Product Management 101 -Session 3 (IIT-D-TPM-03)

💼 1. What is Product Management?

Product Management is the practice of guiding a product from idea to launch and beyond
— making sure it solves the right problem for the right users.

At its core, a Product Manager (PM) is responsible for:

🧠 Understanding user needs​

🛠️ Aligning with business goals​
👥 Collaborating with teams (tech, design, marketing)​
🚀 Shipping the right product — at the right time
PMs are the voice of the customer and the glue between teams.

🧩 2. Key Responsibilities of a PM
Area What PMs Do

📚 Research Talk to users, read data, analyze market

✍️ Planning Define vision, roadmap, and features

🗂️ Prioritization Decide what to build now, later, or never

🧑‍💻 Collaboration Work with developers, designers, QA, and

marketers

📦 Delivery Launch product/feature, monitor feedback

📈 Iteration Improve product based on data and user input

🔑 3. Important Skills for Product Managers

✅ Communication – Explain ideas clearly to both tech and business teams​
✅ Empathy – Deep understanding of users’ pain points​
✅ Prioritization – Know what matters most and when​
✅ Data Literacy – Use metrics to inform decisions​
✅ Strategic Thinking – Always align with business impact​
✅ Decision-Making – Fast, thoughtful calls under ambiguity
🧰 4. Tools PMs Use
Use Case Popular Tools

Roadmapping Productboard, Aha!, Trello

Task Management Jira, Asana, Notion

Prototyping/Design Figma, Sketch

Analytics Mixpanel, Google Analytics

Collaboration Slack, Confluence, Loom

Documentation Notion, Google Docs

🚀 5. Types of Product Managers

●​ Technical PM: Strong dev background, focused on APIs/platforms​

●​ Growth PM: Focused on user acquisition, retention, A/B testing​

●​ Platform PM: Builds internal tools/services for other teams​

●​ Consumer PM: Creates user-facing apps/features​

●​ B2B PM: Manages SaaS tools or enterprise products​

You don’t need to code, but knowing tech basics helps a lot!

🛣️ 6. PM Lifecycle (End-to-End Flow)

1.​ Discover → Identify user needs, conduct research​

2.​ Define → Create Product Requirements Document (PRD)​

3.​ Design → Work with design on UX/UI​

4.​ Develop → Collaborate with engineers​

 5.​ Test → Validate before launch​

6.​ Launch → Deploy to users​

7.​ Measure & Iterate → Track usage, improve features​

🧑‍🏫 7. Beginner Resources to Learn PM

Books:

●​ Inspired by Marty Cagan​

●​ The Lean Product Playbook by Dan Olsen​

●​ Hooked by Nir Eyal​

●​ Build by Tony Fadell​

Courses:

●​ Google’s Product Management Certificate (Coursera)​

●​ Reforge (advanced)​

●​ PM School, Product School (YouTube, paid bootcamps)​

Communities:

●​ ProductHunt​

●​ Mind the Product​

●​ Women in Product​

●​ Lenny’s Newsletter & Slack​

🧠 8. How to Practice as a Beginner

 ●​ Pick a real product (app or website) and write a PRD for a feature​

●​ Join hackathons or student product clubs​

●​ Shadow a startup founder or PM​

●​ Build side projects with friends​

●​ Intern or volunteer in small orgs (nonprofit, EdTech, etc.)​

🏁 9. What PMs Are NOT

PMs are not the boss — they are servant leaders.​
They don’t:

●​ Manage developers directly​

●​ Design interfaces​

●​ Write full code​

Instead, PMs influence without authority — through clarity, empathy, and vision.

💬 10. Closing Thought

"Product Management is the art of saying no — strategically — while keeping users
and teams excited."

You don’t need an MBA to be a great PM.​

You need curiosity, customer obsession, and a bias for action.

