Software Product Management (eBook)

Finding the Right Balance for YourProduct Inc.

Timo Wagenblatt (Autor)

eBook Download: PDF

2019 | 1st ed. 2019
XXIX, 475 Seiten
Springer International Publishing (Verlag)
978-3-030-19871-8 (ISBN)

Infos

This book is for product managers, product owners, product marketing managers, VPs and Heads of Product, CEOs, and start-up founders. In short, it serves anyone interested personally or professionally in software product management. You'll learn how to plan, coordinate and execute all activities required for software product success.  It enables you to find the right balance for delivering customer value and long-term product success.

The book offers a comprehensive introduction for beginners as well as proven practices and a novel, holistic approach for experienced product managers. It provides much-needed clarity regarding the numerous tasks and responsibilities involved in the professional and successful management of software products. Readers can use this book as a reference book if they are interested in or have the urgent need to improve one of the following software product management dimensions: Product Viability, Product Development, Go-to-Market / Product Marketing, Software Demonstrations and Training, The Market / Your Customers, or Organizational Maturity.

The book helps product people to maximize their impact and effectiveness. Whether you're a seasoned practitioner, new to software product management, or just want to learn more about the best-of-all disciplines and advance your skills, this book introduces a novel and 'business' tested approach to structure and orchestrate the vital dimensions of software product management. You will learn how to create focus and alignment on the things that matter for product success.

The book describes a holistic framework to keep the details that matter for product success in balance, taking into consideration the limiting factors, strategies and responsibilities that determine the overall product yield potential. It explains how to leverage and adapt the framework with regard to aspects like product viability, product development, product marketing and software demonstrations and training, as well as more general aspects like markets, customers and organizational maturity.

The book focuses on the unique challenges of software product managers or any related roles, whether you are a founder of a small to mid-sized software company or working in the complex ecosystems of large software enterprises or corporate IT departments.

Timo Wagenblatt is VP of Product Management at SAP in Walldorf, Germany. As head of the product management team he shapes and drives the incubation of cloud-native products that service underserved customer needs all the way to valuable product adoption for both customers and SAP.

Timo is dedicated to Software Product Management for more than 20 years working with clients and product teams across the globe building world-class enterprise solutions. His passion can be best described as continuously improving product management maturity while focusing on customer and employee success by evangelizing and showcasing product-mindset.

Timo's experience is based on working in organizations that range from 40 employees to more than 90.000 employees. Before he joined SAP, he established software product management at a start-up, gaining hands-on experience as the first product manager reporting directly to the CTO and co-founder.

In 2018, Timo started PYPR Software Product Management, his own start-up that is dedicated to helping product managers and founders adopting PYPR. He focuses on balancing and consistently improving all aspects of Software Product Management toward an aligned product mindset in the product team, department and the overall organization.

Timo holds a Diploma in Business Administration with specialization in operations research, commercial information systems and industrial management. He is a conference board member of one of the largest product management conferences in Europe (Product Management Festival, Zurich).

