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Product Management

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Why Benchmarking Often Fails to Deliver Results

Benchmarking often fails just when you need it most. All the best benchmarking and best practices lead nowhere if they are not implemented.

Jump Starting Teams

New programs spin up every day, but most teams get off to a bad start. In a rush to get going, they forego a few simple steps that would help position their programs for success.

Are Product Roadmaps Now a Waste of Time?

A product roadmap is a graphical representation of a set of related products over time with at most a monthly granularity.
Four-Fields Map

Optimizing Processes: Four Fields Mapping

Four-Fields Process Map Originated in Japan, the Four-Fields Map is a graphical technique most commonly applied to cross-functional processes.

Anticipating Risks: The Risk Mind Map

The Risk Mind Map enables a team to create a comprehensive risk profile. It allows management to anticipate where risks might arise and to prepare to meet these challenges more effectively.

Change Impact Matrix: Understanding the Consequences of Changes

The Change Impact Matrix is a descriptive tool that details the scope of the changes that everyone involved in a project will face. The matrix is useful for presenting the project context to upper management when discussing the project status, schedule, and progress to plan.
Product Vision - Between Strategy & Roadmaps

Product Vision – Between Strategy & Roadmaps

Have you ever wondered how to create a great product vision?  Let’s show you.  Start with some examples to get your reference frame properly set.  Then look at some of the formats that might work best for you.

Derivative Chart: Maximizing the Value of Your Platform

A Platform Derivative Chart is a diagram that depicts a set of related products over time. This is the most powerful type of Product Roadmap that highlights relationships between derivatives.

The Product Radar Chart: Making Smart Product Tradeoffs

The Product Radar Chart offers a way to evaluate and communicate the myriad factors that go into product and portfolio decisions by graphing the key dimensions of a product or concept and comparing them to alternatives.
Product Roadmaps

Product Portfolio Investment Map: Tying Product Strategy to Execution

A Product Portfolio Investment Map is a snapshot of product portfolio investments that shows the relative emphasis on various classes of new product development projects. Typically, these investments are grouped together according to the amount of risk each project assumes.

Product Roadmap Template + Tips For Making Agile Roadmaps

At their best, Product Roadmaps provide a visual explanation of a company’s strategy. They help align Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Support, and the C-suite. Done right, product roadmaps serve as an organizing principle for decisions around technology requirements, resource allocation, and product positioning.

Innovation: Are Two Systems Better Than One?

In too many companies, the front end of development remains fuzzy. The same companies that will micro-manage IT, or spend time simplifying a portion of their manufacturing operations, show little interest in improving the early stage innovation activities that drive future growth.

A Front-End Management Process For Innovation: Removing The Fuzz from the Front-End

We have advocated two systems for managing your company’s early stage product innovation activities. The first is a yearly planning process that ties the company’s vision to a strategy, and provides roadmaps that drive the annual budgeting process.
Community Product Requirements Chart: Using Communities to Understand Customer Usage

Community Product Requirements Chart: Using Communities to Understand Customer Usage

The Community Product Requirements Chart is a tool that provides customer insights and creates opportunities for innovation.

Innovation Strategic Planning Process: A Long-Term Horizon for Product Planning

Before projects become products, they are ideas in the minds of your teams. They begin as product concepts, germs of your company’s future growth. How can companies manage the portfolio of product ideas?
Comprehensive Innovation Map

Innovation Best Practices: Creating Better Innovations Faster

Our clients often ask us how they can become more innovative. Some seem to believe that innovation appears as if by magic. Many believe that there is no process for innovation. We have identified three practices that are research-verified, an end-to-end series of steps that yield the best ideas.

Product Offering: How to Create an Effective Strategy

A strong product offering is paramount for business success, combining products, services, and experiences to attract and retain customers. This article offers a brief overview, delving into key components and strategies. Understanding your target audience …

Strategic Product Management: The Key to Business Success

Strategic product management is crucial for developing a successful product. It involves defining the product’s vision and strategy, setting goals, developing the roadmap, planning the launch, and analyzing performance. To be an effective strategic product …

Consulting Deliverables: A Comprehensive Guide

Consultants provide tangible and intangible outcomes to clients through consulting deliverables. Some examples of consulting deliverables include reports, presentations, assessments, analyses, models, plans, designs, prototypes, and training materials. These outcomes help clients make informed decisions, …

Product Management in the Financial Services: Best Practices and Strategies

Financial services product management is a challenging role that demands industry insight and regulatory compliance expertise. The product manager oversees new product development, manages product lifecycles, and collaborates with cross-functional teams to align products with …

New Product Consulting: Maximizing Your Product’s Potential

New product consulting is a service that helps inventors, startups, and small businesses bring their product ideas to life. The process involves market research, product innovation and design, and strategies for effective product launch. By …

Platform Product Management: The Ultimate Guide

Platform Product Management, a recent field, focuses on developing and managing platforms rather than individual products. Platforms are intricate systems comprising multiple products and services collaborating for a seamless user experience, demanding specialized skills. Understanding …

Product Management Methodology: A Comprehensive Guide

Product management methodology is a set of structured frameworks, principles, and practices that product managers and development teams use to plan, execute, and deliver products to market. It is a critical function that involves identifying …

Product Manager vs Product Owner: Understanding the Key Differences

As the world of product development has evolved, so have the roles of Product Manager and Product Owner. While the two roles are sometimes used interchangeably, they have distinct differences that are important to understand. …

How to Create a Product Roadmap: A Comprehensive Guide

Creating a product roadmap is essential to any product manager’s job. A product roadmap is a high-level visual summary that outlines a product’s vision and direction over time. It helps teams to align their efforts, …
Product Management What Does It Look Like at Google

Product Management: What Does It Look Like at Google?

