In this conversation, Fátima Rodríguez Calvo shares her insights on applying product thinking to platform teams, emphasizing the importance of understanding internal users, overcoming challenges in product management, and the necessity of collaboration and communication.

She discusses her journey into product management, the significance of measuring success, and the role of ROI calculators in demonstrating value.

Fátima also addresses common misconceptions about product thinking and provides actionable steps for integrating these principles into platform teams.

TAKEAWAYS

• Product thinking is essential for platform teams to deliver value.
• Internal users are often overlooked but are crucial for product success.
• Collaboration with stakeholders enhances the product development process.
• Measuring success is vital to track progress and make informed decisions.
• Using ROI calculators can help demonstrate the value of platform products.
• Start small and build trust with stakeholders through experimentation.
• Understanding user needs is key to creating effective internal tools.
• Product thinking should be applied incrementally, not all at once.
• Engaging with users can provide valuable insights for product development.
• Continuous learning and adaptation are necessary for successful product management.

SOUND BITES "You can start small and very lightweight." "Collaboration is really a key piece." "The platform products are products themselves." CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro to Show and Guest 01:02 Challenges in Applying Product Thinking 02:59 Defining Product Thinking for Internal Users 06:13 The Importance of User Engagement 09:10 Exploring the Retailer Project 11:56 Recommendations for Product Thinking Implementation 15:22 Prioritizing Ideas with ICE Framework 18:01 Calculating Impact and ROI 23:40 Understanding Adoption Rates and User Value 25:15 The Role of ROI Calculators in Stakeholder Engagement 27:40 Defining Success Metrics for Product Development 30:41 Overcoming Challenges in Product Thinking 33:35 Building Trust Through Small Experiments 36:53 Communicating Learnings and Failures 39:10 Using Evidence to Drive Decisions 42:54 The Importance of Multiple Ideas in Decision Making 45:11 Misconceptions About Product Thinking 49:08 Identifying Minimum Viable Products 50:54 Finding Smaller Slices for Experimentation 53:58 Lessons Learned from Product Thinking Implementation 01:02:52 Getting Started with Product Thinking in Platform Teams 01:05:20 The Importance of Product Thinking for Platform Teams 01:07:00 Recommended Resources for Product Thinking

CONNECT WITH US

• Fátima Rodríguez Calvo (Guest on the show)

• Sabrina Mach (Host of the show)

KEYWORDS

Product Thinking, Platform Teams, Internal Tools, User Experience, Product Management, ROI, Agile, Software Development, Stakeholder Engagement, Continuous Discovery, Developer Experience, Developer Productivity

In this conversation, Christine Kuhn discusses the integration of sustainability into product management, particularly at Kleinanzeigen.

Christine shares her journey into sustainability, emphasizing the importance of authenticity and a holistic approach that balances ecological, economic, and social factors.

She explores practical strategies for product managers to raise awareness, shift consumer mindsets, and measure success in sustainability initiatives.

The discussion highlights the challenges and misconceptions surrounding sustainability, as well as actionable steps for individuals and organizations to adopt a sustainability mindset.

TAKEAWAYS

• Sustainability consists of ecological, economic, and social pillars.
• Authenticity is crucial to avoid greenwashing.
• Shifting consumer behavior towards secondhand products is essential.
• Sustainability should be integrated into company culture.
• Measuring CO2 footprint helps track sustainability efforts.
• Educating users about sustainability can influence their choices.
• Testing initiatives can provide data to support sustainability efforts.
• Balancing short-term and long-term goals is a challenge.
• Technology choices can impact sustainability outcomes.
• Sustainability can enhance the long-term value of products.

SOUND BITES

"Sustainability is definitely more than a trend."

"We try to make secondhand your first choice."

"It's about prolonging a product's life."