1. Origins of Product Management (1930s–1950s)

🧑‍💼 The "Brand Man" at Procter & Gamble (1931)
●​ Neil McElroy at P&G wrote a memo that created the first concept of product managers
— then called "brand men."​
 ●​ Their job? Own one product line, analyze performance, coordinate marketing and
sales, and grow the brand.​

🎯 Core focus: Marketing, sales growth, brand identity

🏭 2. Product Management in Manufacturing

(1950s–1980s)
●​ PMs in industrial firms handled physical products — managing inventory, demand
forecasting, packaging, pricing, and sales coordination.​

●​ Heavy logistics, supply chain, and distribution roles.​

🎯 PM = Operations + Sales Support + GTM Strategy

🧠 3. Rise of Software and Agile Thinking (1990s–2000s)

●​ As tech companies emerged (Microsoft, Oracle, etc.), PM roles shifted to specifying
software features.​

●​ "Software PMs" worked with dev teams using Waterfall (then later Agile).​

●​ PMs began writing MRDs (Market Requirement Docs) and PRDs (Product Requirement
Docs).​

🎯 PM = Requirements + Planning + Engineering Liaison

🌐 4. The Internet & Digital Product Era (2000s–2010s)

●​ Web 2.0 and startups like Google, Amazon, Facebook expanded the PM role to:​

○​ Understand user behavior​

 ○​ Drive experimentation (A/B testing)​

○​ Use data to prioritize features​

●​ Lean Startup and Agile methods pushed PMs to focus on:​

○​ MVPs (Minimum Viable Products)​

○​ Iterative shipping​

○​ Fast feedback loops​

🎯 PM = User-centric + Data-driven + Iterative

🚀 5. Modern Product Management (2010s–Now)

●​ PMs now work at the intersection of:​

○​ User Experience (UX)​

○​ Engineering​

○​ Business / Revenue​

●​ Tools like Figma, Amplitude, Jira, Mixpanel, and Notion changed collaboration and
speed.​

●​ PMs are now:​

○​ Mini-CEOs of their product (though without direct authority)​

○​ Measured by user outcomes, product-market fit, and growth metrics​

●​ Specializations emerged:​

○​ Technical PMs​

○​ Growth PMs​

○​ AI/ML PMs​
 ○​ Platform PMs​

🎯 PM = Strategy + Execution + Influence

🤖 6. The Future of Product Management (2025+)

●​ 🔮 AI-first product design (co-pilot features, prompt engineering, personalization)​
●​ 📊 PMs as system thinkers: Designing not just products but ecosystems​
●​ 🧪 Experimentation at scale: More no-code tools, automation, real-time analytics​
●​ 🌏 Global, inclusive PMs: Building for multilingual, multi-market audiences​
●​ 🧠 PM + AI = Product Strategist: Less grunt work, more insight work​
🎯 PM = Builder of experiences powered by intelligence & empathy

📌 Summary Table
Era Focus PM Role

1930s–50s Brand management Sales & marketing coordination

60s–80s Manufacturing + logistics GTM + operations

90s–2000s Software specification Feature planning, dev handoffs

2010s Web + mobile UX, data, MVPs, Agile

2020s–Now AI, systems, scale Strategy, growth, outcome-driven

🧠 Final Thought
Product Management has evolved from managing brands to managing
experiences — from planning to listening, learning, and leading with empathy.
1. PRODUCT
A Product is a tangible or digital offering that solves a specific user problem. It has clear
features, user flows, and delivers value directly to end users.

🔧 Examples:
●​ WhatsApp (Messaging App)​

●​ Canva (Design Tool)​

●​ Google Docs (Collaboration Product)​

●​ iPhone (Hardware Product)​

🎯 PM Focus:
●​ User personas, UX design​

●​ Roadmaps, features, usability​

●​ User acquisition & retention​

●​ Product-market fit​

🔑 PM KPIs:
●​ DAU/MAU​

●​ Activation rate​

●​ Churn​

●​ Net Promoter Score (NPS)​

🧠 Think: "What feature do I build next to improve user value?"

🛎️ 2. SERVICE
A Service delivers value through people-driven or semi-automated workflows. The
experience is often the product — not just a tool or app.

🔧 Examples:
●​ Swiggy / Zomato (Food delivery service)​

●​ Urban Company (Home services)​

●​ EdTech Tutoring (Live classes with mentors)​

●​ Consulting or onboarding teams at SaaS firms​

🎯 PM Focus:
●​ Service design & delivery ops​

●​ Workflow optimization​

●​ Customer satisfaction & turnaround time​

●​ Integration of tech + human experience​

🔑 PM KPIs:
●​ Service uptime or availability​

●​ SLA compliance​

●​ Customer Satisfaction (CSAT)​

●​ Ticket resolution time​

🧠 Think: "How do I make this service faster, cheaper, and more delightful?"

