As a new Product Manager, you’ve inherited a clear business KPI aimed at increasing engagement and Monthly Active Users (MAU) for existing customers. Coupled with this expectation is a proposed solution from leadership. This presents a unique challenge: How do you ensure that the solution aligns with true customer needs and not just assumptions? The key lies in mastering the concept of continuous discovery while balancing management’s directives.
Understanding the Importance of Discovery
When leaders hand down both the desired outcome and a potential solution, there’s a risk of missing the real customer pain points. This approach can lead to wasted resources and a product that doesn’t resonate with your audience.
Consider that MAU is a lagging indicator, meaning it reflects past performance rather than future potential. Without continuous discovery, you’re left to guess at what might engage users, risking stagnation in innovation.
Strategies for Effective Discovery
1. **Validate the Solution**: Treat the proposed solution as a hypothesis. Conduct user interviews, surveys, or A/B testing to gather insights. This will help determine if the solution genuinely addresses customer needs.
2. **Focus on Leading Indicators**: Instead of solely relying on MAU, look for leading indicators that provide insight into customer behavior. Metrics like the number of active users engaging with new features can offer actionable insights.
3. **Engage Stakeholders Regularly**: Use meetings to share findings from your discovery processes. This keeps leadership in the loop and opens up discussions for potential adjustments to the solution. Things to remember: Regular engagement fosters alignment.
Action Plan for Successful Discovery
- Map out customer journeys to identify pain points.
- Conduct at least two rounds of user interviews before making any decisions on implementation.
- Utilize metrics to assess both leading and lagging indicators for a comprehensive view.
- Be open to pivoting based on insights gathered during the discovery phase.
- Regularly check in with management to renegotiate expectations if validated insights suggest changes.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Many new PMs fall prey to the trap of delivering the proposed solution without sufficient validation. This often leads to a lack of user engagement with the product. To mitigate this risk:
- Always seek feedback, even if it feels like your solution is a “me-too” product.
- Ensure that you’re not just adding features but actively solving real customer needs.
- Foster a culture of experimentation within your team to encourage innovative thinking.
Next Steps in Your Product Journey
Harnessing continuous discovery is essential in product management. It ensures that the solutions you implement are rooted in real customer needs, driving genuine engagement and positive outcomes. Here’s what you need to do: make discovery a regular part of your process. By iterating based on insights, you can transform the way your product is received in the market.