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro to show

00:26 Intro to Guest

01:40 Christine's Journey into Sustainability

04:19 Kleinanzeigen's Core Values and Sustainability

07:01 Authenticity in Sustainability Practices

08:46 Integrating Sustainability into Daily Product Management

12:24 Shifting Consumer Behavior Towards Sustainability

15:57 Leveraging Community for Sustainable Practices

18:35 Measuring Success in Sustainability Initiatives

21:54 Making Sustainability Tangible and Measurable

25:14 Segmenting and personalising the experience

27:17 Understanding Sustainability and Misconceptions

30:27 Shifting Perceptions on Secondhand Goods

34:35 Hard things when integrating sustainability

37:08 Challenges in Product Management and Sustainability

39:57 Integrating Sustainability into Company Culture

43:52 Technology Choices and Sustainability

45:50 Principles for Successful Sustainability Conversations

50:03 Balancing Business and Sustainability Focus

53:04 Creating Better Products through Sustainability

55:10 Connect with Christine

55:56 A question to our listeners

The product expert Andrea Bandera highlights that any product modernisation is also always a business modernisation. A fact that is often overlooked.

But when a Business Model becomes obsolete, companies must modernise their products and the organisation that enables the creation of those products.

Andrea shares his experience in working with ERP companies that are trying to make the shift from custom solutions for large individual customers to creating products that are used by multiple small and midsized customers.

TAKEAWAYS

• Modernization is essential for products to remain competitive.
• Understanding the organizational ecosystem is crucial for successful modernization.
• Shifting from a technology-driven approach to a customer-centric mindset is necessary.
• Risk aversion can hinder modernization efforts; organizations must embrace experimentation.
• New competencies in product management and design are vital for modernization.
• Effective communication and collaboration across functions are key to success.
• Measuring product usage helps identify areas for improvement.
• Leadership must be willing to challenge the status quo for effective change.
• Modernization is an ongoing journey, not a one-time project.
• Customer value creation should drive product development.

• The Journey of Product Modernization
• From Technology to Organizational Change

SOUND BITES

• "Every product will face a moment to modernize."
• "Modernization is not just about technology."
• "Think of the product as the outcome of the ecosystem system."
• “Ask yourself: What is valuable for customers that affects our business”

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro to show

00:29 Intro to guest

03:54 Understand the Ecosystem that Generates the Product

11:26 A Shift in Target Audience is a Business Change

19:21 Managing Risk and Embracing Experimentation

23:42 The First Step To Modernise New Business Strategy

28:10 Shifting from full plan to thin slice

33:20 Lessons learned: Value of talking to customers

35:31 Lesson learned: Breaking down complexity is hard

38:22 Success Principle: Understand the system around the product

39:03 Success Principle: Bring in Design and Product Competencies at Leadership Level

42:39 Tips for Newly brought in Leaders

46:42 Thinking in Adaptive Systems: People, Technology, Tools and Interactions

49:47 Success Principle: Measure Signs of Positive Progress

50:58 Success Principle: Think of the Product as a System

51:54 Success Principle: Start From the Money

52:48 Andreas View on How to Create Better Products

55:20 Andrea's Content Recommendations

59:46 Connect with Andrea

01:00:45 A question to our listeners

CONNECT WITH US

Andrea Bandera (Guest on this show)

Sabrina Mach (Host of this show)

In this conversation, Raffaella Roviglioni discusses the critical role of user research in de-risking product development.

Raffaella shares her journey FROM focusing solely on user research TO understanding its strategic importance in product decision-making.

They explore various methods of identifying opportunities for innovation, the importance of continuous research, and the need for triangulating data from multiple sources.

Raffaella emphasizes the significance of understanding customer mental models and the necessity of mapping assumptions to inform better product decisions.

The conversation also touches on handling objections, lessons learned from research experiences, and practical steps for organizations to enhance their research practices.

TAKEAWAYS

* User research is essential for informed product decisions.

* Continuous research helps adapt to changing customer needs.

* Triangulating data from various sources provides a holistic view.

* Mapping assumptions can significantly reduce risks in product development.

* Flexibility and creativity are crucial in research processes.

* Involving stakeholders in research fosters ownership of findings.

* Understanding customer mental models is key to successful product design.

* Research should be an ongoing effort throughout the product lifecycle.

* Effective communication can help address objections to research findings.

* Investing in tailored research enhances competitive advantage.

SOUNDBITES

* "Research can reduce risk in product development."

* "User research is not a one-time activity."

* "Triangulation of data is crucial."

