Product managers play an important role in making sure products are designed with accessibility in mind. This article covers some effective strategies you can use to improve accessibility in product design.

Accessibility is no longer optional—it’s a core element of truly great product design. Oftentimes, the elements that make a product more inclusive are so seamlessly integrated that you barely realize they are there at all. No matter how accessibility is approached, however, it’s clear that by adopting an accessibility-first mindset, product managers can help products that work for everyone.

This guide will help you understand how to include accessibility into your product development process without sacrificing creativity or innovation.

Why Product Accessibility Matters

Accessibility isn’t just about compliance; it’s about creating better products for everyone. Using inclusive design principles helps expand your audience, improve overall user experience and establish your organization as a leader in forward-thinking product development.

A commitment to accessibility drives:

• Broader Audience Reach: Products designed with accessibility in mind are usable by people of all abilities, expanding your potential user base
• Improved Usability: Accessibility enhancements, such as clear navigation and alternative input methods, benefit all users.
• Stronger Brand Equity: Demonstrating commitment to inclusivity positions your brand as ethical and innovative.

Examples of Accessible Designs in Products

HP offers some great examples of building accessibility into their products. You can print using voice commands and they offer a Braille interface along with a range of other adaptations.

L’Occitane, a French-based beauty brand, puts Braille on some of its packaging to make it easier for the blind community to access their products.

The Xbox Adaptive Controller allows gamers with limited mobility to access the gaming platform and interact in the same way as traditional controllers.

Influencing Accessibility in Product Design

As a product manager, you don’t design the product yourself, but your influence shapes how inclusive and accessible it becomes. This gives you an integral role in ensuring that more accessible, inclusive products reach the market. By embedding accessibility into your product strategy, you ensure that your team creates solutions that cater to all users, including those with disabilities.

Here’s how you can guide your team to build accessible products:

Focus on Foundational Principles

While you may not handle the design directly, you can steer your team toward accessibility by emphasizing these principles:

• Inclusive Design: Advocate for designs that accommodate a diverse range of users without requiring custom solutions.
• Universal Design: Encourage your team to think broadly, creating solutions that are inherently usable by the widest possible audience.
• POUR Principles: Highlight the importance of aligning with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure products are Perceivable, Operable, Understandable and Robust (POUR).
• Accessible User Experience (UX): Promote experiences that balance functionality, usability and aesthetics while prioritizing accessibility.

How to Include Accessibility in Your Process

Accessibility is a collaborative and iterative effort. Larger organizations might have accessibility specialists that focus on making sure a product is as inclusive as possible. In many situations, however, it is up to the product design team to thoughtfully work through accessibility issues.

This makes it even more important for you as a product manager, to embed accessibility into every stage of product development:

Define Accessibility Early

• Set accessibility goals as part of your product strategy.
• Include accessibility in your product roadmap to ensure it’s not overlooked.
• Encourage the use of personas that represent users with disabilities during ideation.

Collaborate Across Teams

• Foster collaboration between product, design, development, and QA teams to ensure accessibility is a shared responsibility.
• Provide access to training and resources on accessibility best practices.
• Build accountability for accessibility into team workflows and milestones.

Test for Accessibility at Every Stage 

• Conduct regular audits using accessibility tools and WCAG-aligned methods.
• Advocate for usability testing with people with disabilities to uncover barriers early.
• Incorporate feedback into iterations to continuously improve accessibility.

Build Accessibility Into Your Culture 

• Champion accessibility during roadmap presentations and stakeholder discussions.
• Share accessibility successes within the organization to drive buy-in and enthusiasm.
• Stay updated on evolving standards and technologies to future-proof your product’s accessibility.

Future Trends in Accessibility

Accessibility is advancing as technology and inclusivity become more intertwined. Staying informed about these trends helps product managers continually bring forward-thinking products to market.
Here are key trends that are reshaping how products meet diverse user needs:

AI-Driven Accessibility Tools: Artificial intelligence enables dynamic solutions like real-time captioning, automated alt text generation, and adaptive interfaces. These tools are making it easier to build products that respond to individual needs on the fly.

Personalized Accessibility Features: Products are moving toward tailored experiences like giving users the option to adjust font sizes and select high-contrast or voice-activated modes. While these options allow flexibility, they also ensure usability across a broader audience.

Accessible AR and VR: Augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are prime tools for improving accessibility. Features like voice commands, adaptive controllers and haptic feedback make it easier for more diverse users to engage with their immersive environments.

Focus on Neurodiverse Needs: Designers are increasingly addressing cognitive accessibility by incorporating features like simplified navigation, customizable interfaces, and tools that support focus and task management for neurodiverse users.

Global Standardization: Accessibility guidelines are evolving to address emerging technologies, creating clearer frameworks for inclusive design across industries and regions.

The impact of prioritizing accessibility goes beyond compliance or feature checklists—it transforms how people experience and connect with your product. It’s an opportunity to demonstrate your organization’s values, expand your audience and improve lives. When accessibility becomes an organizational mindset rather than an obligation or afterthought, it leads to products that truly work for everyone. So take the lead, influence your team and make accessibility a cornerstone of great product management.

The post How Product Managers Can Drive Accessibility in Product Design appeared first on Pragmatic Institute - Resources.

What are the different responsibilities of a product owner vs product manager? Where do the roles overlap and do companies need both? This article answers these and other often asked questions.

The roles of Product Owner and Product Manager are often confused, leading to misconceptions about their distinct responsibilities and where each fits within a team. This longstanding debate is understandable; after all, the lines between the roles are blurred in some organizations and nonexistent in others, as one role carries the responsibilities of both.

So what is the difference between a product owner and a product manager? Understanding what makes these two roles different can help companies streamline their product development process and optimize outcomes. In this article, we will dive into the distinctions, similarities, core responsibilities and factors a company needs to consider when deciding whether to hire a Product Owner, a Product Manager, or both.

Differences Between Product Owners and Product Managers

At a high level, the Product Manager focuses on the overall strategy behind a product and the Product Owner handles the tactical, day-to-day management of the product development process. Let’s take a closer look at how these distinctions break down.
Product Managers

The Product Manager is often seen as the visionary of the product, defining its goals, roadmap and long-term strategy. They work closely with stakeholders, including marketing, sales and customer success teams, to make sure that that product meets the needs of customers and business goals. Product Managers focus on high-level strategy, defining product-market fit, prioritizing features based on market trends, and setting product goals.

Product Owners

The Product Owner is more execution-focused and works directly with the development team, especially within Agile or Scrum frameworks. They translate the Product Manager’s vision into actionable tasks and oversee the product backlog, ensuring each feature aligns with the end goal. Product Owners prioritize daily tasks, manage sprints and are heavily involved in decision-making during the development process.

You can think of it like this:

• Product Managers establish the “why” behind the product.
• Product Owners establish the “how” it gets done.

Typical Product Manager Responsibilities

The average Product Manager’s role is broad and strategic, and their responsibilities center on overall product direction and market fit.

Here are some of the primary tasks Product Managers handle:

Market Research and Strategy: Product Managers conduct extensive market research to understand industry trends, customer needs and competitive landscapes. They talk with customers and become experts in their preferences. This information guides the product’s strategic direction.

Roadmap Creation: Based on research and feedback, Product Managers create a product roadmap, outlining key features and goals over time. This roadmap is shared with stakeholders to align on priorities.

Cross-Functional Collaboration: Product Managers work with departments like sales, marketing, and customer support to make sure that the product supports company goals and meets customer expectations.

Setting Goals and KPIs: It’s the job of the Product Owner to evaluate the product’s performance and make data-informed decisions. One way to do this is to define key performance indicators (KPIs) and decide which metrics indicate success in the marketplace.

Typical Product Owner Responsibilities

Product Owners, primarily working in Agile environments, focus on managing and prioritizing tasks to ensure that the development team meets the product goals set by the Product Manager.

Their main responsibilities include:

Managing the Product Backlog: The Product Owner maintains a well-prioritized backlog, detailing tasks and requirements for the development team. They ensure the highest priority tasks align with the overall product strategy.

Defining User Stories and Acceptance Criteria: Product Owners write detailed user stories and set criteria that guide developers on what to build and how it should function, ensuring it meets user needs.

Sprint Planning and Coordination: It’s usually the Product Owner who organizes sprint planning meetings, facilitates communication between team members and ensures that everything is on pace to hit deadlines.

Feedback and Iteration: Product Owners gather feedback from stakeholders and make adjustments to the backlog in order to keep development in line with the evolving needs of the product.

Similarities Between Product Owners and Product Managers

While their focus areas differ, Product Managers and Product Owners share some similarities in their work:

Customer-Centric Focus: Both roles are focused on delivering a valuable product to the customer but come at it from different angles. Product Managers look at the bigger picture, while Product Owners focus on the immediate implementation.

Cross-Team Collaboration: Both roles collaborate with multiple teams and must be skilled communicators to gather feedback and ensure alignment.

Stakeholder Management: Product Managers and Product Owners regularly interact with stakeholders, though the nature of these interactions may differ. Both must effectively communicate product updates, changes and feedback.

Why a Company Might Have One Role or Both

Some companies choose to separate the roles of Product Manager and Product Owner, while others combine them into a single role. The decision depends on many factors, like the company’s size, structure, and the product’s complexity and development process.

Larger, Complex Products: In larger organizations or companies developing complex products, both roles are necessary to manage the product’s lifecycle effectively. The Product Manager oversees the product’s vision and strategy, while the Product Owner ensures the development team aligns with those goals.

Smaller Startups or Simpler Products: Startups or smaller teams with more straightforward products may have a single person fill both roles. In such cases, the person in charge must balance strategic planning with hands-on task management.

Agile or Scrum Environments: Agile companies often have both roles, with the Product Owner working closely with the scrum team to make sure that every sprint moves the product closer to the desired objectives. In this setting, Product Managers stay focused on market trends and customer needs.