Inhalt

Preface 7
Who Should Read This Book 10
How This Book Is Organized 10
Acknowledgements 12
Contents 13
About the Author 21
List of Figures 22
Setting the Scene and Introducing the Product Yield Potential Radar 27
1 Software Product Management Fundamentals 28
1.1 Defining Software Product Management 29
1.1.1 An Approach to Define Software Product Management 35
1.1.2 An Approach to Define Software Products 37
1.1.3 Software Product Taxonomy 39
1.1.4 Software Product Management for Corporate IT Products 41
1.1.5 The Promise of Software Product Management 45
1.2 The Role of Software Product Managers 47
1.2.1 Software Product Managers—T-Shaped Superheros at Work 50
1.2.2 Types of Product Managers—Same, Same, but Different 56
1.2.3 Quick Side Note About Job Titles 59
1.2.4 Product Teams 59
1.2.5 Leading the Product Team and Instilling a Product Mindset 61
1.2.6 Ikigai for Product Managers 64
1.3 Excursus: Defining the Journey from Total Addressable Market to Customers 66
1.4 The State of the Software Product Management Nation 68
1.4.1 People 70
1.4.2 Organization 76
1.4.3 Process and Product 78
1.4.4 Culture 80
References 83
2 The Product Yield Potential Radar 84
2.1 Introducing the Product Yield Potential Radar 86
2.1.1 PYPR—Providing Focus and Driving Alignment 89
2.1.2 Unfolding PYPR’s Full Potential—Applying PYPR in Four Steps 91
2.1.3 Step 1: Define, Understand, Structure, and Transparentize (DUST) Product Management Dimensions 92
2.1.4 Step 2: Clarify Roles and Responsibilities and Form a (Extended) Product Team 97
2.1.5 Step 3: Assess and Visualize the Product Yield Potential 102
2.1.6 Step 4: Prioritize and Strategize Actions Based on PYPR Scores Analysis 107
2.1.7 Proven Practice to Leverage the PYPR Assessment 110
2.1.8 Summary and Next Steps 115
2.2 Detailing the PYPR Dimensions 118
2.2.1 Product Viability 119
2.2.2 Product Development 124
2.2.3 Go-to-Market/Product Marketing 129
2.2.4 Software Demonstrations and Training 134
2.2.5 The Market/Your Customers 139
2.2.6 Organizational Maturity 145
2.3 Software Product Management Governs the Product’s Yield Potential 151
2.3.1 Introducing the Law of the Minimum 153
2.3.2 Applying the Law of the Minimum to Software Product Management 155
2.3.3 Examples How PYPR Helps Transparentizing the Limiting Factors 158
2.3.4 Understanding the Law of Tolerance 167
2.3.5 Summary and Conclusions 169
References 172
3 PYPR—On Your Mark, Get Set and Go Toward Software Product Management Excellence 174
3.1 General Manager of YourProduct Inc.—What’s on the Radar? 176
3.1.1 CEO, Mini-CEO and Lots of Debate 178
3.1.2 Firewall Against Organizational Craziness and the Bold Usage of the Power of No 181
3.1.3 Avoid the “DIY Product Manager”—Syndrome 182
3.2 360° Stakeholder View 183
3.2.1 Clarify Roles, Responsibilities and Titles in Your Product Team 183
3.2.2 Understand Impact and Interest of “No Product Team” Stakeholders—Working with Stakeholder Maps 188
3.3 On Your Mark, Get Set, Go! 191
3.4 How to Benefit Most from Part 2 and the Default PYPR Configurations 195
References 199
PYPR Software Product Management Dimensions in Detail 200
4 Product Viability 201
4.1 The Business Model Canvas 204
4.1.1 Proven Practice 209
4.1.2 PYPR Dimension Details 212
4.1.3 Summary and Conclusions 212
4.2 Customer Business Case 213
4.2.1 Proven Practice 216
4.2.2 PYPR Dimension Items Details 218
4.2.3 Summary and Conclusions 219
4.3 Pipeline Development 220
4.3.1 Proven Practice 222
4.3.2 PYPR Dimension Items Details 225
4.3.3 Summary and Conclusions 226
4.4 Product Profitability 227
4.4.1 Proven Practice: Product Scorecard 229
4.4.2 PYPR Dimension Items Details 231
4.4.3 Summary and Conclusions 232
4.5 Product Growth 233
4.5.1 PYPR Dimension Items Details 238
