The document discusses product management best practices based on a former head of product's experience. It provides tips for skills needed like being a diplomat, business driver, and having technical expertise. It also outlines an effective product development lifecycle with phases from concept to closure. Lastly, it shares lessons learned from a past product launch, highlighting the importance of upfront planning to balance goals with financial and supply chain realities.

1. www.productschool.com
Good PMs are Good Diplomats
by fmr Zappos Head of Product

2. CERTIFICATES
Your Product Management Certificate Path
Product Leadership
Certificate™
Full Stack Product
Management Certificate™
Product Management
Certificate™

3. Corporate
Training
Level up your team’s Product
Management skills

4. Free Product Management Resources
BOOKS
EVENTS
JOB PORTAL
COMMUNITIES
bit.ly/product_resources
COURSES

5. Product Manager as a Value
Proposition
Archan Mehta

6. Confidential
The information contained in this document is confidential and
proprietary. Any use or circulation of this document is not
permissible and may be cause for legal action.

7. Not So Fun Facts
● Moved to Bay area 3 years ago; lived in Chicagoland for 19
years.
● A Northwestern, Depaul & Illinois Institute of Technology
Alumni (Masters Degree).
● Software FireTV, Amazon
● Product & Portfolio Definition, Geo Expansion, Amazon 10.or.
● Product Management, Moto Z Product Line, Lenovo
● Launch Program Manager Moto Droid, Motorola
● Software Program Manager - CDMA Motorola RAZR.

8. Fun Facts
● movies, mockumentary, broadway shows, listed on IMDB

11. Value
Proposition
Product
Manager

12. 6
● Organization Leader
● Executionist
● High Bar for the Product
● Subject Domain Expert
● Business Owner
● Problem Solver
Super Attributes

13. Great Expectations
Communicate
Viewership
Missing Links
Details
Trends
Lifecycle
6

14. 4
Product Management
Leadership
Business Driver
Skill-set
Experience

15. 3
● Vision Vs. Execute the Vision
● Inspiration Vs. Ability to Direct
● Communication Skills Vs. Process Management
Leadership

16. 3
● Think about P/L
● Business impact and what drives economics
● Lead in judging problem and developing critical opportunities
Business Driver

17. 3
● Industry recognition as an authority (e.g. through conferences, committees,
publications).
● Ability to provide technical guidance on a program.
● Ability to see tech trends and anticipate how user needs can be solved.
● Looks for 10x moonshots and finds them.
Skillset

18. 3
● Remains current on emerging methodologies and technologies.
● Utilizes in-depth technical knowledge to solve a variety of projects or situations.
● Knowledge of how technical activities integrate within the business areas to
influence the strategic direction of the business.
Experience

19. 6
● Readiness
● Seeing is believing
● Time bound
● Ranked List
● Clarity
● Initiative
Everyday Effectiveness Rules

20. System Level Thinking
Source:motorola.com

21. 5
● Thinking through the consumer
● End to end system solution
● New Business Models
● Experiences & Design
● Platform & Ecosystem
System Level Thinking

22. 1
● Provides Light
● Traditional Bulb
● Not changed for decades
System Level Thinking
A
Bulb
Philips Hue
Bulb
● Ease of use & save energy cost
● Elegant and Beautiful
● Connectivity + Smartphone= System

23. 100
Disrupting Status Quo

24. 100
World of Mobile
Startac
1996
Blackberry
2003
Razr
2004
iPhone
2007
Today

25. 2
Don’t
Keep Calm
Keep Innovating
Think Big, Think System

26. Product Execution
Source:motorola.com

27. Product Development Lifecycle
product
Initiation
product
Planning
product
Execution
product
Closure
Concept Kickoff Tooling, Lockdown Proto 1 Proto 2 Proto 3 Validation Ship Lessons Learned
● Formal Discovery Process for Product
● Clear Handoff Criteria
● Tracking Changes on Dashboard
● Formal Approvals Fast tracked
● Weekly readouts to Leadership

28. Key Insights
Source : http://www.newsslinger.com/could-the-motorola-razr-be-making-a-comeback/

29. Lessons Learned
Goal Result
Original Intent Highlights (Compared with Original Goal/Intent)
● Define and Deliver Mobile Device offering new
level of exceptional phone at exceptional price
with sell-through and financials above and beyond
previous gen device.
● Expand go-to markets, time to market and launch
simultaneously.
● Camera Quality - > 80 DxO score, 16MP, 8MP Megapixels
● Largest Global Launch - 50+ countries
● Fastest Factory Ramp - 8+ Weeks ahead of Ramp
● Waterproof - IP67
Milestones Lowlights (Compared with Original Goal/Intent)
● Product Defined and Lockdown
● Resources and Design Lockdown
● Engineering and Tooling Lockdown
● Proto 1 - Engineering Validation
● Final Proto - Launch Ready
● Software Lockdown
● Ship Ready
● Cost Challenges delayed Product lockdown by $x resulting in
lowering of key component specs - Display, Memory and
camera
● Supply Chain gaps due to late surge in demand.

30. Lessons Learned
Analysis Insights
Highlights Root Cause Key Learnings
● Vision to value customer and market conditions
(Key features - IP67).
● Cross functional Business Units coming together
and Leadership super sponsorship.
● Ensure product Key Selling Points, Key specs are vigorously
debated during Front End Planning to ensure no “Refresh” are
required
● Must have a differentiating USP in the hyper competitive
market.
Lowlights Root Cause Actions
● Challenge of balancing product specs with
financial targets , competitive market debates,
second guessing Product definition resulted in
delays for lockdown
● Late commitment from Go-to market with multi
million units at ramp posed unmet demand of
ramp units
● Start Doing
○ Closer coordination for demand planning
● Stop Doing
○ Plan for refresh - Cost, Resources , Timing vs ad-hoc
● Continue Doing
○ Strong product Management with look-ahead for better
planning bringing in ramp schedules & cross-functional
communication.

32. www.productschool.com
Part-time Product Management Training Courses
and
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