Kolko 2014 03 Product

Design as Product Strategy
Bringing design thinking to product management

to create products people love
Jon Kolko
Director, Austin Center for Design
Where do
great new products
come from?
2 | 3/30/2014
Is it vision?
3 | 3/30/2014
As a company, we certainly have a

vision of where the product is going.
We generally have a North Star
that we are all headed towards...
Joe Gebbia
Chief Product Officer, AirBNB
4 | 3/30/2014
Is it process?
5 | 3/30/2014
There arent a lot of examples of

people who have gone through the
whole process: how do you take a
product, turn it into a startup, turn it
into a company, turn it into an
organization?
At the speed at which startups grow,
that process is very fragile.
Alex Rainert
Head of Product, foursquare
6 | 3/30/2014
Is it just hard work?
7 | 3/30/2014
Ive been doing this, essentially by

myself, for seven years and two months.
I love what I do. I get to watch sports
all day and talk about math. I went
four years without making a single
dollar, without a single customer.
Mark Phillip
CEO, Are You Watching This?!
8 | 3/30/2014
product management
9 | 3/30/2014
Kevin Cheng
CEO, IncredibleLabs
Josh Elman
Partner, Greylock
Leland Rechis
Head of Product,
Kickstarter
Joe Gebbia
Chief Product Officer,
Airbnb
Preston Smalley
Executive Director
of Product, Comcast
Frank Lyman
Chief Product Officer,
MyEdu
Maya Baratz
Head of New Products,
ABC News
Mark Phillip
CEO, Are You
Watching This?!
Alex Rainert
Head of Product,
foursquare
Gary Chou
Former GM, Union
Square Ventures
Network
10 | 3/30/2014
11 | 3/30/2014
Establish
vision
12 | 3/30/2014
Establish
vision
Drive
consensus
13 | 3/30/2014
Ship
product
Establish
vision
Drive
consensus
14 | 3/30/2014
Ship
product
product
Drive
consensus
15 | 3/30/2014
Establish
vision
Ship
product
?
Drive
consensus
16 | 3/30/2014
Establish
vision
Product/Market
Fit
2
1
17 | 3/30/2014
Behavioral
Insight
2
1
Product/Market
Fit
18 | 3/30/2014
Broad
Technological
/ Political
Infrastructure
2
3
Product/Market
Fit
19 | 3/30/2014
Broad
Technological
/ Political
Infrastructure
Social
Precedence
3
Product/Market
Fit
20 | 3/30/2014
Broad
Technological
/ Political
Infrastructure
Social
Precedence
Product/Market
Fit
21 | 3/30/2014
Opportunity
for
Engagement
Broad
Technological
/ Political
Infrastructure
Social
Precedence
Product/Market
Fit
22 | 3/30/2014
Opportunity
for
Engagement
Behavioral
Insight
3
2
23 | 3/30/2014
Behavioral
Insight
Value
3
2
24 | 3/30/2014
Behavioral
Insight
Value
3
Identity
25 | 3/30/2014
Behavioral
Insight
Value
Provocation
Identity
26 | 3/30/2014
Behavioral
Insight
Value
Provocation
Identity
27 | 3/30/2014
Product/Market
Fit
Product
Management
Behavioral
Insight
28 | 3/30/2014
Marketing
Product/Market
Fit
Product
Management
Design
Behavioral
Insight
29 | 3/30/2014
Engineering
Marketing
Product
Management
Design
30 | 3/30/2014
Engineering
Marketing
Product
Management
Design
31 | 3/30/2014
Engineering
Marketing
Product
Management
Design
32 | 3/30/2014
Engineering
Where is the trend towards

design-led product
coming from?
33 | 3/30/2014
34 | 3/30/2014
35 | 3/30/2014
36 | 3/30/2014
1/
2/
3/
Aesthetics
Usability
Information & Flow
How does it look?
Is it easy to use?
Can I find my way?
How does it feel?
Is it easy to learn?
Is it extensible?
Is it consistent with our brand?
Do I make errors?
Is it well structured?
37 | 3/30/2014
Design is tactical
38 | 3/30/2014
1/
2/
3/
4/
Innovation
Positioning
Engagement
Value
Is it new?
Is it competitive?
Is it desirable?
Is there demand?
Is it exciting?
Is it differentiated?
Is it systemic?
Can we create demand?
Does it have the