4.5.2 Summary and Conclusions 239
4.6 Maintenance/Run Profitability 240
4.6.1 PYPR Dimension Items Details 242
4.6.2 Summary and Conclusions 244
4.7 Professional Services/Consulting Profitability 245
4.7.1 On Working with Implementation Partners by Hans K. van Delden, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers 245
4.7.2 PYPR Dimension Items Details 247
4.7.3 Summary and Conclusions 248
References 249
5 Product Development 250
5.1 Product Vision and Strategy 255
5.1.1 Proven Practice: Elevator Pitch 257
5.1.2 Proven Practice: Business Motivation Model 259
5.1.3 PYPR Dimension Items Details 261
5.1.4 Summary and Conclusions 262
5.2 Product Development Planning and Review 263
5.2.1 Proven Practices: Requirements, Personas, User Stories, Use Cases, and User Story Map 265
5.2.2 Proven Practice: Working with Backlogs 272
5.2.3 Proven Practice: Product Development Planning Workshop 275
5.2.4 PYPR Dimension Items Details 276
5.2.5 Summary and Conclusions 278
5.3 Leading and Prioritizing in Product Development 279
5.3.1 Nine Steps to Transform a Complex Situation into Consumable and Prioritized Pieces 280
5.3.2 Prioritization Key Principles and Guidelines 284
5.3.3 Selected Prioritization Techniques 287
5.4 The Prioritization Board 289
5.4.1 Step 1: Prioritization Scope—List of Requirements 290
5.4.2 Step 2: Align on Decision Influencing Factors 291
5.4.3 Step 3: Rate Decision Influencing Factors and Understand Priority Rating and Rank 292
5.4.4 Step 4: Development Assessment 293
5.4.5 Step 5: Prioritize and Decide 295
5.4.6 Summary and Conclusions 296
5.5 The Kano Model—Adding Empathy to Requirements 297
5.5.1 Kano Model Theory 297
5.5.2 Kano Model Questionnaire 302
5.5.3 Proven Practice: Applying the Kano Model in the Wild 303
5.5.4 Leveraging the Insights for Your Market Situation 313
5.5.5 Human Behaviour—Attractive Today Is Commodity Tomorrow 314
5.5.6 Summary and Conclusions 315
5.6 Roadmaps 316
5.6.1 Proven Template: Current, Planned, Vision—Roadmap 317
5.6.2 PYPR Dimension Items Details 320
5.6.3 Summary and Conclusions 321
5.7 Product Quality from an Internal View 322
5.7.1 PYPR Dimension Items Details 325
5.7.2 Summary and Conclusions 327
5.8 Product Team Health 327
5.8.1 Proven Practice: Team Health Assessment 330
5.8.2 PYPR Dimension Items Details 332
5.8.3 Summary and Conclusions 334
References 335
6 Go-to-Market/Product Marketing 338
6.1 Value Focused Go-to-Market, or: Be Clear on Your Value, Before You Broadcast Your Message 341
6.2 Going Public and Staying Public with YourProduct Inc. 344
6.2.1 PYPR Dimension Items Details 347
6.2.2 Summary and Conclusions 349
6.3 Marketing Assets and Sales Assets/Sales Kit 350
6.3.1 PYPR Dimension Items Details 352
6.3.2 Summary and Conclusions 354
6.4 Competitive Analysis 354
6.4.1 Proven Practice 356
6.4.2 Competitive Battle Card Template 359
6.4.3 PYPR Dimension Items Details 361
6.4.4 Summary and Conclusions 362
6.5 Enablement, Enablement, Enablement 362
6.5.1 Sales and Marketing Enablement 364
6.5.2 On Partner Enablement by Hans K. van Delden, Partner, PricewaterhouseCoopers 366
6.5.3 Own Professional Services/Consulting Enablement 367
6.5.4 PYPR Dimension Items Details 367
6.5.5 Summary and Conclusions 369
References 370
7 Software Demonstrations and Training 371
7.1 Software Demonstrations 373
7.1.1 Proven Practice: SUCCES(sful) Software Demonstrations 376
7.1.2 PYPR Dimension Items Details 378
7.1.3 Summary and Conclusions 379
7.2 Pre-sales Enablement 380
7.2.1 PYPR Dimension Items Details 382
7.2.2 Summary and Conclusions 383
7.3 Product Marketing Videos 383
7.3.1 PYPR Dimension Items Details 385
7.3.2 Summary and Conclusions 386
7.4 Training 386
7.4.1 PYPR Dimension Items Details 388
7.4.2 Summary and Conclusions 390
References 390