🧱 3. PLATFORM
A Platform connects multiple user types (producers + consumers) and enables interactions
or transactions. Value comes from network effects and ecosystem building.
🔧 Examples:
●​ Amazon (Buyers & Sellers)​

●​ UPI (Banks & Apps)​

●​ Android (OEMs + Developers + Users)​

●​ OpenAI API (Developers + End apps)​

🎯 PM Focus:
●​ Developer/partner ecosystem​

●​ API reliability, documentation, SDKs​

●​ Governance, security, pricing models​

●​ Two-sided onboarding & engagement​

🔑 PM KPIs:
●​ GMV or transactions​

●​ Active integrations / partners​

●​ API usage growth​

●​ Time to first value (for devs)​

🧠 Think: "How do I grow and balance both sides of the marketplace?"

⚖️ Summary Table
Dimension Product PM Service PM Platform PM

🔁 Value Direct to user Process + people Via ecosystem

Flow
 🎯 Success Features that solve Smooth, consistent Network effects +
pain points experience scalability

🧑 Users Single persona or Customers needing Multiple user types

segment guided help

📊 Metrics Usage, retention, CSAT, SLA, support GMV, integrations,

NPS tickets ecosystem growth

🧰 Tools UX, A/B testing, user CRM, automation, service APIs, dashboards, dev
research blueprints tools

🧠 Final Insight for PMs

●​ Product PMs: Deeply user-centric, build features, own roadmaps​

●​ Service PMs: Focus on people, processes, and SLAs​

●​ Platform PMs: Think in ecosystems, scale, and interoperability​

The best PMs learn how to switch gears between these depending on company
stage and offering.

1. What is Urban Company?

Urban Company is a services marketplace that connects customers with trained

professionals (plumbers, beauticians, AC repair techs, cleaners, etc.) via an app.

Founded in 2014, it's now India’s largest at-home service platform.

💡 It solves: "How do I find a trusted, available, and affordable service provider —

fast?"

🔍 2. Core Product Offering

User Type Need Platform Function

Customers Find, book, and rate a service Search → Book → Pay → Rate

Professional Get verified jobs & income Accept → Service → Get Paid
s
 Internal Ops Quality control, support, training Ratings, dashboards,
escalations

🔄 3. PM Lens: End-to-End Journey

a. Discovery

●​ Users land via search, referrals, or ads​

●​ PMs optimize: App SEO, onboarding flows, location detection​

b. Booking & Scheduling

●​ Real-time availability engine​

●​ Dynamic pricing based on service, time, city​

●​ Custom flows (salon at home ≠ AC repair)​

c. Service Fulfillment

●​ Worker routing, OTP verification​

●​ PMs work on: App UX, alerts, no-show fallbacks​

d. Post-Service

●​ Ratings, rebooking nudges, subscription upsell​

●​ PM focus: Feedback loop, habit creation​

🧠 4. Product Challenges Faced

Challenge PM Response / Feature

Trust in service quality Partner background checks, ratings, photos

Supply-demand Dynamic pricing, surge bonuses for pros
imbalance

On-time delivery Time-slot booking, traffic-aware routing

Service inconsistency Standard operating procedures (SOPs),

training

Cancellations Cancellation fees, backup provider system

Hyperlocal scalability City-wise service variants, modular rollouts

⚙️ 5. Important PM Metrics
Category Key Metrics

Activation First booking conversion rate

Retention Repeat service usage

Supply Health Pro availability per category

Quality 4.5+ star rated service %

Fulfillment On-time %; cancellations

NPS Net Promoter Score per

service

📱 6. Product Features Built Over Time

Feature Why it was needed

UC Safe+ (during COVID) Build trust in hygiene & safety

Subscriptions (UC Plus) Lock in repeat users

Partner App Give pros a dashboard + earnings

insights

Live Tracking Customer trust + reduce anxiety

Instant Booking Increase conversion on urgent tasks

In-app Training Module Standardize quality across partners

🛣️ 7. PM Roadmap (Hypothetical)
Quarter PM Goal Sample Features

Q1 Reduce last-minute Pre-visit reminders, smart reschedules

cancellations

Q2 Increase repeat bookings UC Plus gamification, post-service

nudges

Q3 Expand to Tier 2 cities Lightweight UI, low bandwidth mode

Q4 Monetize high-LTV users Premium plans, loyalty badges

💡 8. Product Differentiation Strategy

Competitor Weakness UrbanClap Exploited

JustDial No quality or guarantee

HouseJoy Inconsistent pros

Freelancers No accountability or tracking

Local No scheduling, hygiene, or reviews

search

PMs at UrbanClap focused heavily on trust, quality control, and standardization,

unlike the open-market models.

