You’re a product manager. What tools do you need to drive innovation?

It's very important to ideation that you set the appropriate foundation. I like to set the foundation for ideation with a customer or user journey map to understand how people are currently experiencing the problems we're trying to solve, and so that they can see the relative impact of the problems.

Ideation is the key part of the I&R process. The majority of unsuccessful product lunch is due to lack of clear understanding regarding what really consumers need and what is the insight behind that project. Ideation tool provides clear ways of working to understand exactly what customers and consumers are expecting.

While whiteboarding tools like Miro or Lucid help ease the logistics of carrying out a brainstorming session, the more important element of ideation for a Product Manager is creating an environment that fosters creativity. How, you ask? 1. Always set the context by revisiting your strategy and your unique value proposition. This helps drive conversations in the right direction. 2. Take 15 minutes after strategy reinforcement for everyone to put their ideas on the board. This way not only do the participants get a deep interval to think but the most shy person in the room also pins their idea up. 3. Discuss ideas one by one - do not focus on the how, but the why. When you tend to focus on the how, you lose out on the magic of ideation.

Actually I find Design thinking as a crucial ideation tool. It offers a structured approach to problem-solving and innovation. By putting emphasis on empathy, iteration, and user-centric solutions, it enables one to deeply understand user needs and pain points. This method encourages creativity, allowing for the generation of diverse ideas that can address complex problems effectively. Its iterative nature also facilitates experimentation and rapid prototyping, enabling us to test and refine concepts efficiently, leading to the development of products that better resonate with users and ultimately drive success in the market.

A variety of tools are needed to drive innovation, plan and streamline tasks for products throughout the lifecycle. 1. Tools to track product development. 2. Team messaging tools like teams, slack etc. I recently started using Slack and really love the interface and the usability. 3. Product roadmap/process software like azure devops These are some basic tools that any product manager would need to drive innovation

Validation is a step that I see is often missing or incomplete when starting a new project. Too often, the focus is on product development, like features and the rest; which is good, to a point. We like to start the validation process as early as possible using different tools, depending on the context, the state of development and the idea itself. A mix of interviews and data brings the best results. One question I like to ask my clients at this early stage is: "What problem do you solve?"; only with this answer can you start the validation.

Ferramentas de valida??o s?o essenciais para garantir a eficácia e relevancia de ideias e solu??es. Pesquisas de mercado, testes de usabilidade e prototipagem rápida s?o exemplos cruciais. Essas ferramentas ajudam a mitigar riscos, assegurando que as propostas estejam alinhadas com as necessidades reais. Ao oferecer insights concretos, a valida??o contribui para decis?es fundamentadas e ajustes precisos, aumentando as chances de sucesso no mercado.

J'aime beaucoup les approches qualitative pour commencer à comprendre les réactions des utilisateurs ou clients. Naturellement, l'outil principal est : ?? Le test utilisateur Mais attention, les tests utilisateurs ne permettent pas de valider ! Ils permettent de donner une tendance. Pour valider, donc avoir suffisamment confiance dans les données que l'on a, il me semble que la meilleure approche soit celle du croisement des données. Ainsi, avoir au moins 3 sources différentes qui permettent de justifier une hypothèse me semble être une approche efficace : ?? tests A/B ?? questionnaires ?? entretiens ?? analytics ?? NPS ?? etc.

An example of validation or something that has worked for us is the validation of entire product concept with an MVP. Keeping consumer at the heart when validating and offering them a 360 view of product packaging and proposition in a tangible manner allows depth and richness in insights vs merely bouncing off preferences.

Manter o consumidor no centro ao validar e oferecer-lhe uma vis?o 360o da embalagem e da proposta do produto de maneira tangível permite profundidade e riqueza em insights versus simplesmente saltar de preferências.

For quite some time now, I've been relying on the MoSCoW method to prioritize features and tasks, and it's been a game-changer for me. This approach has consistently guided me in focusing on what truly matters, especially in terms of delivering what's most significant to customers. It's a simple yet effective strategy that has significantly contributed to ensuring that I tackle the most crucial tasks and build features that make a real impact.