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro to Show

00:29 Intro to the Guest

01:44 Shifting Focus From Research Activities to Creating Impact

04:17 De-Risking Product Development with User Research

07:39 Qualifying Ideas and Prioritizing Features

13:31 Triangulation of Data for a Holistic Understanding

22:07 How User Research De-Risks Products

24:24 Why Best Practice Reports are not Enough

32:57 When to De-Risk: From Idea identification to Post-Launch

38:42 Misconception: Research is easy

38:42 Misconception: Sampling Doesn't Matter

43:41 Lesson Learned: Being Flexible and Creative in Research

46:30 Lesson Learned: Involving Stakeholders in the Research Process

52:52 Practical Takeaways for Aspiring User Researchers

58:49 Practical Takeaways for Advanced Researchers

58:49 Practical Takeaways for Business Leaders

01:01:29 Success Principle: Adaptability as a Principle in Research

01:02:27 Success Principle: Creativity in tackling challenges

01:04:08 Success Principle: Rigor in Ensuring Research Quality

01:05:04 Addressing Objections through Explanation and Rationale

01:10:34 Creating Better Product by Investing the Best Product Ideas

01:13:07 Raffaella's Content Recommendation

01:14:38 Connect with Raffaella

01:15:04 A Question to our Listeners

KEYWORDS

innovation, de-risking, product, product development, software delivery, UX research, user research, design research, qualitative research, product strategy, customer insights, digital transformation, research methods, product management, data strategy, hypotheses validation, qualifying ideas, prioritizing ideas, continuous discovery, risk reduction

James Loudon, founder of Campaigns Never Die, shares his journey of creating an AI startup in the gaming space. He saw an opportunity to use generative AI to help Dungeons and Dragons players save time and tell epic stories. James emphasizes the importance of listening to the community and being honest with them throughout the product development process. He also highlights the need for diversity of choice in the AI space to drive better service for the community. TAKEAWAYS

• Listen to the community and be honest with them throughout the product development process.
• Embrace diversity of choice in the AI space to drive better service for the community.Experiment with new technologies and iterate quickly to create better products.

SOUND BITES

• "Let the AI do the things that feel like work, so you can focus on the fun things."
• "Go play Dungeons and Dragons, it's an experience you won't find anywhere else."
• "Keep the lines of communication open with the community to avoid polarization."

CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro to Show 00:27 Intro to Guest and Topic 01:41 How the journey started: Passion for Building Things 02:30 What Ignited the Idea for the Start-Up0 3:57 How the Idea Supports the Game Play 05:31 Taking the Leap into the Start-Up 08:13 Validating the Idea by Engaging with the Community 13:40 Making the Game More Accessible with AI 17:51 The Tech Side of the Product 21:52 The Impact of the Community on Product Development 25:30 Avoiding the Fallacy: "I am the User" 28:09 Lesson Learned: Inspiration from Community Involvement 30:04 Lesson Learned: Listen More and Engage More

33:06 Success Principle: A Support Network and Follow a Passion 35:58 Success Principle: Remain Honest With the Community 36:50 Success Principle: Active Listening and Common Purpose 38:29 Creating Better GenAI Products 41:05 James' Content Recommendations 43:52 Connect With James 44:39 A question to our listeners

SUMMARY

The business value expert Ammara Gafoor shares her experience of bringing product thinking to the data space in traditional organisations.

She explains how she got into this topic and highlights a project where she started with a traditional data project but realised the need to shift focus from implementing specified requirements to understanding the users of the data product. Ammara emphasises the importance of applying product thinking to data projects and how it can lead to better outcomes. She also discusses the challenges of convincing organizations to adopt this new way of thinking and shares strategies for success.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro to Show

00:30 Intro to Guest and Topic

01:38 Getting into Data and Product Thinking

06:29 Applying Product Thinking to Data

10:00 Challenges in Traditional Data Organisations

11:04 Introducing Cross-Functional Teams

15:14 Showing Success and Gaining Buy-In

17:51 Regulated vs Unregulated Industries

19:24 Using Shadow Teams to Start the Transformation

22:06 Gaining Adoption of Product Thinking in Organisations

23:34 Pitfalls of Maturity Assessments

25:50 It's not a one Size Fits all Approach

28:43 Humanising Data Strategy

31:41 Practical Takeaways

33:33 Why Product Thinking Helps Create Better Data Products

36:01 Principles for Success

38:03 Ammara's Content Recommendation

40:13 A Question for you

TAKEAWAYS

• Product thinking can be applied to data projects in traditional organizations to improve outcomes
• Understanding the user journey and identifying decision points can help prioritize and design data products
• Building trust and effective communication are key to successful implementation of product thinking in the data space
• Data quality is crucial for effective data products and should be considered throughout the process
• Applying product thinking to data projects requires a shift in mindset and collaboration across teams

AMMARA'S CONTENT RECOMMENDATIONS

• Lauf, Wigald, lauf. A book about a person in Germany who ran 52 marathons a year, one marathon every week.
• Data Mesh in Practice: Getting Off to the Right Start. An ebook written by Ammara Gafoor.
• Humanizing Data Strategy by Tiankai Feng. A book about product thinking principles for data and data strategy.