🧠 9. PM Thought Process for New Feature: UC Plus

Problem: Retention dropping — people book once, then forget.

Hypothesis: Incentivizing repeat behavior with discounts + early slots can increase bookings.

Solution: Create UC Plus membership:

●​ ₹299/year​

●​ Free visits, priority slots, discounts​

●​ Push via checkout and onboarding​

PM Tasks:

●​ MVP scope → backend logic → frontend messaging​

●​ A/B test opt-in flow​

●​ Measure LTV uplift, churn drop​

●​ Tweak based on usage patterns​

📊 10. Strategic Impact of PMs at Urban Company

Area Impact via PM work

Operational efficiency Reduced cancellations & fraud

User experience Consistent flows, tracking, payment

ease

Revenue growth Upsell packs, rebooking nudges

Supply-side loyalty Better partner tools & payout visibility

🔚 TL;DR: What PMs Do at Urban Company

✅ Balance customer trust & partner experience​
✅ Own real-world + digital service delivery​
✅ Prioritize high-impact user flows​
✅ Launch scalable features with feedback loops​
✅ Use experimentation, tracking, and iteration
IS AWS A PRODUCT, SERVICE OR PLATFORM IN CONTEXT OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT
?

ChatGPT said:

In the context of Product Management, AWS (Amazon Web Services) can be described as a
platform that offers services, and each of those services can be seen as individual products.

Here’s how to break it down clearly:

 AWS as a Platform
●​ Definition: A platform provides the foundation for building and deploying applications,
enabling developers and businesses to use its tools and services.
●​ AWS Role: AWS is a cloud computing platform that provides infrastructure and
tools (compute, storage, database, AI/ML, networking, etc.) for developers and
enterprises to build and scale applications.
●​ In Product Management: You'd manage AWS like a product platform, enabling
different product teams to build services on top of it.

AWS Services as Products

●​ Examples: Amazon EC2 (virtual servers), S3 (storage), Lambda (serverless compute),
RDS (relational databases), etc.
●​ Each of these services is treated as a standalone product, with its own product
managers, roadmaps, pricing, user experience, and metrics.
●​ Product managers at AWS are often assigned to a specific service, and their role is
similar to traditional tech PMs—handling customer needs, prioritizing features, working
with engineers, etc.

AWS as a Service Provider (from a Customer POV)

●​ From the customer’s perspective, AWS provides services that they consume on
demand.
●​ So, AWS offers cloud services (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS), but internally, these services are
products and AWS as a whole is a platform.

Conclusion (for Product Management):

AWS is a Platform that offers a suite of Services, and each service is managed
as an individual Product.

So if you’re a product manager at AWS, you're likely managing a product (service) that is part
of the broader AWS platform.

Platform Thinking with respect to Amazon Marketplace refers to how Amazon has designed
and evolved the Marketplace not just as an online store but as a multi-sided platform that
enables value exchange between different groups—primarily buyers and third-party sellers.
Let’s break this down from a Product Management / Platform Thinking perspective:

What is Platform Thinking?

Platform thinking is about:

●​ Creating network effects by connecting two or more interdependent user groups.

●​ Designing systems and incentives that enable external users (e.g., sellers,
developers, contributors) to create value on top of your platform.
●​ Shifting focus from "owning the whole value chain" to enabling others to contribute
to it.

Amazon Marketplace as a Platform

Amazon Marketplace is a multi-sided platform that connects:

●​ Consumers (Buyers) → looking for a wide range of products, low prices, and fast
delivery.
●​ Sellers (Third-party merchants) → looking for reach, logistics, and trust
infrastructure.
●​ (Optionally) Service providers, advertisers, logistics partners, etc.

Amazon doesn’t just sell products; it enables others to sell through its ecosystem—platform
play.

Platform Thinking Elements in Amazon Marketplace

Element Description

Multi-sided Network Amazon enables interactions between buyers and millions of

sellers across geographies and product categories.

APIs and Tooling Sellers have access to seller dashboards, APIs, analytics,
fulfillment tools—allowing them to manage inventory, pricing,
promotions.
 Trust Layer Amazon handles payments, returns, customer service, and
ratings—building trust in the ecosystem.

