©2011 280 Group LLC. All rights reserved.1

Optimizing Product ManagementBrian Lawley

Founder & CEO, 280 Group

The Product Marketing & Product Management Experts™

Consulting ● Contractors ● Training ● Certification ● Templates ● Books ● Recruiting

www.280group.com

Slides available at www.280group.com/optimize.pdf

©2011 280 Group LLC. All rights reserved.2

Agenda

• About • People• Process• Tools• Making it stick• Q&A• Drawing!

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Drawing!

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The Product Marketing & Product Management Experts

Consulting ● Contractors ● Training ● Certification ● Templates ● Books ● Recruiting

™

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Optimal Product Management™

• Phase I: Assessment• Phase II: Training & Education• Phase III: Coaching, Mentoring & Seminars• Phase IV: Add’l certifications, portal, handbook

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Optimal Product Management

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People

• Clarify roles• Right people• Baseline skill set

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Roles and responsibilities

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Roles and responsibilities

Product ManagementInbound

• Customer research and insights• Business case analysis• Positioning • Product Road mapping• Market req. & prioritization• Whole product definition• Differentiation and desirability• Feature/cost/schedule tradeoffs• Develop product req. w/ eng. & UX • Competitive analysis (product and market position)• Beta programs

Product MarketingOutbound

• Launch and marketing plans• Features and benefits• Messaging by market and role• Training• Sales tools• Product Launch• Marketing program• Success stories• Market analysis• Competitive analysis (price, promotion, and place)

Director of Product ManagementPortfolio Planning

Strategic planning ● resource allocation ● PLC strategy ● pricing strategy ● competitive analysis (company & financial level)

Product Management vs. Product Marketing White Paper: www.280group.com resources section

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Right Person for the Job

• Skills• Interest• Team fit• Needs

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Baseline Skill Set

• Match responsibilities• Communicate expectations• Training• Coach/Mentor• Reading• Quarterly review

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Process

• Can be a dirty word• Benefits• Not the end goal• “Lightweight” as possible• “Context” dependent• Buy-In

Lightweight Product Process White Paper: www.280group.com resources section

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Process: Context

• Team• Size and maturity• Commitment• Dependencies• Development method

No process (chaos) All process (no work done)

StartupsFounder-drivenSales/Eng-driven“Lucky”

Large companiesDependenciesBureaucratic

Lightweight More formal

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Lightweight

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More Formal

© 2005-2011, Blackblot

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What About Agile?

• Still need other phases• Development phase changes• Even more critical• Get CLEAR on rules

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Assessing Process

• Identify the process(es) being used• Get clear on context• Compare against best practices• Identify strengths/weaknesses• Eliminate inefficiencies• Bolster weak areas

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Tools

• Map to the process• Productivity• Leverage• Consistency• Appropriate for “Context”

– Templates– Software– “Just enough”

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Product Manager’s Manual

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Product Management Portal

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Making it stick

• Develop plan– Charter– Roles– Process– Tools

• Management support

• Communicate to peers

• Be a broken record

• Tie into reviews

• Carrots & sticks

• Quarterly PM summit

• Sharpen the saw

Product Management Manifesto: www.280group.com resources section

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280 Group Resources

• Free templates• White papers • Product Management Manifesto• 280 Group Product Management 2.0 Newsletter• 280 LinkedIn Group • PM job hunting/listings• Product Management 2.0 Blog • 280 Group Press books

22

Go to www.280group.com in the “Resources” section.

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Q&Abrian@280group.com

(408) 834-7518

Slides available at www.280group.com/optimize.pdf

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Drawing!