Kiran Suresh

PRDs are not important. I would much rather have a one pager Press Release that highlights the journey than a detailed PRD document that lists out every spec and solution detail to the T. The detail which Engineering teams have started expecting in PRDs has gone bonkers. Yes, Engineering is one of the main stakeholders for PRDs, but a PRD should stop short of solutioning for Enggineering. The purpose(s) of a PRD or any other document that leads to a finished product should be to highlight: 1. What we're building 2. Why we're building it 3. Who are we building this for 4. How will they use it 5. Why we think this is an important problem to solve 6. Who are the key people involved in delivering it 7. What is the GTM strategy 8. What does success look like and maybe a few more things depending on org structures. Now, I am not saying we should no go into details in a PRD. Details are important- mandatory, if you will. But we should shy away from going into solutioning details, unless we're building an API/Platform product in which case, the solution is the feature. Think of PRDs as the first surface of your product/idea for the world (customers and stakeholders) to touch, see, feel and wrap their heads around. They don't want to know whether you'll be using an XGBoost model or a simple rule to predict outcomes. They don't care about the tech stack or whether you will be leveraging your latest data sources for rendering the data on their screen. They care about the problems you're solving for the customers. They care about revenue, cost savings, optimization or strategic wins. #productmanagement #PRD #PM

238

32 Comments

I've written and read a lot of Product Requirement Documents or PRD's in the past year considering what we do at Rethink Systems and some key observations I've noted which I sometimes see in my writing and the PRD's that I read- 1) Most PRD lack a narrative- A PRD is supposed to be written so that you can convince all your stakeholders that this is the best thing for us to be doing at the moment. For that you don't just need data, you need a story, some anecdotal evidence written in a way which you think will get your point across. That is only possible by having a narrative. 2) People mistake length of a PRD for depth- A long PRD does not mean a PRD which has depth, it in-fact just makes it more difficult for the reader to read as a lot of things could have not have been in the PRD and it wouldn't make a difference. Depth is subjective, but understanding this can be the difference between a good and a great PRD. 3) People do lots of discovery but are not able to tie it back to their solution- In theory, you can write at least a 100 pages on discovery for practically even the smallest of features you're building, but you should ask yourself, how is this text adding value to my solution space? That way your document will automatically start becoming shorter. They are not easy to solve as it involves a lot of ambiguity, but we at Rethink are trying our best to ensure that we create an environment which motivates people to read and write everyday to accustom them to these situations so they can fail fast and iterate faster :) P.S.- We just finished our 4th Program and have had the time of our lives helping people become better operators. Our next batch will start sometime around March next year, follow Rethink Systems for updates on that as well!

54

1 Comment

When you say your product has Product Market Fit, it means your product has achieved PMF for specific segments of users, not everyone which you consider as your potential user. PMF is always segment specific, it is never generic. So next time you want to grow your product, understand which set of customers loved your product initially and find similar customers who have similar needs.

21

After my previous post on writing user stories as a superpower for a PM, I have received lots of DMs mentioning this is not "strategic" enough to be labelled as a superpower. Honestly, a big part of product success requires disambiguating high level goals to working product. Somewhere, in the quest of strategy and product discovery, the good old grind of working on the details is getting lost. Its core part of product management and will never be out of fashion! #productmanagement #gettinginthedetails #keepshipping

29

8 Comments

A conversation with a friend who is now a seasoned Product Leader put me in a introspective spiral around how the expectations from PMs are changing --> 1) Its now no longer just ensuring you execute on the vision and deliver/launch a quality product ( not considering Principal PMs and above here ) 2) It has become more about organisations pivoting towards more niche requirements and expecting more on Strategy / Analytics / technical know how to be in a position to actually design & build something themselves, this is now becoming more of a norm in India now ( might have been like that in other countries already) 3) the experience ( # of years) does matter but only for leadership roles otherwise it is a very hard market to find that niche role for yourself 4) What skills should a PM focus on to break these barriers and ride on this next phase of growth --> [and am sure its not just AI :) ] ? Am sure some of you in this role might have the same questions but would love to hear different perspectives on this ....... #product #productmanagement #PM #skills #roles #expectations

8

1 Comment

What makes great products great is balance Balance between depth of features and breadth of features Balance between how often their PMs say yes and say no to stakeholders Balance between speed of increments and quality of increments Balance between number of problems they solve and the importance of problems they solve Balance between business needs and user needs Balance between successful and failed feature launches Balance between agility and stubborness Great products are like those Grand Slam winners in tennis who know how to win games by understanding the conditions and balancing their games according to what is required Their greatness is inherent in their ability to balance! #ProductManagement #Balance #Products