potential to disrupt?
Is there a market
opportunity?
Does it reflect cultural

aspirations?
What are the revenue

opportunities?
Design is tactical
39 | 3/30/2014
Design is strategic
Design is tactical
40 | 3/30/2014
Design is strategic
How can I bridge this gap?
Design is tactical
41 | 3/30/2014
Design is strategic
Product Management
Design is tactical
42 | 3/30/2014
What are the qualities of a

good product manager?
43 | 3/30/2014
You need to sell, engage, learn,

and listen, and get the whole
team excited to go do it. You need
to be a good storyteller. Great
product managers can tell a story
about a user, what he is doing in
his life today, and what he would
be able to do in the future if we
just got him the right product.
Josh Elman
Partner, Greylock
44 | 3/30/2014
You need to sell, engage, learn,

and listen, and get the whole
team excited to go do it. You need
to be a good storyteller. Great
product managers can tell a story
1 what he is doing in
about a user,
Ability
to telland
stories
his
life today,
what he would
about
an to
optimistic
be able
do in thefuture
future if we
just got him the right product.
Josh Elman
Partner, Greylock
45 | 3/30/2014
I toggle between my rational

brain that says, Heres what the
competition is doing, heres what
the data says the customers
want, and my emotional feelings
that this will have impact. No
one has said they want this, no
one has done it before, but Im
looking at it and I think it will
have impact.
Frank Lyman
Chief Product Officer, MyEdu
46 | 3/30/2014
I toggle between my rational

brain that says, Heres what the
competition is doing, heres what
the data says the customers
want, and my emotional feelings
2 have impact. No
that this will
Ability
make
sense
signals
onetohas
said
they of
want
this, no
from
anditthe
market
onepeople
has done
before,
but Im
looking at it and I think it will
have impact.
Frank Lyman
Chief Product Officer, MyEdu
47 | 3/30/2014
I think its important to practice

making people talkative. Its
about having the ability to have
people open up. You have to be
able to listen really well. Dont
worry about being exciting.
Instead, ask a lot of questions.
Be interested, not interesting.
Mark Phillip
48 | 3/30/2014
I think its important to practice

making people talkative. Its
about having the ability to have
people open up. You have to be
able to listen really well. Dont
worry about3 being exciting.
AInstead,
passion for
and
asklistening
a lot of questions.
learning
aboutnot
people
Be
interested,
interesting.
Mark Phillip
49 | 3/30/2014
Can we teach someone to care?

Thats much more of a function of
how someone was raised; what
their values are, what their
beliefs are. Its about if you are
curious enough. Curiosity will
lead you to your next insight. Its
this what if, or what does the
data show.
Gary Chou
Former GM, Union Square Ventures Network
50 | 3/30/2014
Can we teach someone to care?

Thats much more of a function of
how someone was raised; what
their values are, what their
beliefs are. Its about if you are
curious enough. Curiosity will
4
lead you
to other
your next
insight. Its
Curiosity
about
disciplines
this what if, or what does the
data show.
Gary Chou
51 | 3/30/2014
For better or for worse, product

is the discipline that sits at the
hub of the wheel. You need people
that can work with designers,
work with engineers, work with
marketing, work with biz-dev. But
at the same time, you deal with
the challenges of all of those
different areas.
Alex Rainert
52 | 3/30/2014
For better or for worse, product

is the discipline that sits at the
hub of the wheel. You need people
that can work with designers,
work with engineers, work with
marketing, 5work with biz-dev. But
Affable
work
with
others
atthe
theability
same to
time,
you
deal
with
and
drive consensus
the
challenges
of all of those
different areas.
Alex Rainert
53 | 3/30/2014
Ability to tell stories

