Before we get to Product Strategy, let me first point out that I’ve been quiet on the blog for several months, but there’s a really good reason. I’m writing a book! Since October, I’ve been working hard on a beginner’s guide to agile software development that mirrors the Computer Science Capstone class I teach at UW-Madison. Stay tuned (and consider subscribing to this blog!) to hear more about the project.
Product Strategy Process
At Singlewire, I’ve been focused on a new area: aligning our executives and teams around a focused Product Strategy process — one that helps us determine where to focus our product development time as well as our communications with customers. We’re making fantastic strides! In March, I presented our ever-evolving process at the DC Lean + Agile Meet-up that Lithespeed hosts monthly. The meet-up has gone virtual due to the pandemic and that makes the group even more valuable because those of us who aren’t in the DC area can now join!
Here’s a recording of my talk.
In a nutshell, we’ve created a Product Strategy team that meets quarterly to discuss and align on high-level product strategy. That team gets four reports from Marketing, Sales, Product/Technology, and Customer Success/Support that give us data on how our products are doing in the marketplace. Which features are being adopted? Why are we losing deals? What’s our market share in each of our target verticals? What cases are we getting in support? We hear about all of this and more. In short, we’re turning this company into a data-driven company. Watch the presentation for details and a lot more information about where we started and our current processes.
I’d love to hear how your organization is handling Product Strategy. Send me a note or post a comment about your processes!