Ever wondered how product management at an international tech giant like Google works? Have you ever dreamt of working as a Google PM (product manager)? Well, look no further; we have all the answers you …

The 15 Best Product Management Books in 2023

Product management can be difficult, but with the right information, it becomes a lot easier. Click here to learn more about the 15 product management books that are guaranteed to help you on your product …

Program Management vs. Product Management

Program Management vs. Product Management The titles of program manager and product manager sound similar, but they serve quite different functions in an organization. The skills and job title descriptions of these two professionals are …

Everything You Need to Know About Technology Product Management

Do you know how a technical product manager is different from a product manager? This article will help you find out and learn more about tech product management. Introduction To Technology Product Management To survive …

Everything You Need to Know About Product Management Leadership

Want to learn more about product management leadership? Click to find out all the information you need to know about the role of a product management leader and learn how to excel at it. Introduction …
Product Mindset

Product Mindset | Improve Customer Outcomes

What is a Product Mindset? A product mindset is nothing more than a single-minded focus on creating meaningful value for customers before all else. The Scrum Guide 2020 defines a product as “a vehicle to …

Mastering the Product Development Life Cycle | TCGen

What is a Product Development Life Cycle? Product development life cycle management refers to the entire lifetime of a product, all of the stages from 1) the time a product is conceived to 2) when …

Product Portfolio Map for Investment: Tying Product Strategy to Execution

Product development projects are not all the same. Some represent slight modifications of an existing, time-tested product, a workhorse for your company. Other projects might express startling, new-to-the-world ideas that disrupt everything. Most others fall …

Product Taxonomy: How it Helps IT Create Stakeholder Value

What is a product taxonomy? A product taxonomy is a systematic categorization of products based on their attributes, characteristics, and relationships to other products. Usually, it is a tool for retailers, ecommerce businesses, and manufacturers …

Product Discovery Techniques: Importance and Application | TCGen

In this guide, I’ll draw on my years of work in product strategy to help you understand the product discovery process and the techniques teams use to develop valuable insights that lead to innovative products.  …

How to Use OKRs in Product Management

Being a product manager nowadays may seem like a daunting task. Strict deadlines, exhaustive assignments, and being on top of customer trends can be draining. This is why successful product managers are always on the …

A Comprehensive Guide to Agile Product Management

Product owners and managers are constantly looking for ways to improve the product development process. This constant search has brought to light many different techniques and tools to make the process easier and more manageable. …

What is the difference between product management and product development?

Product management is about “what” and “why.” Product development is about “how” and “when.” Product management is about creating a product vision. It’s about understanding customers and other stakeholders. And it’s about translating data into …

A Complete Guide to Product Management Roadmaps

Building effective products is no easy task. Everyone can dream of making the next big thing but product managers who deliver are the ones who plan effectively. Effective planning requires outlining flexible strategies, setting ambitious …

The 10 Best Product Management Podcasts in 2023

If there’s one thing product managers don’t have enough of, it’s time. With 50% of product managers complaining about a lack of time, it can be difficult to focus on deadlines and sharpen your skills. …
Data Product Management What it is and Why it’s Important

Data Product Management: What it is and Why it’s Important

With the rapid digitalization of today’s world, it is no surprise that businesses have had to revise their product management structures.  As systems governing our everyday lives become automated, it is easier than ever for …

The Product Management Process Explained

What is the Product Management Process? The Product management process enables teams to develop the right solution for all stakeholders. It’s about using data and experience to establish why a certain feature or product is …
Product Management Performance Metrics

Everything You Need to Know About Product Management Performance Metrics

How do companies keep track of their growth and the success of their products? The answer lies in the use of product management performance metrics. Read on to find out more. Introduction To establish and …

Product Owner vs Product Manager

Yes, there is some overlap. But it helps to understand the distinction between product owners and product managers. Product Managers and Product Owners The titles of product owner and product manager sound similar. Both are …

Product Management Frameworks: A Complete Guide

Using product management frameworks is a way to dramatically improve product management and make your products a success. Read on to find the most powerful frameworks you can use to boost your business. Have you …

The Importance of Product Management Documentation for Product Development

Product management is a complex process that begins with ideation and ends in the commercialization of a new product. Efficient and organized product management is key to a successful product. And the key to organized …

Test Page

What is Product Discovery? Product discovery is the front end of the product development process. During the discovery phase, teams assess the product-market fit, the usability, and the technical feasibility of new product concepts.  Ideally, …