re lucky!

Communication, especially open, keeps everyone in sync, ensuring the product aligns with financial goals and market demands.

How to do open communication magic? 🪄

I’m sorry but, there’s no genie here to do this for you 😥. Although I wish there was.

We all gotta deal with this alone, sadly.

You need to have open communication with everyone around you. Be it your users, engineers, or designers.

Open communication means everyone can easily talk and share ideas freely. It's like having a conversation with a friend where you both feel comfortable saying anything.

Here's what it looks like in action:

• You can ask questions and get honest answers, even if they're not what you want to hear.

• You can share your ideas without feeling judged or shut down.

• Everyone listens to each other and tries to understand different perspectives.

• Information is shared openly, so everyone is on the same page.

Clear and open communication helps avoid misunderstandings and misinterpretations of information. This can prevent delays caused by rework or fixing features that missed the mark.

Moreover, open communication allows PMs to gather diverse perspectives and data points before making crucial product decisions. This leads to more informed and well-rounded choices that benefit the product and the business 👍️.

But there’s one issue with having open communication.

You make a lot of friends (which is good), but it is also easy to be swept away from the main goal - understanding their needs/thoughts/ideas.

You need to stay focused on your goal 🔥!

When you’ve got everything we discussed, in practice, that’s when you find the balance between your user needs, product vision, and business goals. As you get better at this, you will start to notice any imbalance, sooner.

That’s all for today!

Happy weekends!
Aneesha ❤️