Fulfillment by Amazon A value-added service to help sellers with storage, packing, and
(FBA) shipping—further enhancing the platform.

Self-Reinforcing More sellers → more product variety → more buyers → more

Flywheel sales → attracts more sellers.

Data & Amazon leverages data across its platform to improve search,
Recommendations recommendations, ads, and seller performance.

Monetization Amazon monetizes via commissions, FBA fees, ads—without

having to own inventory for many SKUs.

Platform Thinking vs Pipeline Thinking

Aspect Pipeline (Traditional Retail) Platform (Amazon Marketplace)

Value Linear – from manufacturer to Decentralized – sellers and buyers interact

Creation seller to buyer via platform

Control Amazon owns and sells products Amazon enables others to sell, while
controlling the platform

Scaling Requires inventory & supply Scales with more participants, lower
chain marginal cost

Example Walmart.com Amazon Marketplace

Product Management Takeaway

As a PM working with Amazon Marketplace or designing similar platforms, your goals are:

●​ Grow network effects.

●​ Improve match quality between supply and demand (better recommendations, filters,
pricing).
●​ Enhance platform tools (APIs, analytics, seller onboarding).
●​ Maintain trust and quality in the ecosystem.
●​ Optimize incentives for all sides of the platform.
Would you like a visual flywheel or platform canvas model of Amazon Marketplace for
presentation or i

The 3 I Concept in the context of Amazon (especially Amazon Marketplace or AWS) is a

popular framework in platform thinking and product strategy, especially useful for
understanding how platforms scale and create value.

The 3 I's stand for:

Interaction, Integration, Innovation

Let’s break it down with respect to Amazon Marketplace (and it also applies well to AWS):

1. Interaction
Definition: The core value exchange between users on the platform.

In Amazon Marketplace:

●​ Interaction is between Sellers and Buyers

●​ Buyers search, discover, and purchase products.
●​ Sellers list, price, and fulfill products.
●​ Trust signals (ratings, reviews, delivery performance) govern quality of interaction.

Platform Thinking Insight:

Amazon optimizes this interaction using search algorithms, recommendations,

Prime delivery, and buyer protection policies.

2. Integration
Definition: The tools, infrastructure, and services the platform provides to facilitate and enhance
interactions.

In Amazon Marketplace:

●​ Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) – integrates logistics and warehousing.

●​ Seller Central – dashboard for analytics, pricing, promotions, inventory.
 ●​ Payments, returns, support – frictionless, standardized systems.
●​ APIs and automation tools – for larger sellers to scale efficiently.

Platform Thinking Insight:

Integration reduces friction, increases reliability, and improves seller

productivity—making Amazon sticky for sellers and seamless for buyers.

3. Innovation
Definition: The evolution and expansion of the platform, often driven by ecosystem participants
and data insights.

In Amazon Marketplace:

●​ Amazon leverages seller and buyer behavior data to launch:

○​ New features (e.g., Amazon Ads, Brand Stores)
○​ New programs (e.g., Prime-exclusive deals)
○​ New categories (e.g., Amazon Launchpad for startups)
●​ Sellers innovate with new brands, bundles, offers.

Platform Thinking Insight:

The platform fuels and captures innovation from both Amazon’s internal teams and
external sellers—keeping the ecosystem dynamic and competitive.

Summary Table
Concept Amazon Marketplace Example Platform PM Implication

Interaction Buyers ↔ Sellers (search, purchase, Optimize UX, reduce friction,

review) ensure trust

Integration Tools like FBA, APIs, Seller Central, Build infrastructure to scale
Payments interactions

Innovation Ad products, new verticals, 3P seller Use data & ecosystem insights to
offerings, programs evolve
 Final Thought for PMs:

The 3 I framework helps you design platform products that scale, self-reinforce,
and stay relevant by focusing not only on what users do, but how well you support
and evolve those interactions.

Let me know if you want this turned into a slide or visual diagram!

What is Product Mindset?

The Product Mindset is a mental attitude or philosophy that focuses on solving customer
problems and delivering business value — not just completing tasks.

🔑 Core Beliefs:
●​ Outcome > Output​

●​ Customer-first, always​

●​ Focus on value creation, not just feature delivery​

●​ Continuous learning, iteration, and improvement​

🧠 PM with Product Mindset asks:

“What problem are we solving?”​
“Is this valuable to users?”​
“Will this move a metric that matters?”