Resource Availability: Budget constraints or team size may affect a company’s ability to hire for both roles. Companies may choose to prioritize a Product Manager for strategy-focused roles or a Product Owner for execution-focused roles, depending on current needs. In this situation, the role tends to be a hybridization of the two, handling the critical tasks of both.

It’s easy to understand why the lines between these roles have been blurred. And, though their responsibilities differ, both roles are important in delivering a successful product that meets customer needs and supports business goals. By defining the roles and their responsibilities clearly, companies can better allocate responsibilities, improve team efficiency and deliver more value to their customers.

The post Product Owner vs Product Manager: What’s the difference? appeared first on Pragmatic Institute - Resources.

In this article, you’ll learn how product management certifications can help product professionals develop their skills and build their careers.

For product professionals, earning a product manager certification can be a powerful step on the path of your career and professional development. To become a certified product manager, you need to complete relevant coursework from a credible organization with expertise in training product professionals. Then, you need to complete an exam that demonstrates your competency in relevant areas of product management, including business objectives and technical skills. After you’re certified, you’ll get to demonstrate your abilities and apply your knowledge to improve business outcomes in your current role, elevate into new roles, or even earn your first product management job.

Explore the factors to consider when choosing a product management certification and learn the steps required to complete it.

• What is a Certified Product Manager?
• Choosing Your Certification
• How to Become a Certified Product Manager
• Benefits of Getting a Product Management Certification

What is a Certified Product Manager?

Certified product managers are product professionals who have demonstrated mastery of key product management skills, such as market research and discovery, product planning, and product lifecycle management, through a recognized certification program.

Becoming a certified product manager confirms their ability to undertake those key responsibilities, manage complex projects to bring products from concept to creation, and align product strategy with business goals.

Key Skills for Certified Product Managers

Product managers need a few essential skills. Pursuing a certification can provide expert training and validation of those skills.

• Market Research, Data Analysis, and Insights: Product managers conduct market research, gather customer feedback, and analyze data to understand market needs. This research informs product strategy and ensures the product aligns with market demands.
• Product Strategy, Vision, and Roadmap Planning: They shape the product strategy and vision, identifying market opportunities and defining goals. Product managers create and manage the product roadmap, which outlines the strategic direction and prioritizes development efforts.
• Feature Prioritization and Product Development Oversight: Product managers decide which features to include, prioritizing them based on customer needs, market trends, and business goals. They oversee the entire product development process, ensuring progress and making necessary adjustments.
• Communication and Cross-Functional Leadership: They lead cross-functional teams, ensuring they align with the product’s goals. Product managers also communicate with stakeholders, manage resources and budgets, and ensure quality and legal standards compliance.

Product Management Certifications

Certifications validate that the product pro can bring products to life that meet real market needs. Product manager certifications often include educational coursework, case studies, and hands-on examples culminating in an examination or project. Certifications establish the professional’s credibility and expertise within the field, demonstrate a commitment to professional development and lifelong learning, and provide a competitive edge in the industry.

Types of Product Management Certifications

To become a certified product manager, you can take various paths. Product manager certifications may be offered online or in person. Online product management certifications can take place live or in asynchronous formats. They can also reflect a variety of specializations within product, such as product management, product marketing, or product leadership. These specializations often align with career paths and professional interests.

For example, professionals who are focused on product life cycle management and product strategy would be best suited to a Product Management Certification. On the other hand, professionals who are responsible for marketing and go-to-market strategies may benefit from Product Marketing Certifications.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Certification

Before enrolling, consider a few important factors to help you choose the best product management certification for your needs.

Format

First is the format. Many certifications are available online or in person. Some learners prefer the flexibility of online learning, while others appreciate the engagement of an in-person session. Choose the format that will help you achieve your learning goals. You may find live options (taught online in real-time) or asynchronous options (watching a recorded session) if you choose an online format. Again, your preference is personal, so choose the best option for your needs.

Specializations and Areas of Focus

Once you’ve chosen your format, you can explore available specializations within product. Product management professionals and career changers looking to expand into products may benefit from a Product Management Certification. Product marketers may pursue product marketing certifications, often focusing on launching and marketing products through their life cycle. Professionals who are advanced in their careers may opt for a certification path that is more comprehensive and covers aspects of products like leadership, financial forecasting, and stakeholder management.

Duration

Duration is another critical consideration. Depending on the format you choose and the level of detail your certification goes into, your certification may take anywhere from a few days to multiple weeks to complete. Spreading your coursework out over a few weeks or months may be helpful for product pros who are pursuing a certification in addition to their regular job duties.

Cost

Finally, cost is an important consideration. Product management certifications can range from a few hundred dollars to multiple thousands, depending on the format, quality, and duration of the coursework. If cost is an issue, consider asking your employer to sponsor your training to defray the cost to you. Or, ask if the organization issuing your certification has flexible payment options.

How to Become a Certified Product Manager

Once you’ve found a product management certification that fits your needs, you need to complete a few important steps to get certified.

Step 1: Get approved for employer support

For many working professionals, completing a product management certification coincides with their existing work and responsibilities. For this reason, it may make sense for you to share your desire to pursue a certification with your employer. Identify stakeholders who can help you along your product management certification journey, such as your manager, human resources, or leadership and development.

If your employer offers financial assistance for training and professional development, ask them to sponsor your certification. Share with them the certification you want to pursue, how it aligns with your professional goals, and how the skills you’ll gain will benefit the company. Communicate the approximate time you will need to complete the certification. If you need to take time off from your standard work schedule to complete your certification, communicate that directly. Be sure to share the costs associated with the certification.

Step 2: Register for your certification

Confirm that the certification you’ve selected fits your professional goals, availability, and learning needs. Complete your registration and select a payment plan that works for you.

Step 3: Complete courses and coursework

Once you’ve registered for your certification, it’s time to complete your courses. Be sure to select the best courses for your career goals (such as Foundations if you are new to product management or Launch for seasoned product professionals). Additionally, certifications should include course content that builds your skills incrementally.

For example, Pragmatic Institute’s Product Management Certification offers Foundations as an essential starting point for novice product managers and seasoned professionals alike. Then, learners complete Focus (for strategic product planning) and complete their certification with Build (developing a successful product).

Whether your courses are live or asynchronous, or you are completing your coursework live or online, actively participate in the courses. Take your own notes and complete all supplemental materials and applied learning activities. If you are in a live course, find opportunities to ask questions and discuss topics with your instructor or peers.

Step 4: Pass your certification exam

Your product management certification course may require successful completion of an evaluation exam. Passing your exam is essential to becoming a certified product manager because it objectively assesses your knowledge and skills. Once you complete your certification, share your accomplishments with your employer and professional network.

Step 5: Apply your knowledge

Once you return to your daily work, make an effort to apply what you learn to real-world scenarios. In the weeks following your certification, return to your notes. If you can access a community of other product professionals (such as the Pragmatic Alumni Community), leverage that as a resource to hear your peers’ expert perspectives and utilize any tools or templates you received as part of your training.

Benefits of Getting Your Product Management Certification

There are a number of benefits to getting your product management certification, ranging from skill development to professional growth and advancement.

Improved Skills

Professional product management training can help you develop the critical skills needed to succeed. Through certification, you’ll get expert training and access to templates and resources to help you with market research and discovery, product roadmapping, feature prioritization, product launch planning, and much more. Certification can also help you develop transferable skills such as communication, project management, and stakeholder management to support your product development, launch, and lifecycle management to be as effective as possible.

Career Development

Earning your product management certification demonstrates your commitment to growing your knowledge with the latest industry news and best practices for product professionals. It also helps you hone your skills to be a more effective product manager. These skill improvements and the credentials you receive are evidence you can use to validate your knowledge and commitment to your career during the job search and promotion processes.

Salary Benefits

According to Glassdoor, in 2024, the median salary for Product Managers in the United States was $196,000. However, salary can vary depending on industry, geographic location, and qualifications. A product management certification can help qualified candidates progress into more advanced, higher-paying certified product manager roles.

Whether you’re an experienced industry professional or just beginning your forays into product, becoming a certified product manager can help you advance your skills and accomplish career goals.

The post How to Become a Certified Product Manager appeared first on Pragmatic Institute - Resources.

As a certified product manager, you have a range of exciting career opportunities available to you. From entry level positions to emerging, specialized roles, this article covers some of the options available.  

Creating the products we know and love requires teams of people, with the product manager being the key link that holds the entire process together. This dynamic position helps guide products through all the various phases they take along the way. As you can imagine, working in this position requires a wide range of skills that is difficult to curate without targeted training.   

 Once you have gone through your product manager training, however, there are many product manager jobs and related positions you may be qualified to pursue. Let’s look at some of the roles you may want to explore as a certified product manager.  

What is a Certified Product Manager?

Certified product managers are professionals that have completed formal training and passed a certification exam in product management. This certification demonstrates their mastery of essential product management skills, such as market analysis, product lifecycle management, strategic planning and cross-functional leadership. This credential is recognized in the industry as a mark of expertise and commitment to the field of product management.

Learn more about becoming a certified product manager in this guide.

Why Pursue Product Manager Training ?

Product manager training goes beyond basic credentials; it provides you with essential skills like strategic planning, customer research and project management. These are critical skills for navigating the complexities of product development and effectively managing a product’s lifecycle. Employers value this training because it demonstrates your readiness to take on the challenges of product management. And in general, having professional development on your resume improves your chances as a candidate.

In a competitive job market, the right training can be the key to securing and excelling in your desired role. This can be particularly powerful when combined with outside experience and expertise.  For example, if you come from a technical background, adding product manager training to your skillset can set you up for success as a product manager for technical products.  

Entry-Level Jobs 
Starting your career in product management typically involves roles that help you build foundational skills. These entry-level positions immerse you in the basics of product management and show you how things work within a functioning organization. They also allow you to gain valuable experience and work alongside experienced professionals. 
 

Product Coordinator 

What They Do: Product Coordinators play a supportive role in the product management process. They are responsible for organizing the various tasks that keep a product on track from development to launch.  

