3 Excellent Resources for Demystifying the Internet of Things (IoT)

In 2016, I began a project to build an Internet of Things (IoT) strategy for a manufacturing company. I had about 6 months of product management experience to my name and exactly zero mentors in the business with IoT related experience.

To illustrate my lack of understanding, here is a list of words that meant nothing me 6 months ago:

API, edge computing, PaaS, IaaS, Microsoft Azure, Amazon AWS, GE Predix, IoT gateway, LoRa, SigFox, LPWAN, NB-IoT, ZigBee, Z-Wave, LTE-M1, Industry 4.0…

You get the picture.

I had to start somewhere, so I turned to the Internet. I found tons and tons of resources, but many of them are so full of buzzwords that I couldn’t make sense of anything. Luckily, there are also a few sites with clear, helpful information that can help product managers build IoT literacy and develop IoT product strategy.

Here are 3 of my favorites:

1.     TechProductManagement.com

Whether you think you know a little or a lot about the IoT, you can probably learn something from Daniel Elizalde. With over 17 years of product management and product development experience, including experience managing IoT products and end-to-end solutions, he has as much expertise as anyone in the up and coming field of IoT product management. His approach is realistic, but his tone conveys a genuine optimism about the potential of IoT products to solve real problems. I found his blog so helpful that I wrote him a personal thank you email when I first discovered it (and he responded the next day!).

TechProductManagement covers a range of topics from managing an API as a product to selecting the right hardware for an IoT solution. If you’re not sure where to start, I recommend starting where I did, with his post Internet of Things: A Primer for Product Managers.

2.     The Complete List of Wireless IoT Network Protocols (by Link Labs)

If you’ve identified a problem and think that a connected product could help solve it, but the list of words at the beginning of this article made your head spin, take a look at The Complete List of Wireless IoT Network Protocols. This list provides an overview of the connectivity technology out there. It’s a good jumping off point for wrapping your head around what each different technology can do for you. If you want to dig a little deeper, there are plenty of articles on Link Labs’ website that provide more in depth explanations and comparisons of various technologies.

Is this content marketing? Yes. But it’s useful content marketing that can help you learn. You can always take a moment to see what Link Labs competitor SigFox has to say about themselves after you read up on what Link Labs has to say about them.

There are probably similar lists out there comparing technology at other layers of the IoT technology stack, like Cloud platform technology. If you know a good one, post it in the comments!

3.     Strategyzer Business Model Canvas

Maybe you’ve seen this before. And maybe you’re thinking “this has nothing to do with the IoT!” This has everything to do with the IoT.

If you’re going to build a successful IoT product, you better make sure your business model makes sense first. The business model canvas can help you do that. Forget about your API and your Cloud platform for a minute and remind yourself what value you’re aiming to create for your target customers. Then figure out how you’re going to build the product.

If you haven’t seen the Strategyzer Business Model Canvas before, I recommend checking it out. It’s a useful tool for creating and understanding possible business models – for IoT products or otherwise. Here’s a video explaining the Business Model Canvas for medical device startup Owlet.

There’s a lot of hype about the IoT right now and plenty of useful information out there. Which resources have you found most helpful for demystifying the IoT?

About the Author

MJ Peters is currently completing her fourth and final rotation in the Halma Graduate Development Program, a rotational program for engineering and science graduates. She has done work in process engineering, product management, new product development, and marketing. MJ is passionate about problem solving, technology, and innovation and is inspired by companies that build products that create positive social impact. She graduated from Northwestern University with a degree in Environmental Science and has done previous work with the National Science Foundation and the National Park Service.