Make Great Products

For product managers, the art of persuasion

Product managers are in charge of the product features, profitability, and ultimately a product's success. Years ago, I started out in product management. Being a product manager is a wonderful position to have because you essentially manage the entire business of your product. I’ve heard product management called the “accidental profession” because many people stumble into it. 

If I had one piece of advice for a new product manager it would be to learn the art of persuasion. The art of persuasion is very necessary in product management. A product manager might know that they have a great idea for a new product, service, or enhancement, but they must be persuasive if it’s going to be funded and supported. Those closest to the product know the most about it and often must convince those who control the resources who perhaps know the least. The best product managers are fighters, and to excel at your job you must be persuasive. One meeting won’t do it and you better come prepared to fight. That is how successful products get made. Otherwise, it’s just an idea in someone’s head. I’ve seen some wonderful, solid, important ideas dissolve because there was no advocate for them who really made a push. Come prepared, have solid numbers and meaningful assumptions to back up your argument, craft a compelling argument, be persistent, and be persuasive.   

Product strategy and the business plan gap

I work with a lot of companies that create business plans for the purpose of raising capital. Plans created for fundraising are often not of value for guiding strategic product decisions on a day-to-day basis. This is because they have a singular purpose: to make the company appear as attractive as possible, and while being truthful, highlight the successes and diminish the blemishes that all companies have. But companies that succeed must put their blemishes under a microscope. Companies can’t confuse their beauty queen (fundraising business plan) with their workhorse (strategic product and business plans).

To make your products successful, you have to highlight your blemishes, prioritize your top initiatives and man them accordingly. Plan on a quarter-by-quarter basis with the resources you have available to add value to your products and company. Get real with your projections. Your market analyses may look great on your fundraising business plan but too often these numbers are too general to drive strategy and won’t give you the granularity you need to make successful product decisions. Come up with real numbers that reflect what you can capture. By the time the funding rolls in, you just might be able to make those projections.