Product Managers, Competitor Analysis and Databases

U N I T 5

2

Agenda

What’s Product Management?

Check in : Share your prototype & collect feedback

Competitor Analysis

Data and databases

Transfer prototype to App Inventor

Wrap up, share challenges

3

T E C H N O VAT I O N - U N I T 5

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Check-in: paper prototype• Share out the paper

prototype of your app idea

• Explain the functionalities and features of the app

• Discuss why you chose to include or not to include certain features

Snapchat Prototype for Glass

5

Incorporate Feedback to improve your app

Potential users can provide feedback on:

• Whether or not your solution (app) solves the prob

• Improvements to the design

• other features to add (now or in the future)

http://sharpsuits.net/

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Tips on getting good feedback

• Describe the scenario (clear, short, relevant, lots of context)

• Walk them through the solution

• Ask questions for clarity

• Ask for honest feedback

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Tips on providing feedback

• Don’t be a jerk - don’t judge! We are here to learn.

• Don't be afraid to be "too nice". Be fierce and strong with your feedback and don't hold back for fear of being "unfriendly"

• Use phrases like “I got confused here…”

• Try to provide objective feedback instead of subjective feedback. Saying “I dont like that blue” doesn’t help, remove your personal opinion and if your feedback still works, then share it: “I don’t think that blue matches the brand’s blue. I’d check the brand guidelines to make sure.”

8

Questions Notes Changes

Would you recommend this product to a friend?

How would you describe this app in one or more words?

How does this app compare to competitor?

What do you find most frustrating about this?

Overall, how easy do you find this to use?

If you could change only one thing, what would it be?

What do you like best about it?

Collecting Feedback

Not in workbook (Link here)

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Questions Notes Changes

Is there anything that is unclear or confusing in

the user-interface?

Would your user prefer the app look or behave

differently?

Which features of your app interface and usability

are of highest value to your target market?

Are there any missing buttons or other content

from your app?

Did the user’s expectations differ from

the intended functionality of the app?

Collecting Feedback

Page 22 of the workbook

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Task List• Collect feedback on your

app prototype

• Update your app design based on this feedback

• Consider dividing the work by assigning each team member responsibility for specific prototype screens (^ Divide Carefully)

http://sharpsuits.net/

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C O M P E T I T O R A N A LY S I S

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Competitor Analysis

Look at other apps on the market and rank them on the following factors

• Branding/Name Recognition

• Market share

• Revenue

• Growth rate

• How advanced technology is

• Pricing Scheme

• Reputation for quality, customer service

Do Some Competitor Research. This will help you answer the question: What makes your app better?

13

Find Competitor Data• IOS App Store and Google Play are the best

spy tools

• Google Search

• Use Google Trends to rate user interest in a specific topic.

• Alexa to learn about site traffic

• www.similarweb.com/

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Who are your competitors?

• Anyone who is providing a similar or the same service that you’re providing that is an alternative solution to using your service, is a competitor.

• OR, any organization that wants to steal your customers.

• If you don’t know who they are google “Keywords + app “

• Take note (website, social media profile, iTunes app link)

15

Determine Market Positioning & Branding• Market position is the market perception of your product. In other words, it’s how

your product/service is perceived by the world.OR, any organization that wants to steal your customers.

• Apple versus Dell example

• Potential positions for your app: Modest, Cool/designer, IT savvy, Smart, Charitable, Expensive, Healthy, Organic, Holistic/metaphysical, Low price, Honest, Easy to use, Exclusive, Quality/reliable, Social, Age sensitive (older/younger), Athletic, Cultural Etc.

• Unique Value Offering: What unique value are your competitors offering? Ex: Instagram: Real-time, mobile photo friend-following, Shopify : Make commerce simple for everyone.

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Criteria Your App Competitor A Competitor B Competitor C

Branding/Name Recognition

Market Share

Revenue

Growth Rate

How advance is the technology?

Pricing Scheme

Reputation for quality?

Ease of Use

Value Proposition/Market Positioning

Competitive Analysis Ranking Example

Not in workbook

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Competitor Analysis

• What makes your app better than others that are out there?

• Is your app easier to use?

• Does your app have features that other apps do not?

Get feedback from your teacher and mentor once you’re finished.

• Survey others on how much they are willing to pay for app?

• How much are competitors selling their app?

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SWOT

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SWOT

Name of Competitor What does it do well? What could it do better? How will your app be different?

Competitor A

Competitor B

Competitor C

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Competitors’ Apps Usability Testing

Page 18

21

D ATA

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What is Data?

For data to be useful, it needs to be organized. Data is organized in databases through keys and values:

• Key – label for what’s inside

• Value – data that’s inside

We use the Key to look up the Value in the database

Example: A contacts list, which is a database of contact information

• Key = name

• Value = phone number

Data is information in raw or unorganized form (such as alphabets, numbers, or symbols) that refer to, or represent, conditions, ideas, or objects. Read more: http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/data.html#ixzz3xED1ZxrX

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Databases - The Magic behind your app!Databases organize the collection and retrieval of data

They're intended to organize, store, and retrieve large amounts of data easily

Examples:

• iTunes is a database for all your music

• Google has a database of websites which is used for Google Search

• Facebook is a database of people

• Shopify has many databases and stores information about merchants, their stores, settings, sales, customers etc.

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Databases in App InventorRemember the Coloured Dots tutorial from last session that introduced databases?

• If you want to save data after the application is closed you must use a database

Two types of databases:

• TinyDB stores data directly on the phone and will only be used by that phone (hand-set)

• TinyWebDB stores data on a web database that can be shared among phones Additional resources on working with databases

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Data and usage for your App

Think of how you can use a database in your App.

• What information will your app collect?

• What data will your app provide?

• Will your app connect to other information sources (such as Instagram?)

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Task: Transfer paper prototype to App InventorUse your paper prototype to develop a skeleton of screens in App Inventor.

• Make and name a screen in App Inventor for each screen your app will have.

• "Screen1" must be your home screen.

• Add all the components that you will need for each screen first.

• Start on the blocks after the components have been added.

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Wrap-Up

For next week complete your project planning (page 23) and competitive analysis (page 24) exercises in your workbook

Post any questions or difficulties you may be encountering on the Technovation Ottawa facebook page, and you can e-mail me questions directly at daria@shopify.com