Responsibilities: This role involves coordinating between teams, tracking project timelines and ensuring that everyone is on the same page. Product Coordinators often assist with gathering and analyzing data, preparing reports and maintaining communication across departments.  

Learn more by exploring Product Coordinator roles  

Associate Product Manager 

 What They Do: Associate Product Managers (APMs) work closely with senior product managers to help manage the lifecycle of a product. They are often involved in everything from initial market research to the final product launch.  

Responsibilities: APMs assist in defining product requirements, conducting customer research and working with engineering teams to ensure that product features align with market needs. This role is an excellent stepping stone toward becoming a full-fledged product manager.  

Learn more by exploring Associate Product Manager roles 
 

Mid-Level Jobs 
After gaining experience, you can move into mid-level roles where you take on more responsibility and have a greater impact on the products you manage. These roles require a greater understanding of product management principles and a strategic mindset. 
 

Product Manager 

What They Do: Product Managers are at the heart of product development. They oversee the creation of products from the initial idea to the final release and beyond.  

Responsibilities: This role requires defining product strategies, setting priorities and working with cross-functional teams to develop products that meet customer needs. Product Managers must balance customer demands, business goals, and technical constraints to create successful products.  

Learn more by exploring Product Manager roles  

Product Marketing Manager  

What They Do: Product Marketing Managers (PMMs) act as a bridge between product development and the marketplace. They focus on how products are presented to customers.  

Responsibilities: PMMs are responsible for developing go-to-market strategies, creating marketing plans and ensuring that product features are effectively communicated to the target audience. It is also common for PMMs to work closely with sales teams to make sure that the product’s value is clearly understood by potential customers.  

Learn more by exploring Product Marketing Manager roles  

Senior-Level Jobs
As you advance in your career, you may take on senior-level roles that require extensive experience and leadership skills. These positions involve overseeing teams and setting the strategic direction for entire product lines. 
 

Senior Product Manager 

What They Do: Senior Product Managers lead major product initiatives within an organization. They often manage multiple products or a large product line.  

Responsibilities: This role involves setting long-term product strategies, mentoring junior product managers and ensuring that all products under their supervision align with the company’s overall goals. Senior Product Managers are also responsible for managing budgets and resources effectively.  

Learn more by exploring Senior Product Manager roles  

Director of Product Management

What They Do: Directors of Product Management oversee the entire product management department within an organization.  

Responsibilities: In this role, you would set the strategic direction for the company’s product portfolio, manage multiple teams of product managers and ensure that all product efforts align with the company’s business objectives. Directors often work closely with other executives to shape the company’s vision and ensure that product development supports overall business strategies. This role is for those interested in a leadership position.  

Learn more by exploring Director of Product Management roles  

Specialized Roles  
In addition to generalist roles, product management offers opportunities to specialize in areas that align with your skills and interests. Specialized roles often require a deeper understanding of specific technical or market aspects.  

Technical Product Manager  

What They Do: Technical Product Managers (TPMs) focus on the technical aspects of product development. They work closely with engineering teams to ensure that the technical side of product development aligns with business goals.  

Responsibilities: TPMs are responsible for translating business requirements into technical specifications, managing the product development lifecycle from a technical perspective and ensuring that products are built to meet both customer needs and technical standards.  

Learn more by exploring Technical Product Manager roles  

UX Product Manager  

What They Do: User Experience, or UX Product Managers, focus on the user experience (UX) aspect of product development. They ensure that products are intuitive, user-friendly and meet the needs of the target audience.  

Responsibilities: UX Product Managers collaborate closely with designers and researchers to gather user insights, define UX strategies, and oversee the design process. They help make sure that the end product functions well and delivers a seamless and satisfying experience for users.  

Learn more by exploring UX Product Manager roles  

Consulting and Advisory Roles 
Consulting and advisory roles allow you to share the benefit of your experience with many companies. This is, however, only possible once you have extensive product management experience. These roles involve providing strategic advice and helping organizations optimize their product management practices.  

Product Management Consultant  

What They Do: Product Management Consultants advise companies on best practices for product development and management. They often work with multiple clients across different industries.  

Responsibilities: As a consultant, you would assess a company’s product management processes, recommend improvements, and help implement changes. Consultants often provide training and support to in-house teams and may be involved in high-level strategy development.  

Product Strategy Advisor   

What They Do: Product Strategy Advisors offer high-level advice to companies on how to align their product development with market trends and business goals.  

Responsibilities: This role involves working closely with executives to shape the strategic direction of the company’s product offerings. Advisors help identify market opportunities, recommend product strategies, and ensure that the company’s products meet the needs of their target markets.  

Startups 
Product management skills are invaluable in the startup world. Whether you’re leading a product team in a startup or founding your own company, these roles require versatility and a deep understanding of both product development and business strategy.  

Product Management in Startups  

What They Do: In startups, Product Managers often take on multiple roles, balancing product development with other business needs.  

Responsibilities: This role involves managing the entire product lifecycle, from concept to launch, while often handling other business responsibilities such as marketing and sales. Product Managers in startups need to be adaptable so they can take on all the challenges that come their way.  
 

Emerging and Niche Roles 
As technology evolves, new opportunities in product management continue to emerge. These roles often require specialized knowledge and the ability to innovate in cutting-edge fields. 
 

AI/ML Product Manager  

What They Do: AI/ML Product Managers focus on products that incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies.  

Responsibilities: This role involves working with data scientists and engineers to develop AI-driven products that solve complex problems. AI/ML PMs need to understand both the technical and market aspects of these technologies to bring successful products to market.  

Sustainability Product Manager  

What They Do: Sustainability Product Managers focus on developing environmentally friendly and sustainable products. 

Responsibilities: This role involves ensuring that products meet sustainability standards, from sourcing materials to production processes. Sustainability PMs also work on aligning product development with corporate social responsibility goals and responding to consumer demand for green products.  

Becoming a certified product manager can help unlock numerous career paths, from entry-level roles to senior leadership positions. Whether you want to cross over from your current career, specialize in a technical area, or set yourself up for a leadership position, training and experience can equip you with the skills and knowledge to succeed. And as the field of product management continues to grow and evolve, having a certification is likely to become increasingly valuable. By investing in continued education and training, you can expand your skills, keep up with the latest trends and stay competitive.   

The post Jobs You Can Get as a Certified Product Manager appeared first on Pragmatic Institute - Resources.

Reading product management books are a great way to supplement your knowledge, learn about new topics and grow your skills. The following books will guide you in creating a reading list that will elevate your career to the next level. 

Product managers are multifaceted professionals who must continuously advance their skills to be effective and stay competitive. This makes professional development a necessity. While there are many ways to elevate your skillset, like taking courses and attending conferences, there are also simple ways, like reading product management books.

Product management books offer you a way to tailor your learning experience. You can select topics that interest you and apply them directly to your goals and areas in which you want to grow. There are many product management books to choose from, so your biggest problem isn’t finding options; it’s knowing where to start.

We created the following list of books for product managers to help you build a well-rounded reading list. You’ll find selects that can help you sharpen your skills, acquire new ones, and advance your career in product management.

You can check out the entire list or skip to the section that interests you the most:

• Product management career books
• Management and leadership books
• Product management skills and advice

Project Management Career Books

The following books can help you improve your resume and interview skills so you can land your dream project management role.

1. Product Management’s Sacred Seven: The Skills Required to Crush Product Manager Interviews and Be a World-Class PM 

Product Management’s Sacred Seven was authored by authored by three product managers from Facebook, Google and Microsoft. It distills insights from interviews with 67 product leaders across diverse industries and top companies. It identifies seven essential skills that distinguish exceptional product managers: product design, economics, psychology, user experience, data science, law & policy, and marketing and growth. While many PMs excel in just a few of these areas, this book explores how mastering all seven can elevate your career. With real-world examples and practical advice, it’s a valuable resource for those looking to refine their expertise and succeed in the competitive field of product management.

2. Cracking the PM Interview: How to Land a Product Manager Job in Technology 

Cracking the PM Interview is a practical guide for anyone seeking a product management position in the tech industry. The book covers the wide-ranging expectations of the PM role, from startups to large tech companies, and explains how these roles can differ. It offers detailed advice on translating your experience into a compelling PM narrative, crafting standout resumes and cover letters and excelling in the interview process. You’ll learn how to tackle various interview questions, like how to design an alarm clock for people who are blind and how you would launch a video rental service in India. Whether transitioning into product management or aiming to refine your approach, this book provides the insights you need to succeed.

3. The Product Manager Interview: 167 Actual Questions and Answers 

The Product Manager Interview is a valuable resource for anyone preparing for a PM role in top tech companies. With 167 practice questions and fully solved solutions, this book helps you sharpen your product management skills and master the interview process. It covers many essential topics, such as product design, pricing, metrics, and estimation. The book also offers tailored 30- and 36-day study plans for companies like Google, Facebook, Amazon and other poplar companies, making it a practical guide for PM candidates looking to excel in their interviews.

Management and Leadership Books

The following books offer insight and advice on how to become a better manager or leader. If you are interested in advancing your career, they are a great source of information and inspiration.

4. Be the Greatest Product Manager Ever: Master Six Proven Skills to Get the Career You Want

Be the Greatest Product Manager Ever offers a strategic guide for advancing in your product management career, whether you’re just starting out or already in a leadership role. The book introduces the ESTEEM Method™, a new framework that outlines six essential competencies for success: Execution, Superior Communication, Tactical Awareness, Mental Toughness, Team Building and Visionary Thinking. These skills will help you excel in your current role and prepare you for the next step on the PM career ladder. Ideal for product managers at any level, this book provides actionable insights to help you achieve your career goals.

5. Product Leadership: How Top Product Managers Launch Awesome Products and Build Successful Teams 

Product Leadership offers a deep dive into what makes a successful product leader in today’s fast-paced tech environment. Through interviews with nearly 100 top product managers worldwide, the authors explore the qualities and strategies that distinguish effective leaders from the rest. This book is divided into three parts, providing valuable insights into building and leading high-performing teams, guiding product development through various stages of company growth, and effectively collaborating with customers and stakeholders. Whether you’re a seasoned product manager or aspiring to step into a leadership role, this book can help you become or sharpen your leadership skills.