about an optimistic future
2
Ability to make sense of signals

from people and the market
3
A passion for listening and learning about people

4
Curiosity about other disciplines

5
Affable the ability to work with others

and drive consensus
54 | 3/30/2014
So what does a
product manager actually
do?
55 | 3/30/2014
Ship
product
Establish
vision
Drive
consensus
56 | 3/30/2014
Ship
product
Establish
vision
Drive
consensus
57 | 3/30/2014
58 | 3/30/2014
Succeed in
college
59 | 3/30/2014
Tell their
story
Get
a job
60 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Synthesis & Sensemaking
Behavioral Insights
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
Launch & Usage Metrics
Iteration & Extensions
Communication Strategy
Community Feedback
61 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
Community Feedback
62 | 3/30/2014
Goals
To build an understanding of the
process, workflow, vocabulary, and
cultural context
To gain empathy with the people you
are hoping to serve
To identify opportunity for innovation
63 | 3/30/2014
Your resume is like your life - it is your golden ticket to

the chocolate factory. I like to put customer service
and management things and stuff like that on my
resume.
Everyone has a business degree these days, so Ill
always be able to get a job. I found out about the
international business major from a guy at The Gap.
I didn't even know what it was. I Googled it, and it
sounded better than just regular business, so I just
chose that. My life decisions are based on stupid
things.
Samantha, 21 year old international business major
64 | 3/30/2014
65 | 3/30/2014
[Students say] I could do anything I

think I could do this, I think I could do
that. You couldnt say something worse to
a recruiter dont apply to 5 of my jobs,
because you arent going to get
any of them.
Meg, Recruiter
66 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
Community Feedback
Goals
To build an understanding of the
process, workflow, vocabulary, and
cultural context
To gain empathy with the people you
are hoping to serve
To identify opportunity for innovation
Method
Identify a research focus
Identify participants
Watch the participants as they work,
live, and play
Observe real behavior
67 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Goals
To make sense of chaotic, qualitative
research data
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
To find patterns and anomalies, and

to look at the world in new ways

To act as a procedural stepping-stone

between research and insight
Community Feedback
68 | 3/30/2014
69 | 3/30/2014
70 | 3/30/2014
71 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Goals
To make sense of chaotic, qualitative
research data
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
To find patterns and anomalies, and

to look at the world in new ways

To act as a procedural stepping-stone

between research and insight
Community Feedback
Method
Transcribe all of the research data
Explode the data, blending
utterances across participants
Identify groupings, and make
observations about them
Identify anomalies
72 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Goals
To formalize the big rocks that
provoke new innovate ideas
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
To make inferential leaps about why

people do the things they do

To make obvious the specific goal

for driving behavior-change
Community Feedback
73 | 3/30/2014
STUDENT INSIGHT
EMPLOYER INSIGHT
Students think they have an

idea of what employers want
in a candidate, but they are
often wrong.
Recruiters make snap

judgments, directly impacting
a candidates chances of
success.
Your resume is like your life - it is your

golden ticket to the chocolate factory.
Dont apply to 5 of my jobs, because

you arent going to get any of them.
Samantha, international business major
Meg, Recruiter
Emphasize bullets on a resume,

rather than exhibit skills through
artifacts (portfolio)
Form an opinion of a candidate in

seconds based on a single data point
Think they should have a broad-butshallow set of abilities, rather than

a depth of competency in one area
Typically apply for any and every job
74 | 3/30/2014
Are looking for specific skills, and

evidence of competency in that skill
Create a mental narrative of what a
candidate can do, based on how the
student presents themselves
STUDENT INSIGHT
EMPLOYER INSIGHT

often wrong.

