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Classifying Market  Problems
Product Management / Product Strategy / Requirements / Requirements Models

Classifying Market Problems

Posted on: August 1, 2014July 25, 2023

Theodore Levitt may have developed the whole product model to help companies compete more effectively with their products. We wrote about the whole product game based on Mr. Levitt’s work. Recently, I’ve been using a variant of this model as a way to view a product and upcoming roadmap items. […]

Whole Product Game
Agile / Communication / Prioritization / Product Management / Product Strategy / Requirements gathering / Software development

Whole Product Game

Posted on: August 1, 2013July 25, 2023

How can Theodore Levitt’s classic Whole Product approach help with defining a product roadmap? I’ve been revisiting his concepts and their use recently, thinking about how to revise them for some exercises I’ve been doing with product teams.

Product Manager – Strategic or Not?
Product Management / Product Strategy

Product Manager – Strategic or Not?

Posted on: February 21, 2012July 25, 2023

Are product managers really involved in strategic discussions, or are we just order takers? Adrienne Tan has poked the beehive and started a great discussion with this article. Joining in from here, hopefully adding folks to the conversation. Check it out, and chime in here or on the brainmates blog.

Tally the Score – Comparing Products Part 8
Product Management / Product Strategy

Tally the Score – Comparing Products Part 8

Posted on: January 19, 2012July 25, 2023

After building an understanding of which problems are important to your each customer you want to serve, and rating each competitive product , you’re ready to tally the scores and see how your product compares with your competition. This tells you if you’re likely to crush it, and if not, […]

Rating Your Competition – Comparing Products Part 7
Kano Analysis / Product Management / Product Strategy

Rating Your Competition – Comparing Products Part 7

Posted on: January 12, 2012July 25, 2023

At this point in the product comparison series, you know who your customers are, which problems are important to them, and which products compete to solve those problems. It’s time to score the competing products and see how the solutions your product provides (or will provide) will stack up. This […]

Know Your Competition – Comparing Products Part 6
Ishikawa Diagram / Product Management / Product Strategy

Know Your Competition – Comparing Products Part 6

Posted on: December 21, 2011July 25, 2023

You start with a point of view about what makes a minimum viable product. When your product launches, it is your customer’s point of view that matters. You must understand which problems your customers care about solving, and what solutions are available to your customers today. You need to understand […]

Important Customers – Comparing Products Part 5
Marketing / Product Management / Product Strategy

Important Customers – Comparing Products Part 5

Posted on: December 15, 2011July 25, 2023

A good product is one that solves valuable market problems. To be successful in the market, a product needs to solve the problems that the right customers are willing to pay to solve. To know if those customers are willing to pay, you need to understand how they perceive your […]

Who Are Your Customers – Comparing Products Part 2
Business Analysis / Product Management / Product Strategy

Who Are Your Customers – Comparing Products Part 2

Posted on: November 22, 2011July 25, 2023

The first step to comparing products is understanding your customers. This may seem counter-intuitive, but your product’s capabilities are meaningless unless you are comparing them from your customer’s point of view. This article is part 2 in a series on comparing products. Check out part 1, then continue with this […]

Compare Products Not Specs – Comparing Products Part 1
Business Analysis / Product Management / Product Strategy

Compare Products Not Specs – Comparing Products Part 1

Posted on: November 15, 2011July 25, 2023

Recently, the gadget-reviewer crowd has caught on to something we’ve known for a long time. Comparing products is not about comparing specs, it is about comparing how well the products solve problems that customers will pay to solve. That begs the question – how should you compare products? Read on […]

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These articles are written primarily for product managers. Everyone trying to create great products can find something of use here. Hopefully these articles help you with thinking, doing, and learning.

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