6. How to Lead in Product Management: Practices to Align Stakeholders, Guide Development Teams, and Create Value Together

How to Lead in Product Management is a practical guide for product managers looking to enhance their leadership skills. Drawing on the author’s extensive experience, this book provides actionable strategies for aligning stakeholders, guiding development teams and creating value collaboratively. It covers key topics such as choosing the right leadership style, building trust and empathy, increasing your influence and resolving conflicts effectively. With engaging examples and actionable advice, this book is an invaluable resource for product managers who want to lead with confidence and grow in their roles.

You can learn on the go with the audio version.

7. Strong Product People: A Complete Guide to Developing Great Product Managers 

Strong Product People is an essential guide for product leaders who want to nurture and develop their teams to reach their full potential. This book provides actionable insights on empowering, coaching and inspiring product teams, ensuring they excel in their roles. You’ll learn why personal development is crucial for both individual product managers and at the team level. It also shows you how to coach and assess your team members effectively. With practical advice on giving valuable feedback, enhancing people skills, and refining your own coaching approach, this book equips you with the tools to help your team thrive.

8. The Coaching Habit: Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever 

The Coaching Habit offers a straightforward approach to making coaching an integral part of your daily routine, enabling managers and their teams to work more effectively with less effort. Michael Bungay Stanier, drawing on his extensive experience coaching over 10,000 managers worldwide, introduces seven key questions that help unlock potential and drive results. By focusing on saying less and asking more, this book teaches you how to get to the point quickly, stay on track, and tackle challenges efficiently. Combining insights from neuroscience and behavioral economics with practical tools, this book transforms coaching from a task into a powerful habit, elevating your leadership and your team’s performance.

This book is also available as an audiobook.

Product Management Skills and Advice

The following product management books offer practical advice and insight to elevate your skills. If your goal is to expand your skill set and gain practical knowledge, these books are great options.

9. Influence without Authority  

Influence Without Authority is an essential guide for product managers that often need to achieve goals through collaboration rather than direct control. The book introduces the Exchange Model, a proven strategy for cooperation by understanding and offering what others value. It provides helpful advice on how to put this model to work at personal, team, and organizational levels, helping you navigate complex situations where authority is limited. Mastering these techniques will enhance your leadership skills and drive successful outcomes through effective influence and cooperation.

10. The Lean Product Playbook: How to Innovate with Minimum Viable Products and Rapid Customer Feedback 

The Lean Product Playbook is a hands-on guide for creating products that resonate with customers. Whether you’re in a startup or a large company, this book offers clear, step-by-step instructions to help you build successful products using Lean Startup principles. It introduces the Lean Product Process, a straightforward methodology designed to help you achieve product-market fit through rapid iteration and customer feedback. You’ll learn how to identify your target customers, uncover their needs, develop a solid product strategy and design and test your Minimum Viable Product (MVP). Ideal for teams looking to effectively apply Lean principles in their product development process.

You can listen to it on the go with the audiobook.

11. Productize: The Ultimate Guide to Turning Professional Services into Scalable Products 

Productize is a practical guide for leaders of professional services firms looking to grow, improve valuations and compete with digital-first challengers through productization. It outlines the “Seven Deadly Productization Mistakes” that can derail a product strategy and then provides a clear blueprint for avoiding these pitfalls. This shift requires a new mindset and approach for companies accustomed to delivering highly customized services. Productize offers real-life case studies, tools and templates to help organizations successfully develop scalable products. You’ll learn how to foster a product-focused culture, determine suitable investments, validate market demand and work effectively with developers and data scientists.

12. Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love 

Inspired offers valuable insights into how leading tech companies like Amazon, Google and Tesla consistently create products that billions of people love. Marty Cagan, a well-known thought leader in technology product management, shares practical guidance on building a successful product organization. The book covers everything from assembling the right team and discovering the right product to implementing an effective process and fostering a strong product culture. Whether you’re a startup seeking product-market fit or an established company aiming to rekindle innovation, this book provides actionable advice to elevate your product efforts and drive customer engagement.

13. The Product Mindset: Succeed in the Digital Economy by Changing the Way Your Organization Think 

The Product Mindset offers a fresh perspective for product management professionals navigating the demands of the digital economy. The book challenges outdated IT practices that often stifle innovation, advocating for a unified approach that brings together all levels of an organization. By focusing on speed, collaboration, and a shared vision, this mindset enables teams to develop products that truly meet customer needs. Ideal for those looking to drive cultural change and enhance product strategies, this book provides practical guidance for thriving in a fast-paced, competitive environment.

Learn on the go with the audio version.

14. Escaping the Build Trap: How Effective Product Management Creates Real Value 

Escaping the Build Trap highlights the importance of shifting from a feature-focused approach to one that prioritizes real customer value. Melissa Perri explores how many companies fall into the “build trap,” where meeting deadlines overshadows addressing customer needs. This book provides a roadmap for creating a product culture that emphasizes outcomes over outputs, ensuring that your efforts align with both business goals and customer satisfaction. You’ll learn how to structure a scalable product organization through practical principles and strategies, connect product strategy to company vision and build a culture centered on delivering true value.

15. Product Roadmaps Relaunched: How to Set Direction while Embracing Uncertainty 

Product Roadmaps Relaunched is a practical guide for creating and maintaining an effective product roadmap that drives organizational success. This book teaches you how to craft a roadmap that aligns stakeholders and helps prioritize ideas and requests. It provides actionable advice for anyone involved in product development—from product managers to designers and entrepreneurs—on articulating a clear vision, prioritizing effectively and aligning your team and sales. With this book, you’ll learn to navigate uncertainty while ensuring your product strategy is customer-focused and adaptable without overcommitting.

16. Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making 

Build is a unique guide for anyone looking to grow in their career, whether you’re just starting or making high-level decisions as a CEO. Written by Tony Fadell, the visionary behind the first iPod and iPhone, this book offers a blend of personal stories and practical advice drawn from his extensive experience in product design, leadership, and mentorship. Through concise, engaging chapters, Tony shares insights on navigating challenges like securing startup funding, making career shifts and managing difficult coworkers. Each entry builds on the last, offering valuable lessons for tackling the real-world problems you face at work.

17. B2B Innovators Map  

B2B Innovator’s Map is a practical guide designed to help you navigate the challenges of bringing new enterprise software products to market. The book addresses a common reason why many products fail: they don’t solve a genuine market need. By following the six stages outlined in this guide—Strategic Alignment, Market Discovery, User Discovery, Solution Planning, Prototyping and Early Adopter—you’ll learn how to develop products that customers are eager to purchase. Packed with actionable tools and techniques, this book is essential for B2B strategists, product managers, investors and founders looking to create profitable, market-driven products.

You can take the Mastering B2B Innovation Workshop to learn about the principles taught in this book.

18. Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products 

Hooked explores the secrets behind why some products capture our attention and keep us coming back. It introduces the Hook Model, a four-step process many successful companies use to build habit-forming products. By embedding this model into your product, you can subtly influence customer behavior and create products that users engage with out of habit—without relying on expensive advertising. Based on years of research and practical experience, Hooked is a practical guide for product managers, designers, marketers and startup founders interested in the psychology behind user engagement and building better products.

Being a successful product manager requires continuous learning and growth, and one way to achieve this is by reading product management books. The books in this list offer valuable insights, practical strategies, and the experiences of seasoned professionals, all aimed at sharpening your skills and expanding your knowledge. Whether you’re starting out or refining your approach, these resources can help you navigate product management’s complexities, lead confidently, and create products that resonate with customers.

The post 18 Must-Read Product Management Books   appeared first on Pragmatic Institute - Resources.

Product roadmaps are essential to move products from concept to launch. Learn how to build a product roadmap by setting goals, prioritizing product requirements, and keeping teams aligned with communication.

Launching a product is like exploring a new country. It’s exciting and much easier if you have a map. Product roadmaps are the blueprints that help you coordinate different teams, prioritize features and functionalities, and communicate clearly with stakeholders. In this article, we explore how to build a product roadmap and cover common challenges and solutions for product roadmapping.

Read on to learn more, or use the links below to jump to the section that interests you.

• Planning Your Product Roadmap
• Gathering Product Requirements
• Building a Product Roadmap
• Roadmap Prioritization
• Communicating Product Roadmaps
• Maintaining and Updating

How to Build a Product Roadmap

A product roadmap is a high-level visual document that sets out the vision and direction of your product offering over time. Its primary goal is to create a shareable map for different teams to follow the journey of a product or feature set through design, development, and launch.

Planning Your Product Roadmap

When building a product roadmap, it’s crucial to remember that not everything can make the cut. As the person responsible for the roadmap, your role is to carefully select the items that align with the product’s vision and strategy.

Leverage market research. When deciding what to put on a product roadmap, you should weigh market conditions, company goals, customer feedback, team bandwidth, and other factors. To accomplish this, you need to gather input from internal teams to understand which items should go on your roadmap and how to prioritize them. You can collect this feedback in real-time through meetings or workshops or asynchronously through forms, project management tools, or shared documents. Before finalizing the roadmap, you should clarify anything unclear and ensure that all teams have visibility into the final version. Ultimately, the items that make it onto the final roadmap should be in service of solving meaningful market problems.

Establish a product vision. A product vision is a clear, long-term direction that pairs market research with your business’s strategic goals. It sits at the intersection of your market needs and your company’s goals. Ultimately, it should present a compelling case for what that need is, what product you’ll offer, and how it will meet that need.

Align to business goals. Once your team has decided on roadmap items, you need to define goals, select key performance indicators (KPIs), and devise a method of measuring progress. Since your roadmap should tie back to your company’s strategic objectives, it’s essential to project the long-term impact of your roadmap items, how you will measure that impact, how you consider it “complete,” and how you will communicate it.

