We’re all in a race against time to define the future of technology. Being at the helm of product management, an early-stage startup has its nuances and challenges. Startups are messy and scrappy with rapid experiments & hacks to validate customer value.
A 0–1 startup can be messier. Even at such a early-stage where either one of the Founders act as the PM or there is a early-PM, it’s crucial to adopt product practices that instigate success.
These six key learnings may help you if you are a early-stage PM.
Follow a product development cycle:
A product development cycle is an invaluable playbook, making room for frequent, well-calculated attempts to score — more attempts, higher success probability. It’s not rocket science; it’s simple math. Build consistency, repeatability and transparency into the process of determining what to build.
Always be collecting qualitative & quantitative review:
Remember, data is your best friend. Develop a symbiotic relationship with both qualitative and quantitative feedback. It’s akin to navigating a terrain with a map, reducing chances of getting lost. Your user feedback is your compass, steering you towards product-market fit. Decide your north-star metric and intermediate metrics. Instrument your product to measure these intermediate metrics and their inputs.
Write Specs:
With no product specs at meetings, you might as well be trying to build a spaceship out of LEGO bricks, blindfolded. Specs provide a vision, a tangible form to your intangible ideas. They’re blueprints for building products users love. There should be a written spec as output of any product meeting or sprint planning.
Be Smart & Organized:
Harness the power of product management software. Think of it as your diligent secretary, organizing your tasks, tracking progress, and ensuring everyone’s on the same page. Less chaos, more coherence.
Brainstorm with engineers:
Imagine a room where everyone’s brainstorming, and the room’s buzzing with ideas on what to build. It’s not just a tactic to generate innovative ideas, but it’s also a culture of inclusivity that fosters collective genius.
Motivation as a multiplier:
In the pursuit of developing a stellar product, remember, motivation acts as a multiplier on talent. When motivation fuels talent, the results can be magical. It’s about creating a workspace that nourishes such a culture. Early-stage building is more art than science. Crafting a vision, customer discovery, skimming insights and building UI are all reflective of the art involved in a 0–1 setup.