📌 Product Mindset traits:

Trait Description

Empathy Deep understanding of user needs

Ownership Thinks like a founder, not just a builder

Curiosity Constantly asks "Why?"

Impact-driven Optimizes for outcomes, not vanity metrics

Collaborative Aligns tech, design, and business teams

🔍 What is Product Thinking?
Product Thinking is the process or framework for approaching any idea or problem like a
product — structured, logical, and focused on problem-solving.

🎯 Steps of Product Thinking:

1.​ Who is the user?​

2.​ What problem are we solving?​

3.​ Why does this matter now?​

4.​ What is the best, smallest solution we can ship first?​

5.​ How do we measure success?​

It’s about turning user insights + business needs into effective product solutions.

🤝 Mindset vs. Thinking

Aspect Product Mindset Product Thinking

🎯 Definition Attitude and values Structured approach to

problem-solving

🧠 Focus Long-term philosophy, empathy, Immediate process,

outcomes problem-solution fit

🛠️ Used in Culture, hiring, team values Daily product decisions, prioritization

📈 Output Strong product culture Better feature quality, user adoption

🧠 Example: Applying Both

Scenario:

You're asked to build a "Share via WhatsApp" feature in your app.

 ●​ Without Product Thinking: Just build it.​

●​ With Product Thinking: Who's sharing? Why? When? Will it increase engagement?
What metric improves?​

●​ Without Product Mindset: Ship feature and move on.​

●​ With Product Mindset: Track if it's used, whether it's solving the sharing intent, and
refine if needed.​

💬 Final Thought:
🚀 Product Thinking is the toolset.​
❤️ Product Mindset is the heartset.
Together, they help you build the right product, not just a product.

Product Mindset Cycle (Value-Driven View)

This cycle blends PM philosophy with the execution loop — embedding mindset into practice.

1️⃣ Understand & Own the Problem

🔍 “Fall in love with the problem, not the solution.”

●​ Deep discovery using customer interviews, data, support logs.​

●​ PM takes long-term ownership of user pain, not just the ticket.​

●​ Cross-functional teams align on why this matters.​

🧠 Mindset Activated:
●​ Customer Centricity​

●​ Long-term Ownership​
2️⃣ Frame Outcomes, Not Features

🎯 “What does success look like for the user and business?”
●​ Set clear, measurable outcomes (e.g., reduce onboarding time by 20%).​

●​ Not just “build login flow,” but “increase first-session completion.”​

●​ Shared alignment with tech, design, business.​

🧠 Mindset Activated:
●​ Outcome Focus​

●​ Cross-functional Collaboration​

3️⃣ Co-Ideate with the Team

💡 “Best ideas don’t care about titles.”

●​ Run solutioning with designers, engineers, marketing.​

●​ Sketch MVPs, trade-offs, edge cases together.​

●​ PM facilitates rather than dictates.​

🧠 Mindset Activated:
●​ Collaboration​

●​ Customer-Centered Innovation​

4️⃣ Ship Fast, Learn Faster

🧪 “Build to learn, not to launch.”

 ●​ Deliver MVP or experiments quickly.​

●​ Focus on time-to-insight rather than perfect execution.​

●​ PM ensures clear hypotheses + instrumentation.​

🧠 Mindset Activated:
●​ Iteration​

●​ Outcome Focus​

●​ Long-term Thinking (optimize learning velocity)​

5️⃣ Observe, Measure, Learn

📊 “Is it solving what we hoped it would?”

●​ Analyze quant + qual feedback.​

●​ Listen to the user again: surveys, NPS, user session recordings.​

●​ Share learnings across functions.​

🧠 Mindset Activated:
●​ Customer Obsession​

●​ Cross-functional Sync​

●​ Accountability to Outcomes​

6️⃣ Iterate or Rethink — Relentlessly

🔁 “Done is never done.”