They’re great for getting a clear picture of what to tackle next and why, but these aren’t magic wands. Here’s an example involving a decision to implement a new, state-of-the-art encryption feature for a messaging app: RICE: The ‘Reach’ might initially appear limited, as not all users are equally concerned about advanced encryption. The ‘Impact’ is hard to quantify, especially if most users don’t perceive an immediate benefit in their daily use. ‘Confidence’ in its effectiveness might be high, but the ‘Effort’ required for development and implementation could be substantial. And there’s this thing about innovation – sometimes, the next big idea doesn’t score well using these frameworks, but could be exactly what sets you apart.

Product prioritization and roadmap planning are essential for efficient resource allocation, aligning development efforts with business goals, and maximizing the value delivered to users. Also, clear communication through roadmaps fosters collaboration among stakeholders, while prioritization helps identify and mitigate risks. We use MoSCoW method to prioritize features and tasks. Also, we use an internal method where we consider all cross-functional team's input with the customer needs and prioritize the product features based on the weighted average. It's also helping us to balance the trade-offs between value, effort, and impact.

Tenha em mente que a prioriza??o n?o é uma atividade isolada, mas sim um processo. Estou tentando dizer que n?o precisamos nos apegar a um modelo único para organizar nossas prioridades. Obtive bons resultados mantendo o diagrama de Pareto como a primeira etapa do processo de prioriza??o. Pareto afirmava que 80% do resultado pode ser alcan?ado resolvendo 20% dos problemas. Contudo, identificar os 20% n?o é suficiente para se definir a prioridade. Assegurar que a prioridade está em alinhamento com o or?amento, a estratégia da organiza??o e o conhecimento da equipe é essencial antes de come?ar.

I like to combine the Eisenhower method with the RICE method. The Eisenhower matrix can be used to prioritise tasks according to urgency and importance, while the RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) method provides quantitative assessments for project ideas to create a comprehensive basis for decision-making when prioritising activities. By combining both approaches, teams can effectively decide which tasks or projects should be prioritised based on their strategic importance and expected value contribution.

Establishing or using a standardized process such as the stage gate process for innovation management has proved beneficial. Development of checklists or to do tasks for each gate ensures that all components are thought though from idea to shelf and even post launch review. This supplemented with a solid network review process would enable a streamlined innovation management system

Roadmapping tools are essential for efficient product development and strategy communication. ProductPlan facilitates collaborative creation and sharing of visually engaging product roadmaps, fostering team alignment. Roadmunk specializes in dynamic visual timelines, providing a platform for sharing and refining product strategies. Aha! Roadmaps sets itself apart with seamless integration into other Aha! tools, ensuring cohesive planning and execution. Together, these tools streamline project management, enabling clear communication, strategic planning, and effective collaboration within teams for successful product development.

Ferramentas de roadmapping desempenham um papel crucial na visualiza??o e planejamento estratégico de projetos, permitindo uma compreens?o clara dos objetivos e marcos ao longo do tempo. Exemplos notáveis incluem o ProductPlan e o Aha!, que facilitam a cria??o de mapas visuais para alinhar equipes e stakeholders. Essas ferramentas ajudam na comunica??o eficaz das metas, na aloca??o de recursos e na adapta??o a mudan?as ao longo do ciclo do projeto. Ao adotar ferramentas de roadmapping, as organiza??es podem aumentar a transparência, melhorar a colabora??o e garantir o alinhamento contínuo com as estratégias de longo prazo, contribuindo assim para o sucesso consistente dos projetos.

Roadmapping tools: Are vital for planning and tracking product development. Tools like product vision boards, strategy maps, roadmaps, and OKRs help visualize and align product vision with business objectives. They facilitate communication, resource management, and adaptation to changing conditions, ensuring effective progress tracking and outcome alignment with customer feedback.

Roadmapping is a key way to get insight into how the drift in megatrends can affect your product offerings and revenue profile and unlock where you need to focus for your future growth. If done well, a roadmap can help connect vision to action and enable understanding across both the team and leadership.

My team has spent significant effort on this in the last few years. What we have learned is having a project management tool isn’t enough. Setup of the tool based on process, monitoring progress, and continuous evaluation are key.

What to consider when choosing tools. Information overload: Constant notifications can lead to distraction, impact productivity and overshadow important information. Structure: Without clear structure, threads can become chaotic, making it difficult to track conversations and stay organised. Online availability: Real-time communication requires internet connectivity, making collaboration difficult when team members are offline or in different time zones. Security concerns: Sensitive information could be at risk if appropriate security measures are not taken. Documentation: Important decisions or information could be lost if appropriate documentation measures are not taken.