KEYWORDS

product thinking, data, data products, traditional organisations, projects, products, value, user journey, decision points, trust, data quality, product development, data strategy, business requirements, user needs, jobs to be done

SUMMARY

Jacob Tiedemann, a product leader, discusses the importance of Developer Experience (DX) and how it is often overlooked in organisations.

CHAPTERS

00:00 Intro to show

00:27 Intro to Guest and Topic

04:36 Why Organisations Should Care About Developer Experience

06:55 Impulse for Starting With Developer Experience

09:34 Trend Towards Developer Experience

11:02 Avoiding the Fallacy: "I am the user"

14:42 User Research with Developers is Hard

19:04 Developer Experience vs. User Experience vs. Employee Experience25:17Positive and Negative Surprises

29:37 Measuring the Value of Developer Experience

36:15 Getting Started with Developer Experience

41:14 Creating Better Products through Developer Experience

42:40 Principles for Successful DX

43:56 Jacob's Content Recommendations

46:32 A Question to our Listeners

TAKEAWAYS

• Developer Experience (DX) is often overlooked in organisations, but it is crucial for ensuring that developers have the tools and resources they need to be productive and successful.
• A user-centric approach is essential when building technical platforms, as developers are the users of these platforms and their needs should be considered.
• Conducting user research with developers can be challenging, but it is important to gather their feedback and insights to improve the Developer Experience.
• Developer Experience overlaps with User Experience and Employee Experience, but it also has its own unique challenges and considerations.
• Sharing stories and experiences can help stakeholders understand the importance of Developer Experience and the need for user-centric design practices in technical platforms.
• Developer Experience (DX) is essential for creating better technical products and platforms by reducing wasted efforts and resources and improving user satisfaction.
• Measuring the value of DX can be done through adoption rates, retention rates, satisfaction metrics, and financial indicators like cost savings and operational efficiency.
• To start the DX journey, talk to developers, observe their workflows, and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Build a strategy and start with small, impactful steps.
• Investing in analytics is a pro tip for tracking user behaviour and gathering insights for continuous improvement.
• Principles to keep in mind include being human-centric, articulating the business value, and showing prototypes when they're still embarrassing.
• Recommended resources include 'Team Topologies' by Matthew Skelton and Manuel País, 'Making Work Visible' by Dominika de Grande, and 'Not Forgetting the Whale' by John Ironmonger.

JACOBS CONTENT RECOMMENDATIONS

• Team Topologies by Matthew Skelton and Manuel País. “They make user -centricity actionable. It helps you to get into the domain of software development and how things should be working.”

• Making Work Visible by Dominika de Grande. “She talks about five time thieves that are stealing our time. And she shows ways how get rid of those time thieves by making work visible. — The connection to developer experiences: if you think about those time thieves that are in the book, maybe those are also time thieves for the developers, for your users that you might help with.”

• And just for the fun of it, a fiction book. Not Forgetting the Whale by John Ironmonger. “What I liked about it, usually the dystopian ones are really ending on a more negative, sad note, or at least there's like an aftertaste that goes in that direction, but that one left me a little bit smiling and happy with a positive outlook for humanity.”

CONNECT WITH US

• Jacob Bo Tiedemann (Guest on the show)

• Sabrina Mach (Host)

KEYWORDS

developer experience, user experience, employee experience, user research, technical platforms, developer experience, DX, technical products, platforms, user satisfaction, business goals, adoption rates, retention rates, satisfaction metrics, cost savings, operational efficiency, strategy, small steps, analytics, human-centric, business value, prototypes

In this episode, we discuss Insights and Opportunity Trees, a visualization method to make sense of research findings, connect them to business goals and get C-Level attention.