Gathering Product Requirements

Product requirements are detailed descriptions of how a product can meet users’ needs through features, functionality, and requirements. They are often considered a blueprint that helps all stakeholders understand what needs to be in the final product.

There are multiple types of product requirements.

• Business requirements outline the strategic business goals that the product should achieve, such as revenue or customer acquisition.
• Functional requirements describe what the product should do, including specific tasks or behaviors, features, or functions.
• Non-functional requirements describe the quality of the product, including performance, reliability, usability, or security.
• Technical requirements include the technical standards and constraints to which the product should adhere, including scalability, compliance, or compatibility with other products.

When developing product requirements, you should involve different types of stakeholders and users to identify necessary features and requirements.

• Current customers and users provide essential insights into their needs, desires, and pain points.
• Development teams can offer technical expertise and provide input on feasibility and implementation processes.
• Design curates the user experience and interface.
• Customer support teams provide realistic insight into common user issues.
• Compliance and legal teams ensure that product requirements meet regulatory and legal guidelines.
• Executives provide input that helps the product align with business goals.

Building a Product Roadmap

When you build a product roadmap, you will have different options for formatting and prioritizing it. Start by identifying the type of roadmap you want to present and the format you want to use. Roadmaps are typically formatted in 3 main ways: with a dated timeline, without dates, or in a hybrid format.

• Dated formats are most helpful for roadmaps shared with multiple departments or with essential deadlines or dependencies. They help visualize the many moving parts that need to align for a successful product and map out the team’s long-term vision for it. Date formats are also suitable for internal teams.
• Undated formats offer more flexibility than dated timelines. They typically show items in a backlog, scheduled, or in progress. This format suits teams and companies with fast-changing priorities but may be less valuable for managing complex timelines. Undated formats are appropriate for executive or external stakeholders.
• Hybrid formats are the sweet spot in the middle. Rather than assigning rigid dates, you can map deliverables to months, quarters, or even buckets like “Current,” “Future,” or “Long-Term.” Bucketing helps visualize longer timelines without committing to set dates and is a suitable format for teams with fast-changing priorities or leadership stakeholders.

Regardless of the format you choose, whether you choose a format with hard dates or not, the timelines for your project may change over time. It’s important to plan for change and pick a format that will allow you to adapt your roadmap quickly. For this reason, hybrid formats are the best option for many teams.

Prioritizing Roadmaps

Once you align on product requirements, roadmap formats, and timelines, it’s essential to prioritize your product roadmap. Product roadmap prioritization is the process of identifying the order in which you will address features, enhancements, and other initiatives in product development.

Roadmap prioritization is a must-do step in building a product roadmap. It’s important because it helps your team focus on the most critical tasks that will bring value to your users and meaningfully solve pain points. Prioritization helps teams allocate resources, manage workloads, and identify and mitigate risks promptly.

There are several methods of product roadmap prioritization.

• The MoSCoW Method classifies features into four priority buckets: Must-Have, Should-Have, Could-Have, and Will-Not-Have. It is a dynamic prioritization method that allows priorities to change and evolve.
• The Kano Model is a way of visualizing parameters against two axes. The horizontal axis reflects implementation values (whether a customer need is unmet or fully met). The vertical axis reflects customer satisfaction (whether a customer is not satisfied or is fully satisfied). Plotting features on these axes allows you to plot features within three buckets: must-have/basic features (table stakes, where your customers won’t consider the product if you don’t have them), performance features (the more you invest in these features, the more satisfied your customers will be), and excitement features (customers don’t expect these, but will be delighted if you provide them).
• The RICE method helps you evaluate each feature against four factors: reach (how many people will the feature affect?), impact (how much will it impact individual users?), confidence (what is your level of confidence in your reach and impact scores?), and effort (how much time will product, design, and development need to invest?) Your RICE score is the calculation of Reach * Impact * Confidence / Effort
• The User Story Mapping method is a simple prioritization style. On a horizontal line, create sequential buckets representing each user journey stage. Beneath those buckets, list the functionalities or features and prioritize them in order of importance (the top of the list is the most important).
• The Cost of Delay framework considers the cost of not having a feature or functionality rather than the benefits of including it. To calculate the cost of delay, you can weigh each feature based on how much it would be worth if the product had it right now, how much it would be worth if the feature was made earlier, and how much it would cost if it was made later than planned.
• The OKR Alignment method prioritizes features based on alignment with the organization’s objectives and key results (OKRs). OKR alignment helps ensure that the roadmap contributes to strategic business goals.

Communicating

Tailor your roadmap to your audience. For the reasons we shared earlier, it may be valuable to customize your roadmap to fit your audience. If adjusting dates or priorities on the roadmap you’ve shared with your executive leadership team will cause confusion or stress, giving them a high-level roadmap that omits the nitty-gritty details better suited for internal teams may be best.

One solution is to work from a detailed master roadmap containing all of the information you (as the person responsible for roadmaps) need to know. From that master roadmap, you can iterate tailored roadmaps with appropriate information for their desired audience.

Communicate the roadmap effectively. When you share your roadmap with any teams (internal or external, with boots-on-the-ground team members or key stakeholders), don’t just email them a copy and call it a day.

You are responsible for clearly communicating the roadmap, linking it back to strategic business goals, and creating excitement and buy-in among different teams. Under-communicating or communicating with some teams rather than others risks siloing significant contributors or failing to share important information.

Leverage different communication methods, such as in-person meetings, stand-ups, and asynchronous communication, such as written emails or recordings, to provide context behind the roadmap. Be generous and allow people to ask questions, air concerns, or present new ideas or information. Use narrative and storytelling elements to engage your audience, especially when communicating with stakeholders whose buy-in you need for the project to be successful.

Maintaining and Updating

Above all, if you are responsible for a product roadmap, you are responsible for seeing it through to the end, through good times and bad. Again, planning for change, remaining flexible, and updating your roadmap is essential. When you kick off a project, you are responsible for socializing the roadmap and ensuring that teams are aligned. You are also responsible for ensuring alignment (and helping correct misalignment) throughout the design, development, and deployment process.

That you are responsible for diligently updating the primary roadmap when plans change and cascading those changes to any secondary roadmaps you’ve shared with specific teams.

Common Challenges for Roadmaps

When you build a product roadmap, you may encounter some challenges. Luckily, many of these challenges are common, and you can overcome them with planning.

Challenge: Aligning stakeholder interests can be complex when different stakeholders have different priorities and points of view.
Solution: Create plans to communicate regularly with stakeholders and find different communication methods. Set clear, measurable objectives that help you track progress on competing priorities. You should also use collaborative tools, communication strategies, and workshops to build consensus and buy-in.

Challenge: Balancing short-term and long-term goals can be difficult when you want to score quick wins while working toward distant strategic initiatives.
Solution: Use clear roadmap prioritization frameworks to evaluate and rank priorities and communicate your prioritization criteria with stakeholders. That can ensure that everyone understands how you are prioritizing and creates a common framework. Set regular review cycles and adjust the roadmap accordingly.

Challenge: Change management amidst evolving market conditions, customer needs, and technologies makes it difficult to maintain a roadmap.
Solution: Tailor your communication to different audiences so you’re not overloading them with changing information (that they might not need to know)! Use regular communication with disparate teams to identify risks or disruptions to your roadmap and create plans to address them.

The post How to Build a Product Roadmap appeared first on Pragmatic Institute - Resources.

A product roadmap is a vital tool for product teams to document and communicate upcoming launches and releases. Learn what makes a good roadmap and how to build one for your team.

Imagine planning a road trip across the country – you’ll visit old friends, discover new places, and mark your progress at famous landmarks. Now, imagine planning that road trip without a map.

In product management, just like in travel, you’re lost without a roadmap. Product roadmaps are essential to the release and launch process for any product. They help product managers and product owners collaborate and communicate with internal and external stakeholders, chart their progress, and document and communicate changes over time.

But what is a product roadmap, and why is it so important? In this article, we explore who should be responsible for creating roadmaps and provide insights on how to build a roadmap that works for your needs.

• What is a product roadmap?
• Why are product roadmaps important?
• Who uses product roadmaps?
• How to build a product roadmap

What is a product roadmap?

A product roadmap is a visual summary that outlines a product’s vision, direction, and priorities over time. It outlines future functionalities, maps new features, and documents upcoming releases. Roadmaps help different internal and external teams align around the product’s short-term and long-term goals. It also helps teams understand the path and timeline for achieving those goals. Product roadmaps shed light on the moving parts and pieces that go into product development.

Many types of product roadmaps are suited to the team’s specific needs. These might include product strategy, release, and feature roadmaps. Product roadmaps can take different formats, including Gantt charts, Kanban boards, or other visualizations.

Ultimately, a product roadmap aims to help teams visualize their plans and progress and see how their work contributes to broader goals.

Why are product roadmaps important?

Product roadmaps are important because they don’t just show what you’re building—they show why you’re building it. They should link back to your product strategy, which ultimately ties back to your business strategy. These documents clearly connect your product priorities with strategic goals that support your business’s goals.

More broadly, product managers and product owners use roadmaps to communicate and collaborate with different teams and provide visibility into priorities and timelines. Furthermore, they help establish a common understanding of how a product will grow and evolve. They can also help with risk management. By visualizing short- and long-term plans, teams can identify potential pitfalls in their workflows and plan contingencies for addressing them. This is particularly important when different teams need to complete interdependent tasks. For example, if a feature is delayed, it could delay the release date. Roadmaps can help teams plan for such scenarios.

Difference between product roadmaps and product backlogs

Although product roadmaps and backlogs are similar, they differ in important ways. Product roadmaps help diverse teams visualize priorities at a high level and illustrate how upcoming tasks tie to bigger business strategies. Product backlogs outline the individual tasks that must be completed for a product and include granular details. Think of a product roadmap as a restaurant menu – it includes all the great things you plan to offer. The product backlog is a recipe book detailing how to prepare everything on the menu. Both are important, but the product roadmap is at a higher level.

Who uses product roadmaps?