8 The Market/Your Customers 391
8.1 Functional Completeness or Understanding Your Level of Product-Market Fit 393
8.1.1 Proven Practice: Net Promoter Score® 396
8.1.2 PYPR Dimension Items Details 398
8.1.3 Summary and Conclusions 399
8.2 Product Quality from an External View 400
8.2.1 PYPR Dimension Items Details 401
8.2.2 Summary and Conclusions 403
8.3 Engaging Customers and Building a Customer Community 403
8.3.1 Customer Advisory Councils 404
8.3.2 Proven Practice 405
8.3.3 PYPR Dimension Items Details 408
8.3.4 Summary and Conclusions 409
8.4 Customer Support and Official References 410
8.4.1 Proven Practice: Customer Reference Process 412
8.4.2 PYPR Dimension Items Details 414
8.4.3 Summary and Conclusions 415
8.5 Thought Leadership 416
8.5.1 Proven Practice 418
8.5.2 PYPR Dimension Items Details 420
8.5.3 Summary and Conclusions 421
8.6 Analyst/Market Influencer Relations 421
8.6.1 Proven Practice 423
8.6.2 PYPR Dimension Items Details 425
8.6.3 Summary and Conclusions 426
References 427
9 Organizational Maturity 429
9.1 Leadership, Vision, and Strategy 433
9.1.1 Objectives and Key Results 437
9.1.2 PYPR Dimension Items Details 440
9.1.3 Summary and Conclusions 441
9.2 Organization, Processes and Governance 443
9.2.1 On Brokers and Brokerage by Noah Askin, Assistant Professor of Organizational Behavior and Director of Product Management Executive Program, INSEAD 445
9.2.2 PYPR Dimension Items Details 449
9.2.3 Summary and Conclusions 449
9.3 Tools and Templates 451
9.3.1 PYPR Dimension Items Details 453
9.3.2 Summary and Conclusions 455
9.4 Mindset and Key Principles 456
9.4.1 PYPR Dimension Items Details 458
9.4.2 Summary and Conclusions 459
References 459
Case Studies Applying PYPR 462
10 Listen—PYPRs in Action 463
10.1 Summary of Default PYPR Configurations 464
10.1.1 Default PYPR Assessment and Visualization for B2B Products 464
10.1.2 Default PYPR Configuration: Product Viability 465
10.1.3 Default PYPR Configuration: Product Development 465
10.1.4 Default PYPR Configuration: Go-to-Market/Product Marketing 467
10.1.5 Default PYPR Configuration: Software Demonstrations and Training 467
10.1.6 Default PYPR Configuration: The Market/Your Customers 467
10.1.7 Default PYPR Configuration: Organizational Maturity 467
10.2 Case Study: B2B Product–Machine Learning 470
10.2.1 PYPR Assessment and Visualization 471
10.2.2 PYPR Strategy and Action Plan 472
10.2.3 PYPR Cycle Results 473
10.3 Case Study: Cross-Industry B2B Product–Software Product Management Starter 475
10.3.1 From Applying PYPR to the First PYPR Assessment and Visualization 476
10.3.2 PYPR Strategy and Action Plan 479
10.3.3 PYPR Cycle Results 479
10.4 Case Study: B2B Product–Cross-Industry Software Product 480
10.4.1 PYPR Assessment and Visualization 481
10.4.2 PYPR Strategy and Action Plan 482
10.4.3 PYPR Cycle Results 484
10.5 Case Study: Corporate IT Product 485
10.5.1 PYPR Assessment and Visualization 486
10.5.2 PYPR Strategy and Action Plan 488
10.5.3 PYPR Cycle Results 489
Index 490

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 2.8.2019
• Reihe/Serie: Management for Professionals
• Reihe/Serie: Management for Professionals
• Zusatzinfo: XXIX, 475 p. 186 illus., 60 illus. in color.
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Mathematik / Informatik ► Informatik
• Themenwelt: Wirtschaft ► Betriebswirtschaft / Management ► Logistik / Produktion
• Themenwelt: Wirtschaft ► Betriebswirtschaft / Management ► Unternehmensführung / Management
• Schlagworte: product leadership • Product Management • Product Manager • Product mindset • Product Owner • product strategy • Product viability • Product Vision • Software Product
• ISBN-10: 3-030-19871-5 / 3030198715
• ISBN-13: 978-3-030-19871-8 / 9783030198718