What product leaders need to know about making new product development work – with Jack Hsieh
Chad McAllister, PhD
Product management professor, practitioner, and top-1% podcast host. I help product managers and leaders prepare for the next step in their careers.
To listen to the interview, search for Product Mastery Now on your favorite podcast player.
Tips for managing global innovation projects
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TLDR
In this episode of Product Mastery Now, I speak with Jack Hsieh about successful product development strategies. Jack brings 20 years of experience managing innovation projects at companies like Sony Ericsson and Logitech. He shares practical insights from the Product Development and Management Association (PDMA) framework and explains how product managers can use these principles to improve their product development process. Through real examples from his work in consumer electronics and aerospace industries, Jack shows how PDMA’s body of knowledge helps create successful products while avoiding common pitfalls in portfolio management.
Key topics discussed:
Introduction
While recording this episode at the PDMA Inspire Innovation Conference, I had the opportunity to talk with Jack Hsieh about product development evolution. PDMA has been supporting product professionals since 1976, making it the oldest organization dedicated to product management. Jack explains how PDMA’s comprehensive knowledge base helps companies innovate effectively across different industries and cultures.
Understanding New Product Development
Jack breaks down new product development (NPD) into clear components that every product manager should understand:
The PDMA Body of Knowledge Framework
1. Strategic Alignment
Jack describes how product development needs alignment at multiple levels:
Strategy LevelWhat It MeansWhy It MattersCorporate StrategyCompany’s overall directionGuides all product decisionsBusiness Unit StrategyMarket-specific plansFocuses resources effectivelyInnovation StrategyProduct development prioritiesDirects innovation effortsCapability StrategyResource planningEnsures successful execution
2. Portfolio Management
During our conversation, Jack shares valuable insights from managing product portfolios at Sony Ericsson. He explains how the company handled three distinct product lines:
This experience taught him important lessons about resource allocation. For example, his business unit needed to coordinate holidays across three regions: Sweden, Taiwan, and Japan. The overlapping work schedule only provided 190 days per year for full team collaboration, making resource planning especially important.
Jack uses Boeing and Airbus as examples to illustrate key portfolio management principles:
Portfolio DecisionImpactLesson LearnedBoeing’s 737 platform extensionTechnical challenges with aging platformNeed for balanced technical and business leadershipResource allocation across product linesProduct cannibalization between categoriesImportance of global portfolio optimizationTechnical vs. business leadershipImpact on long-term product decisionsValue of technical expertise in leadership
3. Process Management
Organizations need different development processes based on their specific needs. Jack explains several approaches:
Integrated Product Development (IPD)
Agile Development
Waterfall Method
Hybrid Approaches
4. Tools and Techniques
Jack mentions that he has personally used more than 70% of the tools in PDMA’s Body of Knowledge. These tools span different product development stages:
Development StageTools UsedPurposeConcept DevelopmentDesign thinking methodsGenerate and evaluate ideasProduct TestingAlpha and beta testingValidate product conceptsManufacturingPilot production modelsVerify production capability
5. Market Research
Jack emphasizes that market research remains the most important skill for product managers. Modern approaches include:
Advanced Research Technologies
6. Culture and Organization
Organizational culture significantly affects product development success. Jack shares team structures that work:
7. Product Lifecycle Management
Jack shares a personal story about understanding market adoption patterns. When he started his consulting business, he initially focused on multinational companies in Taiwan, thinking his experience with foreign companies would be an advantage. Despite getting over 50 inquiries in his first year, he secured no deals. Reading Crossing the Chasm helped him understand why – these companies were early majority adopters, not early adopters, making them hesitant to work with a new consulting firm.
Real-World Applications
The Logitech Left-Handed Mouse Project
Jack shares an interesting case study from his time at Logitech. The project, named “Sicily Left,” aimed to create a mouse specifically for left-handed users. Key insights include:
Jack learned that the wrong business case for a project leads to a sub-optimal result.
Sony Ericsson Portfolio Management
Jack’s experience managing mobile phone portfolios provides valuable lessons:
ChallengeSolutionOutcomeResource allocation across regionsCross-cultural negotiationBalanced compromise on project numbersProduct line overlapPrice point coordinationReduced internal competitionGlobal team coordinationHoliday schedule planningImproved workflow management
Project Management vs. Product Management
During our discussion, Jack helps clarify the important differences between project and product management:
AspectProject ManagementProduct ManagementTimeline FocusSpecific project durationFull product lifecycleSuccess MetricsOn-time, on-budget deliveryMarket success, customer satisfactionScopeDefined project requirementsEvolving product strategy
Conclusion
In this episode, Jack demonstrates how PDMA’s framework guides successful product development. His experiences at global companies like Sony Ericsson and Logitech show how these principles help product managers handle complex challenges. Whether you’re managing consumer electronics, aerospace products, or software, these insights can help you create better products and advance your career in product management.
Useful links:
Innovation Quote
“Innovation takes dedication, but the choice is more important than the dedication.” – Jack Hsieh
Application Questions
Bio
Jack Hsieh has 20 years of experience in planning, executing, managing, and consulting on innovation projects across the world. Jack is the President at Maestro Project Management Consultants, which helps clients with innovation management, new product development, and project management. Previously, at Sony Ericsson, he led a cross-functional international team to develop handheld devices that served millions of users worldwide.
To listen to the interview, search for Product Mastery Now on your favorite podcast player.