Product roadmaps can look different and present different levels of detail for various audiences. They can take different shapes when customized for internal vs. external stakeholder audiences.

Roadmaps for internal stakeholders

Roadmaps for internal teams and stakeholders can contain detailed information. However, the person responsible for the product roadmap should tailor the level of detail to suit the internal audience. You don’t have to create completely unique roadmaps for each audience. There will be an overlap in the information you include for each audience. However, by tailoring your roadmaps to the audience, you can make sure to include the most relevant information for that audience.

Product, Engineering, and Development: These audiences are most interested in the nitty-gritty details of your product, including features, releases, sprints, and milestones. Roadmaps for these teams can contain granular data, including dates, product goals, the value the product delivers, and connections back to strategy. Granular information is essential for engineering and development teams because they need visibility into dependencies or contingencies for releases and specific requirements or deadlines.

Sales: Sales need information to help them achieve their primary goal: selling the product. Roadmaps for sales teams should contain information about features and their benefits to customers, and grouping features or items into themes can help enable sales to discuss upcoming features with prospects or current customers. This audience doesn’t need the level of granularity that engineering and development do, so you can keep dates high-level and avoid including specific release or launch dates.

Leadership: Executive and leadership stakeholders don’t need the details either. At a high level, this audience needs to know the plans for a product and how those plans tie back to company strategy and support business goals (retaining existing customers, growing market share, and driving revenue). Your goal with sharing product roadmaps with leadership is to create buy-in and secure support for product initiatives.

Roadmaps for external stakeholders

Product roadmaps for external stakeholders can be a valuable tool for generating excitement and interest in your products. However, they must be presented with care. These audiences do not need the level of detail you would provide for internal teams, so you may want to avoid including hard launch dates, project dependencies, or technical requirements. External-facing roadmaps are like Pandora’s box – once you share information with outside parties, it’s hard to back-track or change that information. That’s why you should be highly selective about the information you include.

Customers: Roadmaps for customers should highlight how new features fit into existing products or tools. Since your customers have already bought a product for you, roadmaps aimed at this audience should show how improvements will sweeten the deal for them.

Prospects: Roadmaps for prospects should highlight desirable features or releases that will differentiate your product in the broader market. Prospects are in your market but have not yet bought from you, so roadmaps aimed at this audience should highlight your product’s unique value.

Roadmaps for external stakeholders should under-promise so your team can over-deliver, exceed expectations, and set your customers up for a positive experience. For both customers and prospects, roadmaps should highlight how upcoming releases and launches benefit them and solve their problems. Transparent roadmaps can help build your customer’s trust because they will have an idea of your company’s plans. Showing you are willing to communicate openly can go a long way!

Who is responsible for product roadmaps?

Product management teams, and typically the product manager or product owner, are responsible for product roadmaps. However, there is a big caveat: Creating and adjusting the product roadmap should be a group effort, with contributions from different teams informing the timeline and requirements. It’s essential to get cross-functional input on product roadmaps because there are so many moving pieces for a release or launch, and many teams’ deliverables depend on each other. Having complete visibility into different teams’ timelines, needs, and projections helps make the most accurate roadmap possible and can help prevent revisions and plan changes in the future.

However, the product team, and typically the product manager or product owner, should be responsible for overseeing the creation of the roadmap, soliciting input, and communicating it with broader teams. They are also responsible for maintaining the roadmap, ensuring it reflects the current state of the product and aligns with the business strategy. Having product team representatives coordinate the creation, maintenance, and sharing of the roadmap ensures that stakeholders can contribute while preventing the “too many cooks in the kitchen” problem. Product owners and managers also serve as cheerleaders for the project and often work to secure buy-in from different teams and leadership.

How to build a product roadmap

Product roadmaps are not just about planning and execution; they are about strategy. They are a tool to guide the product’s journey, make strategic decisions, and ensure everyone is on the same page.

Planning

During the planning stage, selecting items that align with the product’s vision and strategy is essential. Be sure to consider factors like market conditions, company goals, and customer feedback. Gathering input from internal teams helps prioritize items and ensure all stakeholders have visibility into the final roadmap. Defining goals, selecting key performance indicators (KPIs), and devising a method of measuring progress are crucial. The roadmap should tie back to the company’s strategic objectives, projecting the long-term impact of roadmap items and clearly communicating how they are measured and considered complete.

Building a Product Roadmap

When building a product roadmap, you have different formatting and prioritizing options, such as dated, undated, and hybrid timeline formats. Dated formats are useful for visualizing dependencies and aligning multiple departments, while undated formats offer flexibility for fast-changing priorities, making them suitable for external stakeholders. Hybrid formats, which map deliverables to broader timeframes like months or quarters, provide a balance by allowing adaptability without rigid dates. Regardless of the chosen format, planning for changes and ensuring the roadmap can adapt quickly is crucial, making hybrid formats ideal for many teams. Additionally, allocate time for critical, less-visible tasks like technical debt and security updates to avoid planning errors and confusion, and customize the roadmap to fit your audience, providing high-level overviews for executive leadership to avoid unnecessary stress.

Communicating

To communicate a product roadmap effectively, start with a detailed master roadmap and tailor versions for specific audiences. Clearly present the roadmap to all relevant teams, tying it back to strategic business goals to create excitement and buy-in. Use various communication methods, including in-person meetings and asynchronous channels, to provide context and allow for questions and feedback. Use narrative and storytelling to engage stakeholders and secure their support for the project’s success.

Maintaining

Maintaining a product roadmap involves seeing it through to completion, planning for changes, and updating it as needed. Diligently update the primary roadmap and cascade changes to secondary roadmaps shared with specific teams. From project kickoff to deployment, ensure teams are aligned and correct any misalignments. Flexibility and proactive communication are key to successful roadmap maintenance.

Best Practices for Product Roadmaps

Tailor roadmaps to different audiences, and customize the level of detail based on the audience. Internal teams contributing to the product require more detail than internal sales or leadership teams. External stakeholders, like customers and prospects, require only high-level information to help them understand the future of the product.

Align roadmaps with strategic business goals. Your product roadmap should connect back to company strategy and business goals. Illustrating this connection helps align different teams to the same purpose and can help key stakeholders understand the “why” behind the project. You can also create different roadmaps for different audiences (just make sure you update them all).

Plan for change and create a flexible roadmap. Choose a format, such as a hybrid roadmap format, that allows for adaptability as plans change (they provable will). This flexibility will help you manage and communicate changing priorities, deadlines, and contingencies.

Solicit cross-functional feedback. If you are responsible for the product roadmap, you should seek input from teams that contribute to the project, such as design and engineering. Getting feedback early and often helps improve planning and ensures team alignment.

Maintain and update your roadmap diligently. Ensure you update all product roadmap versions as the project progresses. If priorities, deadlines, or dependencies change, document them clearly with all stakeholders. Be sure to address any misalignment throughout the process.

The post What is a Product Roadmap? appeared first on Pragmatic Institute - Resources.

Dave West, CEO & Product Owner at Scrum.org, explores the agile product operating model and its role in integrating digital technology into organizations and its impact on operations and structure.

Over the last ten years, digital technology has become an integral part of our lives. Smartphones, websites and integrated technology have become the norm in our daily routines and work. It’s hard to imagine a time when we didn’t have the supporting infrastructure of maps, transportation, translation and local knowledge in the palm of our hands. However, despite this technology’s prevalence, its integration into organizations remains complex.

For many, digital technology is still a separate entity that needs to be connected to the organization’s core business. This is where product thinking steps in, empowering organizations to leverage digital technology and integrate it seamlessly into their operations.

Product thinking takes center stage

Every organization has products. They describe the goods and services that the company provides. However, for most organizations, products stop at the boundary of a packaged good or service for the customer. Products are supported by an elaborate collection of business processes, applications and systems built to support the product and the people involved in its delivery. A great example of this is when you visit your bank. You are interested in opening a CD, but as you engage with the bank, you are treated to a collection of systems and processes ranging from customer acquisition, risk management, compliance and sales.

Often, these handoffs are hidden from the customer; only when the integration fails does the customer see the collection of systems. Digital brings the complexity of these systems front and center as opportunity, delivery speed, and the relationship with the client are turned on its head. Product thinking does not remove the underlying complexity; it provides a unifying concept to align teams and drive work. It provides a rallying call for teams to focus on the customer and value and uncover dependencies and bottlenecks.

Product operating model

An operating model is a holistic description of how a company realizes its strategy and how it operates to support its strategy. It is the latest name for an organization’s collection of elements to deliver value.

The model includes:

People and Organizations – What are the people’s responsibilities, titles and how are they organized
Processes – How the people work together and what information is required to deliver value
Governance – Who makes decisions, and what oversight and controls are in place
Culture – The values, beliefs, attitudes and rules influencing behavior
Measures and Incentives – The key performance indicators and how performance and success are measured and communicated
Tools and technology – The systems and tools required to deliver value

The model should respond to an organization’s strategy and mission. Over time, the organization’s strategy changes and the operating model should change in response. However, most organizations’ operating models result from years of different strategies. Change is hard, and adding and renaming without fundamental changes is much easier.

The product operating model is the operating model for an organization when it delivers products. It sounds straightforward. However, the idea is much larger than the “product” bit of a typical organization. It is a unifying concept in the digital age and will ultimately change the idea of projects for most work. Yes, projects will happen in a product-aligned organization rather than a separate collection of individuals from specialist areas, like front-end development, marketing, database, manufacturing, etc…

Moving to this model also requires the organization to define its products and understand the boundaries, dependencies, costs  and ultimate value of those products.

Agility manages complexity and risk

Product operating models provide the model for each product and show how everything works together in response to the needs of the product. An organization will have many operating models, one for each product. For products that are digital or have a large digital element, those operating models must be agile. Inherently, digital products are complex because the problem being solved, and the solution has multiple “right” answers. The solution and problem have an odd relationship where one influences the other.

