Product culture — is this just a hot buzzword or is there actually something meaningful hidden behind the term? Well, seeing as this is something that can be defined differently from one company to another, I will focus on what it means to us, and how we see this concept.
So, what exactly is product culture?
For us, “product culture” reflects the ongoing pursuit of true value in whatever we are working on, while always prioritizing client demands. This does not imply, however, that we will blindly follow instructions from our clients. Instead, we concentrate on learning their needs and assisting them in finding the best solution based on a comprehensive and intelligent analysis.
This is a group of guiding ideas that govern all of our endeavors.
10 rules for a strong product culture
Developing a strong product culture inside an organization isn’t easy; it frequently necessitates modifying a company’s whole work methodology in order to attain a common vision and knowledge of product development.among multiple teams.
Ideally, product culture should be founded on the ten criteria listed below.
1 Establish a clear distinction between outputs and results.
Assume you wish to hang a family photo in your living room. Your primary goal is to drill a hole and install a hook in terms of output. However, your intention would be to always be reminded of happy times spent with your family whenever you look at the picture. Can you tell the difference? A clear separation of outputs and outcomes is critical here, and once achieved, it becomes much easier to focus on the latter. Why is it so crucial? We don’t want to create a product solely to sell it. We may put it on the market and be satisfied that the mission has been completed. We must provide a solution that will address actual issues, make people’s lives simpler, or entertain them, among other things. This should be our primary objective, not just making a product with a bunch of features that seem cool but don’t provide much value.
2 Product team that is empowered
If you want to build your product holistically, you need a properly empowered (and cross-functional) team that can rapidly and effectively deliver a workable solution. And when I say that someone is empowered, I mean that they are autonomous and self-sufficient enough to solve any problems that may emerge. It is not the client’s responsibility to resolve product concerns. Everyone involved in product development — from researchers to data engineers, designers, developers, product and project managers, and so on — should collaborate as if they were a single organism with shared goals and objectives.
3 Product creator
Rowing is simpler when you have a steady navigator monitoring over the path, making corrections as needed, and coordinating motions. A good product owner acts as a strategic adviser as well as a link between the commercial and technical sides of a project. Lack of a product owner is a problem for many software companies, which commonly leads to them losing focus in the middle of development and forgetting the main motivation and objective.
4 Specific product objectives
Product objectives should be easily measurable over a certain time period. You could want to “increase conversion rates among the target audience by X% over the next X months” rather than “creating an easy-to-use and beautifully designed feature.” To keep track of what you need to do, it could be helpful to create a list of objectives and key outcomes (OKR).
5 Useful data
Data is the king! Because of this, thorough quantitative and qualitative assessments must be conducted after sound research. In order to produce something that is genuinely valuable, we need to know as much as we can about our users, the outside world, our rivals, as well as our firm itself. For instance, you may provide a more individualized experience, create a practical feature, or remove any features that merely frustrate your consumers.
6 Engage in a strategy of constant discovery
Many businesses consistently overlook the fact that looking for chances extends beyond the pre-development stage. However, this is a constant process that should accompany product development.As a matter of fact, it’s essential to the agile technique since new opportunities may appear on the horizon at any time. We must thus maintain an open mind, be ready to recognize and grab new chances, and be adaptable in all circumstances.
7 A “minimum viable product” mentality.
According to Eric Ries, the MVP is “a version of a new product that allows a team to collect the most feedback and information from customers with the least amount of effort.” This implies that we don’t always need to produce anything in order to verify a concept. In some circumstances, even a simple Excel document with computations can suffice.
8 Consult with your clients.
Thoughts and instincts are wonderful, we must finally be aware of the target market while designing a product. The product team’s members need to communicate with their end consumers frequently and closely. Any input given can be consulted as a resource for developing future projects. The most expensive approach of verifying hypotheses is delivering increments that haven’t already been tested by end users; instead, employ quicker and less expensive procedures.
9 Mutual comprehension
Last but not least, everyone inside the organization must have a common grasp of the guiding principles. It’s not as simple as it appears to educate current workers, train new hires, and ensure there are no misunderstandings, but This is essential for the operation to go well.
10 Decision-making based on facts
Making decisions based only on assumptions is the definition of guessing. So that you don’t wind up making judgments based purely on your gut feelings, which might easily get you outmanoeuvred, you need to review and confirm everything you do.
Is the trouble worthwhile? Obviously, it is!
I understand that developing a strong product culture and keeping it up-to-date sound like a lot of work. But I can tell you that it will be worth.
Cost-effectiveness
We reduce the likelihood of developing a feature that no one truly needs by having a strong product culture. When proceeding to the development phase, we frequently have the chance to validate our concepts.
Concentrate solely on the qualities that provide value.
We may be confident that a concept will actually benefit the end users when it enters the development stage.
Clarity
We also understand exactly why we do something, including the results we may anticipate, the value it adds, and how we can accomplish it.
a defined method for research and development
Everybody is fully aware of every action to be taken. Agile project management is used throughout the incremental process.
incredibly driven group
Higher levels of motivation are a direct result of having a better awareness of the procedures and objectives for the product. Additionally, each team member may have an impact, have a say in how things are developed, and even contribute design the final product, which helps them reach their full potential.
Basically, everyone benefits from having a strong product culture. This is beneficial for a development team and the business overall since it makes the task simpler. For customers — because it enables them to identify their true needs, invest their money intelligently, and increase their chances of obtaining a high return on investment. And lastly, for the final consumers, since the given goods will really improve their quality of life.