Realization: There can never be too many reminders for product managers and product teams to focus on problems vs. products.
And, the three highest leverage things we can do to make these reminders a part of our daily schedule are:
(1) Organize/name teams based on problems (or audiences) vs. products
(2) Ensure every document starts with the problem statement (who it is for, what’s the need/job to be done, why now)
(3) Start every conversation about the products we build by talking about the problem statement.
The upside of a problem-focus isn’t just a focus on what matters (there’s that for sure).
Problem areas are way bigger in scope by definition. They also require us to build products across organizational boundaries. So, it is a LOT more interesting and inspiring for everyone involved.
A potential win-win-win.