For example, by providing a new capability on, say, a smartphone, changes the user’s behavior in a way that can not be predicted and controlled. That leads to new opportunities and risks. This is why software development turned to agile methods. They provide some respite from complexity by encouraging empirical processes and reducing decision latency through empowered teams. Empirical process describes how in a complex or complicated world that evidence about the situation emerges incrementally. Teams are empowered to take that evidence and make decisions quickly.

The impact on individuals, teams, and organizations

The following impacts result from the agile product operating model:

Organizations will need to build cross-functional teams aligned to products.
This will require removing the barriers between technology, business, and operations in pursuit of customer value and insight. Often, this will result in flatter, more customer-aligned organizations. However, this will also be messy, as many people have built careers focused on building deep knowledge of internal systems, and that alignment is changing. Deep system knowledge continues to be very valuable but must be married with flexibility and a focus on the end-to-end value stream of the user.

Product Ownership and Management will be growing skill sets throughout the organization.
Each product will need clear leadership, which needs to unify the disciplines of product management with the mindset of product ownership. The titles of these people will vary depending on the organization; however, the skills are crucial.

Evidence will help structure planning and decision-making.
Because digital requires an empirical approach, evidence will become crucial in framing goals, work, and outcomes. This will naturally lead to organizations becoming much better at framing problems regarding the evidence required and using data to inform decisions.

Product thinking will be associated with externally facing customer products as well as internal products.
Clarity in customer, user, value, dependencies, and boundaries will enable teams to build a strong product culture throughout the organization. Internal customers will be treated in the same way as external customers, allowing a more consistent customer-focused approach.

Investment in products will exist across planning horizons.
Products exist until they are removed from the portfolio. Traditional project planning has driven unrealistic expectations around the total cost of ownership for a product, leading to increased technical debt and legacy system blackholes. Investment levels will change depending on choices at the portfolio level, but products will continue to exist even if they are not a focus for this planning period.

So, why should you care?

Moving to an agile product operating model is the next evolution in how organizations take advantage of digital technology. However, like subsequent moves, that move will be challenging as it changes the organization’s power structures and encourages flatter, outcome-based approaches. Because of this, many organizations will adopt product thinking by name only, replacing their existing project operating model with a product one. This ultimately will reduce the value and increase the internal complexity of the organization.

Watch for two warning signs:

1. Work is everywhere. Instead of clear outcome-based strategies and investment themes connected to customers and outcomes, planning, backlogs and reporting centers on work being delivered. Work is, of course, an important thing for teams to focus on, but outside of the team it is a distraction. Leaders should focus not on what teams are doing but the evidence being delivered that shows progress against clear outcomes and goals.
2. Decisions require large groups of people. In more established organizations, decision-making is distributed and complicated. Agility requires rapid decision-making based on evidence. Senior leadership sets guard conditions (for example, budget, timeframes, quality, governance) and clear business goals but allows teams to execute against those goals. Products provide an organization with a model that can help define accountabilities. However, existing organizational structures can undermine those boundaries.

If you face those challenges, try to influence a clear alignment between outcomes and customer opportunities and encourage clarity around product boundaries and accountabilities.

The post Exploring The Agile Product Operating Model appeared first on Pragmatic Institute - Resources.

What is the product life cycle, what role does it play in guiding a product to market and why is it so important to successful product management? This article answers these and other important questions.

It takes a great deal of work to bring a product to the market, but getting it there isn’t the end of the story. Products have a life cycle that starts with their introduction into the market and ends with their decline. With all the work that it takes to create products, it might seem counterintuitive to ever remove a product from the market. As you come to understand the product life cycle, however, you’ll see that a product’s decline is a natural result of many market forces.   

This article discusses what the product life cycle is, the purpose it plays in product management and the phases within the product life cycle.  

What is the Product Life Cycle  

The product life cycle outlines the progression of a product over time, encompassing its introduction, growth, maturity, and decline. The concept helps businesses understand how products evolve and provides a method for developing strategies to maximize the product’s profitability and market presence throughout its life span.  

Understanding this cycle is crucial for businesses and marketers as it helps strategize and manage products effectively.  

Purpose of the Product Life Cycle  

The primary purpose of the product life cycle (PLC) is to provide a framework for understanding the various stages a product moves through as it progresses from introduction into the market through eventual decline. This concept helps businesses and marketers to:  

Understand Market Dynamics  

By recognizing the stage of the life cycle a product is in, companies can better understand the types consumer behavior and market forces that are associated with that stage.   

Strategic Planning  

Understanding the PLC allows companies to develop and implement strategies appropriate for each stage, ensuring better allocation of resources and marketing efforts.  

Forecasting  

Understanding the PLC helps businesses forecast sales, profits, and potential challenges, enabling more accurate financial planning and inventory management.  

Companies that truly understand and use the product life cycle in their business and product planning have a distinct marketplace advantage. This makes mastering the PLC critical for those making business decisions related to product development along with business leaders.  

Stages of the Product Life Cycle  

Products tend to have a natural life cycle move through the following stages. Understanding and effectively managing each of these stages helps businesses optimize their strategies, allocate resources efficiently, and sustain profitability throughout the product’s life cycle.  

Development Stage During the development stage, companies invest heavily in research and product development strategies. This phase involves designing prototypes and rigorously testing them to ensure they meet market needs. Teams use data and market research to address specific problems and refine the product before it reaches the market. 

 Launch Stage The launch stage marks the introduction of the product to the market. This includes the initial product launch and accompanying marketing efforts aimed at creating awareness and attracting early adopters. Effective marketing campaigns are crucial during this stage to generate interest and drive initial sales.  

Growth Stage The growth stage begins once the product has been launched and established its presence in the market. Customers have started to embrace the product, leading to increasing sales. This phase focuses on expanding market reach, enhancing product features, and optimizing pricing strategies to maximize growth.  

Maturity Stage In the maturity stage, the product peak market penetration. Sales stagnate as the product achieves market saturation. Competition becomes more intense, which can impact demand. Companies focus on differentiation, cost management, and customer retention strategies to maintain their market position.  

Decline Stage During the decline stage, the product begins to lose customer interest. Sales typically start to decline due to market saturation, changing consumer preferences, or the emergence of superior alternatives. Businesses may phase out the product, explore new markets, or innovate to extend the product’s life cycle.  

Factors Influencing the PLC  

The phases of the PLC are heavily influenced by a number of outside forces, including:   

Market Trends:  Both changing consumer preferences and trends within the market can significantly impact the product life cycle. Staying attuned to these trends helps in adapting strategies accordingly.  

Technological Advancements: Innovation can either shorten or extend a product’s life cycle. Continuous improvement and adoption of new technologies are crucial for sustaining product relevance.  

Economic Conditions Economic stability and consumer spending power are both part of the product life cycle. During economic downturns, products may experience shortened cycles due to reduced consumer spending.  

Competitive Environment Actions of competitors and market saturation affect the duration of each life cycle stage. Companies must continuously monitor and respond to competitive activities to maintain their market position.  

Examples of Product Life Cycles  

Successful PLCs Example: A well-known example of a successful product life cycle is the smartphone industry. Leading brands have managed to navigate all stages effectively, continually innovating and adapting to market demands.  

Unsuccessful PLC Example: The decline of traditional film cameras illustrates an unsuccessful product life cycle. The inability to adapt to the digital revolution led to their premature decline.   

Why Are Product Life Cycles Important   

Product life cycles are important because they help companies understand how a product evolves in the market so they can develop strategies for each stage. By recognizing the distinct phases—development, launch, growth, maturity, and decline—companies can optimize their marketing, investment and resource allocation efforts.  

This strategic approach enables businesses to maximize profitability, extend the product’s market presence and make informed decisions about product innovation, adaptation or discontinuation. Understanding the product life cycle ensures that businesses remain competitive and responsive to market dynamics and consumer needs.  

PLC helps companies manage several key areas, including:   

Strategic Planning Aligning business strategies with the PLC stages is crucial for long-term success. Effective planning helps in maximizing profits and market share.  

Resource Allocation Efficient resource allocation based on the life cycle stage ensures optimal use of investments and operational focus.  

Market Positioning Proactive management of the product life cycle helps maintain a competitive edge. Companies can anticipate market changes and adjust strategies to sustain growth and profitability.  

The product life cycle is a vital tool that guides businesses in understanding market dynamics and consumer behavior. By mastering the stages of development, launch, growth, maturity, and decline, companies can strategically navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and sustain long-term success.   

Understanding and leveraging the product life cycle enhances decision-making and resource allocation, ensuring that products remain relevant and competitive. As businesses innovate and adapt, the principles of the product life cycle remain essential for achieving sustainable growth and profitability.  

Learn more about the product life cycle with the following resources: 

23 Metrics Mapped to the Product Life Cycle 

Product EOL and the Product Life Cycle 

The post What is the Product Life Cycle? appeared first on Pragmatic Institute - Resources.

Discover how strategic product planning drives a product from concept to market success, ensuring it meets customer needs and aligns with business goals. 

Behind every product there’s a story. It starts with an idea and ends with a new product sitting on a shelf, an exciting new game, new food or other innovative product. Before reaching its destination, however, that product had to undergo a long and arduous journey that was meticulously planned out. This is where product planning comes into play.  

Product planning includes all the steps that must be taken before your favorite products are launched onto the marketplace. When it is done well, the product has a higher chance of thrilling customers and turning a profit. When it is not done well, the product might very well fail to do either.  

This article explores the intricacies of product planning and how it contributes to a product’s success. Dive in to discover the key objectives, steps and processes that lead to effective product planning.  

You can start at the beginning or skip to the section that interests you the most:

• What is product planning
• Why is product planning important
• Key objectives of product planning
• Steps that go into product planning
• Additional items to consider
• Product planning and the product life cycle
• The product planning process
• Dos and Don’ts

What is Product Planning

Product planning is the strategic process of guiding a product from idea to launch, but it doesn’t stop there. True product planning doesn’t end when a product hits the market, it continues throughout the lifecycle of the product until the product is retired.  