FigJam by Figma has been an exceptional tool for my coworkers and me to collaborate. It is great for virtual teams because it acts like an online whiteboard for all of your brainstorms, journey mapping, strategy and more.

Collaboration tools are vital for optimizing team communication and productivity. Slack facilitates real-time interaction, fostering seamless communication among team members. Microsoft Teams integrates chat, video conferencing, and file sharing into a centralized hub, enhancing team communication. Confluence, when integrated with Jira, serves as a valuable collaboration tool, enabling efficient project management through collaborative content creation and sharing. These tools empower teams to streamline communication, share resources, and manage projects effectively, contributing to overall organizational success.

Collaboration tools: Are vital for team synergy, communication, and feedback. Tools like online whiteboards, project management platforms, chat apps, and video conferencing foster idea sharing, coordinate tasks, and ensure transparency. These tools enhance teamwork, streamline workflows, and maintain accountability, enabling effective communication, and collaboration among product teams and stakeholders.

I see two buckets for PM learning: 1) PM Skills and 2) Industry/Customer Knowledge. There is a ton of good info on PM Skills out there these days with folks like Marty Cavan and Teresa Torres. If you follow what they say, you’ll be able to learn a lot about your customer and industry. That said, it seems to be more of a pattern that PMs lead into tools like roadmaps and prioritization frameworks over the messy work of listening to customers. Presenting your product pitch and roadmap doesn’t necessarily mean you’re learning about customer needs and industry trends. You can learn a lot from customers and prospects with a couple simple questions: 1) what drives you crazy at work and why? 2) how valuable is it to you to solve that problem?

Learning Tools: Udemy: Offers a wide range of online courses on product management, leadership, and related topics. Coursera: Provides access to courses from universities and organizations around the world. LinkedIn Learning: Offers a variety of courses on product management and leadership skills.

Siempre es bueno estar actualizado en cuanto a conocimientos y herramientas de aprendizaje, en un mundo donde la información vence cada vez más rápido y salen nuevos conceptos o ideas para dar solucion a nuestros problemas. Es bueno identificar un par y seguirlos, ya que también el tiempo es escaso como para tomar todas las nuevas visiones que etsán constantemente surgiendo.

In the Hogwarts or Magic Castle of professional growth, time-saving enchantments come in the form of platforms like LinkedIn Learning and Coursera. These tools efficiently offer a plethora of courses, from industry trends to mastering new skills, ensuring that learning is not just continuous but also time-effective.

O feed do LinkedIn pode ser uma fonte de conhecimento importante se você souber utilizá-lo. Assegurar que seu feed é alimentado com atualiza??es do seu mercado alvo, concorrentes diretos e indiretos, clientes e outros stakeholders pode trazer insights importantes para a inova??o de produto.

One way to drive innovation is through a company-wide innovation jam event. Employees form teams and compete within pre-set categories, such as problem-solving or creative use of technology. Before the event, several pre-jam sessions are held to provide existing product training and host industry leaders to talk about innovation. It is critical to provide guardrails around how green field ideas can be and encourage cross-functional teams that include technical and non-technical members, such as a Product, Finance, Designer, and QA specialist. The goal is to ensure some ideas make it into production.

We’ve seen much success when innovation is left to having free thinking. No rules or procedures - free flowing ideas… most do not make sense. Create with creativity, execute with structure.

This spans across the whole process. Stakeholder analysis! Very successful products adequately meet the needs of all stakeholders at the same time. Stakeholders often not considered are: - sales - installation and commissioning - manufacturing - service and after sales support - finance and investment If a stakeholder is not well serviced they can pull out and kill the whole opportunity.

Nothing big happens without a great and well thought out market fit. Before doing much and wasting resources and energy spend time and effort on your market and marketing strategy. Know your market/customer; inside out, top to bottom and left and right!

While all these mentioned tools, for each step of innovation are great if used well, what comes handy is always customization of these tools to fit the project requirements and not vice versa (or you lose time and focus). The idea is to make systems work for you, which requires flexibility. And keep in mind, don't ignore your "gut feeling", on the product, data, consumer target, analysis, market timing, which only gets better with experience.