12

The Ken has an empathetic article on the role of PMs in India. Highly recommended weekend read. However, I think the article goes beyond just empathy and romanticizes the role of a PM. For two reasons: 1. PMs must deliver measurable outcomes and healthy ROI. As must sales, finance, and operations folks. It’s foolish to assume that there is space in this hypercompetitive world for romanticizing Jobsian visions of the next iWhatever. 2. Almost all tech product companies in India are a copy of something that has worked in developed markets. The PMs job is to contextualize and optimize it for the Indian customer, regulations, and operating environment. A Product Marketer role, oversold as a Product Manager role. Two things we need to change: (1) Set realistic expectations with new hires. Don’t over-promise the role just to hire a rockstar. She’ll leave in a year’s time, and you’re back to square zero. (2) as PMs be prepared to do the hard grind in the initial years to figure out whether this is really for you. The Ken Praveen Gopal Krishnan Rohin Dharmakumar #productmanagement #productmarketing #expectations #careerchoices #careerpaths #metrics #ROI #stevejobs #reality

21

Product Management : beyond influencing without authority, to leading without authority. Influencing without authority has long been the name of the game for PMs. As the industry moves (rightly so) towards a world with fewer managers and more individual contributors, ICs must continue to build their muscle on how to lead without authority. What does leading without authority look like for an IC PM? - Don't measure your worth only through execution. Execution is table stakes. Have strong views on the right thing to build, and the right way to build it. - Insert yourself in critical discussions. Ask for facetime with leaders, present your views. Leaders must learn to listen and embrace feedback/inputs from senior ICs. - Ask for help. For e.g. if some complex data pull needs to be done, make a case to the data team and push your request. DIY is ideal but don't be averse to asking for help. - Be vocal about where you see gaps. Sometimes gaps exist because nobody's thinking deeply enough. Thinking is the job of the PM. You should've thought through issues and experiences before it hits your customers. There's unmatched satisfaction in being an IC PM and building as opposed to endless meetings, but we need to give more agency to the IC leaders. This will also need ICs to not distance themselves from leading - leading is part of the job.

45

1 Comment

PMing for a mature product with half a million+ MAU & 200+ enterprise customers, is a lot of responsibility. Any miss can impact the 6 Lakh daily rosters. I need to get it right and there is a very little room for error. Fortunately, MoveInSync enables this by keeping PMs grounded with product support while also ensuring PMs drive product adoption & innovation together with customers. This "back to basics" approach ensures only the right problems get solved. Akash Maheshwari Nitin Awasthi #B2BProductManagement #SaaS

56

The product lifecycle is like a Bollywood movie: Starts with a bang, full of drama in the middle (bugs!), and ends with everyone wondering if there will be a sequel (new version) or if it's just a one-hit wonder. #productmanagerlife #productmanagement #productmanager #agile #productowner #officehumor #worklifebalance #softwareengineeringhumor #uxhumor #customercentric #productlifecycle #productlaunch #bugs #productdevelopment #newversion #bollywood #softwareengineeringhumor #productmanagerlife

2

Writing a "perfect" PRD is a myth... There are at least 100s of PRD templates out there and every product expert on LinkedIn is selling their own version, making the amateur PMs feel that is the recipe of success as a PM. Let me break the truth to you-- There are no perfect PRD templates, and I think all experienced PMs can agree to it. PRD is just one another way for you to communicate your thought process to others, that's it, that's all the job it has to do. To those who have spent more than 5 years as a PM, how much of your success has been because you had a perfect PRD template ? #productmanagement #prd

12

3 Comments

As I complete 5 years of officially being a Product Manager today, I have reflected upon the last 5 years and have summarised my top learnings so far. Summarizing below: 1. 50% of a product manager’s learning happens at work and the rest 50% from the time invested in learning outside work 2. Measure, measure, measure 3. Make time for Deep Work 4. The Cost of a Buggy Release is Usually Higher than the ROI from Releasing it Sooner 5. Failures are personal and successes are for the team Click the link below for detailed explanations against each point and tell me what point you resonated the most with in the comments section below. https://lnkd.in/gNKDN6qK #productmanagement #productivity #productleadership P.S. In this world full of GPT-generated content, this is 100% original. 😉

60

12 Comments

DAY 26 #100DAYSOFPRODUCTMANAGEMENT I haven't been posting since last couple of days, reason - my priorities are changed for this week. Visiting parents made me realize how important it is to have flexibility not only to change sudden but also on short term basis. Some may call it taking break but its not it. its realising what can wait and what cant. Just like in the role of Product manager things can differ from roadmap while execution, one must not be rigid to face such challenges. Vision is more important , some goals may change due to evolving market or technological advancements, or many other reasons. As they say "focus on destination" .

