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Continue reading →: Cut through the AI hype and find real value
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the talk about AI. Will it take our jobs away? Can it be used to help us, and not replace us? How can you start to leverage it so you can end up on the winning side of the AI era? A recent study found that 52% of U.S. workers are “worried” about AI impacting their job, while only 29% are “excited” about AI. Where are you on this spectrum? Where do you want to be? The best way to navigate this landscape is to try the technology, which will help you identify…
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Continue reading →: Don’t miss out on the value your company could be getting from a ‘voice of the customer’ program
A Voice of the Customer program can help you maintain a strong understanding of what customers are thinking about your company and its products or services, and it can be a great way to get people from across a company collaborating together. If you’re not familiar with the term Voice of the Customer, it’s a collection of systems and processes that can be used by your company to stay in tune with what customers are thinking, providing the team with insights that can be applied to product development plans, process improvements, and other types of changes. Having the Voice of the Customer represented well in…
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Continue reading →: Why I say “V1” instead of “MVP” or “MLP”
(Note: This post applies to features as well as products, but I’m only using “product” for simplicity) For a long time, everyone seemed to use “MVP” (Minimum Viable Product) to refer to the first version of what they’ll release as a product. “MVP” has been used in books about product management and startups, blog posts, etc. I still hear “MVP” a fair amount. A couple of years ago, I started to hear “MLP” (Minimum Lovable Product) used by some people instead of “MVP.” I personally like “MLP” more than “MVP” because a “lovable” product sounds more appealing and valuable than…
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Continue reading →: How I stay updated on the news with minimal time spent
I like to stay updated on tech news and world news, but with work, family, etc there’s not enough time in a typical day for me to look around for such news — so I have the news delivered to me. While there are many good news sites and apps, it’s relatively easy to set up a system where you can automatically receive the type of news that you’re interested in, direct to your email inbox. This allows me to get updated on what’s going on at convenient times (e.g., while on a train), regardless of whether I have an internet connection.…
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Continue reading →: Demystifying product strategy
Since “strategy” can mean different things in different situations, here’s a definition of how I think about it related to product management: Finding efficient ways to achieve the company’s goals through product solutions Another way to think about it is: Finding ways to maximize value at minimal cost A good product strategy can give you a leg up in a race against the clock (or the competition), and it can increase the odds of your team and company being successful. The maximize value part This comes down to translating company/business objectives (including key metrics / KPIs) into a product plan that helps the company achieve its…
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Continue reading →: Are you paying enough attention to the little things?
I consider things like loading indicators, success notifications, error handling, and other user experience niceties as “little things.” They can make a product more enjoyable to use, more helpful, and less confusing — but they’re typically not going to move the needle in a meaningful way for the business on an individual basis. I’ve found that there are consistent opportunities to fit these kinds of little things into your design and development plans without costing you business priorities, and in aggregate they can elevate the overall user experience of a product. Examples Success notifications: One of my favorite little things…
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Continue reading →: How communicating more can help you succeed as a product manager
Sharing product information within your company is one of the most valuable things you can do as a product manager. Whether it’s your plans (roadmap), feedback you’ve heard from users, product usage data (analytics), or posing questions — getting what you’re doing and thinking in front of a cross-departmental audience will provide you with input that helps you make better decisions and will help align others with the goals you’re looking to achieve. Spreading info can also help other people be more effective in their roles as they’ll be able to better prepare for upcoming changes. It can get them…
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Continue reading →: Why you should start with a paper wireframe
In a world that’s getting more computerized every day, it may sound a little crazy to suggest that something should be done on paper when digital solutions have been developed (e.g., Balsamiq, OmniGraffle). Digital wireframes are great. They’re easy to share with co-workers, they look professional, and they’re fun to make. While I’m a big fan, I’ve found that starting with pencil and paper, or marker and whiteboard, results in a higher quality wireframe. Here’s why: By the time you’re ready to digitize what you’ve done on paper, you will have thought through the core goal(s) that you were trying to accomplish…
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Continue reading →: How to track and improve the customer support function of your startup
When you think of KPIs and metrics, what often comes to mind are things related to user acquisition, engagement, retention, virality, and monetization — most of which are (or should be) a focus for many technology companies. Sign up conversions, social shares, email open rates / clickthroughs, and purchase flows are examples of what can be tracked and optimized. The operational side of a company, however, is often overlooked when it comes to measuring and optimizing. Customer support efficiency ends up as an overlooked KPI in startups. If you get more than a small volume of customer support cases, it…
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Continue reading →: Improving the Pocket app
Pocket is one of my favorite apps and I was recently asked what I’d improve about it. The Pocket team has done a lot of great work outside of the app, including: I point this attention to outside the app because the consumption experience and sharing capabilities inside the app are pretty good. There are always opportunities for tweaks and optimizations, but some higher impact changes can potentially be made in the areas of discovery and sharing when users are outside the app. I think the Pocket team knows this, as they recently began sending a weekly email to users with a few suggestions of popular…
About Lonnie
Product Leader in Tech
8x Startup Veteran
Strategy | Execution | People
A blog on product management and leadership 