●​ Tweak, scale, or sunset based on what worked.​
 ●​ Don’t be afraid to pivot if outcomes weren’t met.​

●​ Stay accountable to value, not vanity.​

🧠 Mindset Activated:
●​ Continuous Improvement​

●​ Ownership​

●​ Outcome Orientation​

🔁 Product Mindset Cycle (with Values Embedded)

sql

🧠
CopyEdit
Understand + Own Problem
(customer empathy + ownership)
🎯 Define Outcomes
↓

(measurable success, not tasks)

🤝 Co-Ideate Solutions
↓

(cross-functional creativity)
🚀 Ship to Learn (MVPs)
↓

(fast feedback loops)

📊 Measure & Learn
↓

(data + voice of customer)

🔁 Iterate / Pivot
↓

↺ (value-led iteration)

🧭 Final Summary: Mindset in Motion

Cycle Stage Mindset Principle in Action

Understand Customer Centricity + Ownership

Define Outcome > Output

Success
 Co-Ideate Cross-functional Collaboration

Build & Ship Fast Iteration + Learning Velocity

Measure Customer Insight + Accountability

Iterate / Pivot Continuous Improvement + Long-term Thinking

What is Product Thinking?

Product Thinking is a problem-solving framework that prioritizes understanding user needs,
defining the right problems, and delivering real outcomes through thoughtful, iterative design
and development.

✅ It’s not about “What can we build?”​

❓ It’s about “What should we build — and why?”

🧠 10 Core Principles of Product Thinking

1. 🧩 Start with the Problem, Not the Solution
●​ Understand the why before jumping to the what.​

●​ Define the user’s core pain point — deeply and clearly.​

“Fall in love with the problem, not the idea.”

2. 👤 Be Radically User-Centric
●​ Design for real user needs, not assumptions.​

●​ Use research, observation, and empathy to get the context.​

“The user is not like you. Go find out who they really are.”
3. 🎯 Define Clear, Measurable Outcomes
●​ Focus on value delivered, not tasks completed.​

●​ Outcomes might include: increased retention, faster onboarding, reduced churn.​

“Did it work?” is more important than “Did we ship it?”

4. 🔍 Think in Systems, Not Features

●​ Understand how your product fits into a larger system (tech, market, behavior).​

●​ Avoid creating isolated features — aim for cohesive experiences.​

“A good feature doesn’t exist in isolation — it enhances the whole.”

5. ⚖️ Prioritize Ruthlessly
●​ Not all ideas are equal. Use impact vs. effort, user value, and business alignment to
prioritize.​

“Saying no is often more valuable than saying yes.”

6. 🧪 Build to Learn (Not Just to Launch)

●​ Use prototypes, MVPs, and experiments to learn fast.​

●​ The goal isn’t just output — it’s insight.​

“Every release is a hypothesis test.”

7. 🛠️ Iterate Relentlessly
 ●​ Products evolve through feedback and refinement.​

●​ Great products are not launched — they’re grown.​

“Version 1 is just the start.”

8. 📊 Let Data and Intuition Coexist

●​ Use qualitative and quantitative feedback in harmony.​

●​ Don’t let data blind you, but don’t ignore it either.​

“Use data to question your gut. Use empathy to question your metrics.”

9. 🤝 Collaborate Across Functions

●​ Product thinking thrives in cross-functional teams — PMs, engineers, designers,
marketers.​

●​ The best solutions emerge from shared understanding.​

“No silos. One team, one problem, one mission.”

10. 🌱 Own the Whole Lifecycle

●​ Product thinking doesn’t stop at launch — it includes onboarding, engagement, support,
feedback, and sunsetting.​

“You don’t own a feature until you own its adoption.”

🔚 Summary: Product Thinking in 1 Line

 🧠 Product thinking is the habit of solving the right problems in the right way
for the right people.

What is Product Formalization?

It’s about clarifying, validating, and structuring a product idea to ensure it’s
solving a real problem for a real user in a viable, usable, and valuable way.

📌
Think of it as:​
Idea → Assumptions → Validation → Scope → MVP → Roadmap

🧭 Steps in Product Formalization

1. 🧠 Problem Definition
●​ Clearly articulate:​
→ What problem are we solving?​
→ For whom?​
→ Why now?​

✅ Tools: Problem statements, pain-point mapping, JTBD (Jobs To Be Done)

2. 👤 Target User Persona

●​ Who are your users? What do they care about?​

●​ Define primary & secondary personas​

✅ Tools: User persona templates, empathy maps, user journey maps

3. 📊 Market & Competitive Validation

●​ Assess market size, competitors, white space, trends​

●​ Identify your differentiators​

✅ Tools: SWOT, competitive analysis, Porter’s 5 forces, TAM-SAM-SOM

4. 💡 Value Proposition & Positioning

●​ What is your core value to the user?​

●​ How is your product better/different than alternatives?​

✅ Tools: Value proposition canvas, positioning statements, elevator pitch

5. 🧪 Hypothesis & Assumption Mapping

●​ What needs to be true for this to work?​

●​ What are the biggest risks?​

✅ Tools: Assumption grid, risk prioritization, test cards

6. 🔬 MVP Scope & Features

●​ Identify the minimum feature set to test core value​

●​ Define must-have vs nice-to-have​

✅ Tools: MoSCoW method, story mapping, Kano model

7. 📈 Success Metrics
●​ Define what success looks like (user, business, technical)​