23

3 Comments

🚀Why the PRD is the Unsung Hero of Product-Led Success 🚀 In a product-led organization, where innovation drives growth and customer delight is the North Star, the PRD is often the silent powerhouse behind the scenes. 🌟 Think of the PRD as the blueprint for your product's journey—a meticulously crafted map that ensures every team member, from developers to marketers, is aligned and moving in the right direction. It's not just about documenting features; it's about translating vision into actionable steps that fuel seamless execution and strategic success. 🛠️📈 Here's why the PRD is indispensable: Alignment and Clarity: It transforms ambiguous ideas into clear, actionable requirements, fostering alignment across teams and minimizing the risk of miscommunication. 🗣️🔍 Customer-Centric Focus: A well-crafted PRD ensures that the end-user remains at the heart of the development process, making sure the product solves real problems and meets genuine needs. ❤️📊 Efficiency and Agility: By laying out detailed requirements, the PRD helps streamline workflows, reduce rework, and accelerate time-to-market—all critical for maintaining competitive advantage. ⏱️⚡ Risk Mitigation: Identifying potential pitfalls and aligning on expectations early helps mitigate risks, saving valuable time and resources in the long run. ⚠️🛡️ In essence, the PRD is the strategic document that transforms vision into reality, ensuring that every move is calculated, every feature is purposeful, and every launch is impactful. In a world where product-led strategies are at the forefront of innovation, mastering the PRD is your key to unlocking extraordinary success. 🔑🌍 #ProductManagement #PRD #ProductLedGrowth #Innovation

3

Product Manager Interview - Can you talk about your experience at your current company? #TheArtofStorytelling Whenever I ask this question, I mostly get answers along the lines of - I did this and that - I improved metrics by this much - The company is in this space and it grew by this much when I was there While there is nothing wrong in talking about what you did, your impact, and the company, it is not clear enough. The interviewer cannot understand your impact clearly with these explanations. Basically, there is no impressive story here - No details about the ruins, hero entry, action/love/emotional scenes, and a powerful climax how the hero solved it all 😉 Some interviewers probe more but some move on resulting in you losing an opportunity to talk about your most recent accomplishments. So, here is a template I have developed over time that will surely make an impact: 1. What does the company or product or team do? (Add details of # of employees, revenues, etc., as required) 2. At what point did you join the company? What were their goals? 3. What is the state they are in now? 4. What is your role in taking the company from point #2 to point #3? Here is a sample: The (target market) work like this and have these (pain points). So, we developed a platform to solve them. I joined this startup as the first PM when there was an alpha product with no customers and a small team. In its current state after a few years, we have gained 100+ global giants as our customers and the team has grown 10x. As it is a startup, I played multiple roles on top of being a PM and worked closely with the Founder. Why such an answer will work?  1. As a good PM, you start with the pain points and then talk about how your solution solves them. If you are in a complicated or niche space, you should simplify this to the interviewer. The interviewer must understand this to understand your contribution. 2. Highlights - Startup, first PM, no customers, small team. It is clear that there is no escape from the responsibilities and the pressure to deliver. This adds to the context. 3. Add details as required to make the current state clear. 4. Highlights - Working with founder, multiple roles. You identify as someone who can work with stakeholders directly doing whatever is required to make the product a success. Note: 1. Have a shorter version of this story and mention that you are keeping it short specifically and would be happy to elaborate as required. 2. This template can be used when asked about work experience in general as well. If you have worked only in a couple of companies, you can repeat this template. But if you have worked in more, use this template for the top 1-2 most impactful roles after giving a summary. #productmanagement #productinterviews

22

6 Comments

"Am I being exploited as a PM?" . . Asked one of the members in a community that I am a part of. He has an experience of 1 year and joined a new organization as a PM. His manager asked him to go through all the products/sub-products and identify key metrics that should be tracked for each product. And, this guy thought that this is some low-level work that his manager has given him. And, (probably) he is being exploited by making him do such low-level work. I was amazed at the thought-process and couldn't understand how to react. Here are a few myths about PM that I feel need to be busted: Myth 1️⃣ PM is NOT some entitled position and it definitely is NOT the CEO of the product. Don't get into PM with the expectations that you will have to just give orders and people will be at your service. Myth 2️⃣ As a PM, you have to get the work done from others which is the most difficult part. For that, you may need to do a lot of things which you may not want. So, be prepared for it. Myth 3️⃣ In reality, no work is low-level or high-level. It's a work and it has a larger objective. Focus on the objective. You may or may not like it is a different thing altogether. If you don't like it, that's your problem. You will realize this as you gain more experience. Myth 4️⃣ The engineering and design team usually don't report to PM. So, if you think you will just tell them and they will do, sorry but you are wrong. You will have to learn to convince without authority. Myth 5️⃣ Product Management is not just about launching new products and features. It's about tracking them, understanding competitors & industry, planning marketing & growth initiatives, and many more things. Be prepared to get your hands dirty with these things if you want to a great PM. Liked this? Follow Vishal Bagla for more. P.S.: Preparing for PM interviews? Here's something you should definitely explore: https://lnkd.in/dhQz8937 #ProductManagement #ProductManagers #InterviewPrep

139

15 Comments