Product planning is just that, planning. It is not a singular plan that you make, but rather a process that occurs throughout the life of the product. The plan evolves as new information comes to light, making the product plan a living document that grows with the product.  

Effective product planning ensures that a product not only meets customer expectations but also supports the company’s long-term strategy and growth. It involves understanding market trends, customer needs and competitor actions to develop a product that aligns with business goals and financial objectives. 

Why is Product Planning Important?

On the surface, product planning is crucial because it provides a strategic framework that makes it easier to guide products from concept to development and into the market. However, this simplistic view doesn’t capture the full importance of product planning. If you look at the big picture, you see that product planning plays a significant role in the overall success of a product for several key reasons. 

The process of product planning ensures that a product aligns with business goals, meets customer needs and uses resources efficiently. Effective product planning helps you identify market opportunities, define objectives, manage risks and even set realistic timelines. Each of these areas has a direct and measurable impact on the product’s success and profitability. 

Key Objectives of Product Planning

Aligning with Business Goals: Ensuring the product supports and advances the company’s strategic objectives and overall mission. 

Meeting Customer Needs: Identifying and addressing the target audience’s pain points and preferences to deliver a product that satisfies their requirements. 

Resource Allocation: Efficiently managing and utilizing resources, including time, budget, and personnel, to maximize productivity and minimize waste. 

Risk Management: Identifying potential risks and developing strategies to reduce them, ensuring the product’s successful development and launch. 

Market Positioning: Establishing a clear market position and competitive advantage to differentiate the product from competitors. 

Setting Clear Objectives and Milestones: Defining specific, measurable goals and creating a roadmap with key milestones to track progress and ensure timely delivery. 

Ensuring Product Quality: Implementing processes and standards to maintain high-quality output throughout the product lifecycle. 

Steps that go into Product Planning

Product planning is complex and includes many steps, from creating a product roadmap to setting release schedules and everything in between. Every step informs and shapes the product and plays a role in the product’s success or failure. This puts a great deal of importance on making sure you are diligent throughout  

Market Analysis: This involves conducting a thorough analysis of market trends, customer needs and the competitive landscape to understand where your product fits and how it can stand out.  

 Why it matters: This is important to product planning because it ensures the product is relevant and meets market demands. 

Product Vision and Goals: In this step you clearly articulate the product’s overarching vision and long-term goals, defining what success looks like for the product in the future.  

Why it matters: This is important to product planning because it provides a clear direction and purpose for the product development team.

Target Audience: You must provide a detailed description of the primary and secondary user personas. This includes their demographics, behaviors, pain points and needs.  

Why it matters: This is important to product planning because it ensures that the product meets the needs and preferences of the intended users. 

Product Features and Requirements: Using the information you’ve gathered so far, you will specify the core features and functionalities that the product will include. This should include detailed user stories that explain how each feature will benefit the end-users.  

Why it matters: This is important to product planning because it defines the scope of the product and guides the development process. 

Roadmap and Timeline: You need to develop a strategic roadmap and timeline that outlines key milestones, development phases and release schedules. This helps ensure that the product development stays on track.  

Why it matters: This is important for product planning because it helps manage resources and ensures timely delivery. 

Financial Projections: This includes a detailed budget, cost estimates and revenue projections.  Preparing these demonstrate the financial viability and expected profitability of the product.  

Why it matters: This is important to product planning because it ensures the product is financially feasible and aligns with business objectives. 

Marketing Strategy: You must create a comprehensive plan for market entry, including promotional activities, customer acquisition strategies and channels for reaching your target audience.  

Why it matters: This is important to product planning because it helps build awareness and drive adoption of the product. 

Resource Allocation: You must identify the necessary resources, including team roles, technology, and partnerships, to ensure the product can be developed and launched effectively.  

Why it matters: This is important to product planning because it ensures that all necessary elements are in place for successful product development. 

Risk Management: It is important to outline potential risks that could impact the product’s success and develop mitigation strategies to address these risks proactively.  

Why it matters: This is important to product planning because it helps anticipate and minimize potential setbacks. 

Identify Success Metrics: You must define key performance indicators (KPIs) used to measure the product’s success and track its performance over time.  

Why it matters: This is important to product planning because it provides measurable goals and helps assess the product’s impact and progress. 

Additional Items to Consider in Product Planning

When developing a comprehensive product plan, you may also want to consider including some of the following elements.   

1. Competitive Differentiation Strategy: Clearly define how your product will stand out from the competition and the unique value it will offer to customers.
2. User Experience (UX) Design Principles: Focus on creating an experience that is intuitive and satisfying for users, detailing how UX will be evaluated and improved.
3. Sustainability Goals: Outline any environmental or social responsibility goals your product aims to achieve, aligning with broader sustainability initiatives.
4. Innovation Pipeline: Plan for ongoing innovation, including future product updates, new features, and potential new product lines to keep your offerings relevant and competitive.
5. Legal and Compliance Requirements: Detail any industry-specific regulations or standards that the product must comply with, ensuring legal adherence from the start. 

Including these elements can help in creating a well-rounded and forward-thinking product plan that addresses modern market demands and opportunities. 

 Product Planning and the Product Life Cycle

Product planning is integral to the product life cycle because it lays the foundation for each stage within the cycle. During the introduction phase, it helps in defining the product vision and go-to-market strategies. In the growth stage, it ensures scalability and addresses customer feedback for improvements. During maturity, product planning helps sustain market share and optimize features. Finally, in the decline stage, it assists in decisions about product updates, repositioning, or sunsetting. This continuous planning process ensures the product remains relevant and competitive throughout its life cycle.  

The Product Planning Process

Product planning is a structured process that involves several key phases. These phases work together to ensure that the product aligns with business goals, meets customer needs and is successfully developed and launched. The following is an example of a product planning cycle with insight into why each phase is important. 

Phase 1: Market Review 

Analyzing market trends and opportunities: Understanding current market dynamics helps identify potential opportunities and threats. This is crucial for ensuring the product is relevant and competitive. 

Identifying key Customer needs: Researching customer needs and preferences ensures the product addresses real problems and meets market demand. 

Monitoring competitor moves and positions: Keeping an eye on competitors helps in understanding market positioning and potential gaps, allowing the product to differentiate itself effectively. 

Why it’s important: 

Conducting a market review ensures that a product addresses real customer needs and capitalizes on market opportunities. This process positions the product for success in a competitive landscape. 

Phase 2: Financial Review 

Reviewing company’s financial performance: Assessing past financial results informs better planning and resource allocation. 

Understanding revenue and profitability by product: Evaluating each product’s financial contribution helps prioritize investments and improvements. 

Why it’s important: 

A financial review ensures that resources are allocated efficiently and that the product is financially viable, supporting sustainable business growth. 

Phase 3: Corporate Strategy Development 

Outlining vision and financial goals: Defining long-term goals provides a clear direction for product development. 

Aligning with overall company strategy: Ensuring the product strategy supports the company’s broader objectives fosters cohesive growth and innovation. 

Why it’s important:

 Corporate strategy development ensures that the product aligns with the company’s vision and financial goals, contributing to the overall success and strategic direction of the business. 

Phase 4: Product Strategy Development 

Developing product strategy based on market dynamics, customer needs, and financial goals: Creating a strategy that integrates these elements ensures the product is market-relevant and financially sound. 

Specifying product changes and financial plans: Detailing necessary modifications and financial implications helps in planning and resource allocation. 

Ensuring alignment with corporate strategy: Synchronizing product and corporate strategies ensures cohesive progress and resource utilization. 

Why it’s important: 

Developing a comprehensive product strategy ensures that the product meets market needs, is financially viable and aligns with the company’s broader objectives. 

Phase 5: Product Roadmap and Release Schedule 

Creating a detailed product roadmap: Developing a comprehensive timeline guides the product development process and keeps the team focused. 

Setting release schedules for the coming quarters: Planning product launches in alignment with business cycles ensures timely market entry. 

Managing the roadmap with formal change control procedures: Implementing processes to systematically handle changes helps maintain roadmap integrity and adaptability. 

Why it’s important: 

A well-structured product roadmap and release schedule ensure that the product development process is organized, timely and adaptable to changes. This facilitates a seamless market introduction and continuous improvement. 

Dos and Don’ts of Product Planning

The following dos and don’ts provide practical advice for optimizing the planning process, addressing key elements that can enhance your strategy and execution. 

Dos 

Do Prioritize User-Centered Design: Focus on creating a product that offers a seamless and enjoyable user experience. 

Do Leverage Cross-Functional Collaboration: Foster collaboration across different departments to incorporate diverse perspectives and expertise. 

Do Utilize Data-Driven Decision Making: Make informed decisions based on data and analytics to optimize product features and marketing strategies. 

Do Embrace Agile Methodologies: Adopt agile practices to enhance flexibility and responsiveness to market changes. 

Do Continuously Monitor Market Trends: Closely watch up and coming trends and new technologies to make sure that your product remains relevant and innovative. 

Don’ts 

Don’t Ignore Financial Analysis: Always consider the financial viability of your product, including costs, revenues, and profitability. 

Don’t Overlook Risk Management: Identify potential risks early and develop strategies to mitigate them. 

Don’t Exclude Customer Feedback: Regularly solicit and incorporate feedback from potential users to refine your product. 

Don’t Rush the Planning Process: Take the time necessary to develop a comprehensive and realistic product plan. 

Don’t Neglect Post-Launch Strategies: Plan for the entire product lifecycle, including marketing, updates, and potential product sunsetting. 

Effective product planning is more than just a preliminary step—it’s a strategic practice that spans the entire lifecycle of a product. By focusing on market insights, financial analysis and alignment with corporate strategies, product planning helps navigate the complexities of product development and market competition. By having a continuous process of planning, you ensure that products remain relevant and profitable, meeting both customer expectations and business goals. 

Embracing these principles not only enhances the product’s success but also fosters innovation and sustained growth within the company. Read more about product planning with these helpful resources:   

How to create a strategic product plan 

A common-sense approach to product planning  

The post What is Product Planning appeared first on Pragmatic Institute - Resources.