●​ Set KPIs or OKRs early​

✅ Examples: Retention, activation rate, revenue, CSAT, NPS

8. 🛣️ Go-to-Market & Roadmap
●​ Initial GTM plan: channels, messaging, partnerships​

●​ Create a 30-60-90 day roadmap or Phase 1–2–3 delivery plan​

✅ Tools: Roadmap tools (Notion, Trello, JIRA), lean canvas

🧭 Product Formalization Summary Canvas

Area Key Questions

Problem What problem are we solving?

User Who is it for?

Value What is our unique value?

Market Fit Does the market need this now?

Differentiation How is it better than alternatives?

Risks & Assumptions What are our biggest unknowns?

MVP Scope What’s the smallest thing we can

test?

Success Metrics What does good look like?

Go-to-Market How will we launch?

🧠 When Do You Formalize a Product?

✅ Before building​
✅ After validating an idea​
✅ Before seeking investment​
✅ When moving from PoC to V1
📌 Bonus: Formalization ≠ Feature List
Formalization is strategic, not tactical.​
It's about why, who, and what value — not just what to build.

Would you like:

●​ A downloadable Product Formalization Canvas (editable in Notion or PDF)?​

●​ A worked-out example (e.g., for an edtech or health app)?​

●​ A template pitch deck based on this structure?​

Let me know and I’ll generate it!

Kotler’s 5 Product Levels (Reframed for Product

Managers)
These levels show how a product evolves — from basic functionality to delight and future
potential — each adding more value, differentiation, and user experience.

1️⃣ Core Product:

👉 What problem are we solving?

●​ This is the fundamental benefit or core need the product satisfies.​

●​ Not a feature — it's the job the product is hired to do.​

📌 Example (Food Delivery App): The ability to order food without leaving your home.
🧠 PM Focus:
●​ User pain point​

●​ Problem-solution fit​
2️⃣ Generic Product (aka Basic Product):

👉 What are the essential features that deliver the core value?
●​ The minimum feature set that fulfills the core need.​

●​ Your MVP often lives here.​

📌 Example: An app with restaurant listings and order placement.

🧠 PM Focus:
●​ MVP definition​

●​ Functionality over experience​

3️⃣ Expected Product:

👉 What do users expect as standard?

●​ These are the table stakes — features and UX users assume will be present.​

●​ Not having them causes frustration, not delight.​

📌 Example: Order tracking, digital payment, delivery estimates.

🧠 PM Focus:
●​ Competitive benchmarking​

●​ UX hygiene​

4️⃣ Augmented Product:

👉 How do we differentiate and delight?

 ●​ Features or services that go beyond expectations, enhancing user experience.​

●​ Where real brand differentiation starts.​

📌 Example: Loyalty programs, personalized food suggestions, scheduled delivery, 24x7

customer support.

🧠 PM Focus:
●​ User delight​

●​ Competitive advantage​

●​ Retention drivers​

5️⃣ Potential Product:

👉 What’s the future of this product?

●​ All the possible future evolutions — innovation, integrations, vision-driven features.​

●​ Think: AI, predictive analytics, ecosystem extensions.​

📌 Example: Smart meal planning based on health data, voice-based ordering, drone delivery.
🧠 PM Focus:
●​ Product strategy​

●​ Vision roadmap​

●​ Innovation​

📊 Summary Table
Level Focus PM’s Responsibility
1. Core Product Need/problem solved Validate problem & user need

2. Generic Product Basic functionality Define MVP, build what works

3. Expected Product Minimum UX expectations Ensure parity and usability

4. Augmented Delightful, differentiating value Design for retention, loyalty, edge

Product

5. Potential Product Future innovations Craft long-term product vision

🔁 Application in Product Lifecycle

●​ Early stage → Core + Generic​

●​ Growth stage → Expected + Augmented​

●​ Mature stage → Augmented + Potential​

●​ Innovator’s stage → Drives Potential → Reinvents Core​