success.
These are insights:

provocative statements about
human behavior, framed as
universal truths.
75 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Goals
To formalize the big rocks that
provoke new innovate ideas
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
To make inferential leaps about why

people do the things they do

To make obvious the specific goal

for driving behavior-change
Community Feedback
Method
Ask Why about the utterances and
observational groups, and force
yourself to answer (even if you dont
know for sure)
Make an inferential leap
Frame the statement as a universal
truth (even though its biased)
76 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Goals
To formalize a new product or service
trajectory based on insights
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
To identify the utility and emotional

resonance you hope to provide

To create a North Star or vision for

everyone to align around
Community Feedback
77 | 3/30/2014
Its important to be
viewed as having a
broad set of interests
and being open for
anything.
I dont really
understand what
happens during
the hiring process.
I dont know how to

show specific skills.
Im not sure I have
specific skills.
The key to getting

a job is having a
resume and cover
letter.
STUDENT INSIGHT
EMPLOYER INSIGHT

often wrong.

success.
78 | 3/30/2014
I need to see
evidence that you
can do certain
things.
Ill build a story about

you based on the
smallest details, and
use this to decide if
you move through the
process.
Im looking to match
a very specific skill
profile.
Im very busy.
STUDENT INSIGHT
EMPLOYER INSIGHT

often wrong.

success.
79 | 3/30/2014
WHAT-IF OPPORTUNITY
What if we helped students identify their skills and present

them to employers in a credible way?
?
L
STUDENT INSIGHT
EMPLOYER INSIGHT

often wrong.

success.
80 | 3/30/2014
CAPABILITY VALUE PROPOSITION
MyEdu helps students identify their skills and

present them to employers in a credible way.
STUDENT INSIGHT
EMPLOYER INSIGHT

often wrong.

success.
81 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Goals
To formalize a new product or service
trajectory based on insights
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
To identify the utility and emotional

resonance you hope to provide

To create a North Star or vision for

everyone to align around
Community Feedback
Method
Tell (and show) a story of the existing
problem state
Provoke What-If questions to find
ways to improve the problem state
Frame the new capability as a
statement of value provided to a
person
82 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Goals
To define the capability in a way that
supports the value proposition
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
To reduce ambiguity during

development

To ensure we ship the right product to

the right people at the right time
Community Feedback
83 | 3/30/2014

Suggest Skills to Add

Based On Profile
Substantiate Skill
Via Endorsement

Based On Collaborative
Filtering
Substantiate Skill
by Linking to a
Class
Display Skill
on Profile
Add a Skill
84 | 3/30/2014
Browse For Skill
Substantiate Skill
by Linking to a
Project
Search For Skill
Substantiate Skill by
Linking to a
Work Experience


Based On Profile
Substantiate Skill
Via Endorsement

Filtering
Substantiate Skill
by Linking to a
Class
Display Skill
on Profile
Add a Skill
85 | 3/30/2014
Browse For Skill
Substantiate Skill
by Linking to a
Project
Search For Skill
Linking to a
Work Experience
86 | 3/30/2014
87 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Goals
To define the capability in a way that
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
To reduce ambiguity during

development

To ensure we ship the right product to

the right people at the right time
Community Feedback
Method
Create scenarios and high-level flow
diagrams of the ideal solution state
Chunk the ideal solution state into a
series of smaller feature initiatives
Work with design to produce
wireframes, comps, assets, etc
88 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
Community Feedback
89 | 3/30/2014
Goals
To provide everyone in the
organization with a common language
for tracking & understanding success
To understand the effectiveness of the
product changes youve made
To adjust subsequent activities
90 | 3/30/2014
14.00%
12.00%
10.00%
8.00%
6.00%
4.00%
2.00%
0.00%
91 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
Community Feedback
Goals
To provide everyone in the
organization with a common language
for tracking & understanding success
To understand the effectiveness of the
product changes youve made
To adjust subsequent activities
Method
Prior to launch, identify usage
behavior that will indicate if your
value proposition is being realized
Create a regular communication
mechanism for disseminating results
Try to understand relationship
between design and behavior
92 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Goals
To improve a given capability based
on usage data and insight
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
To fix defects or usability issues

Community Feedback
93 | 3/30/2014
To finish deferred work that directly



Based On Profile
Substantiate Skill
Via Endorsement

Filtering
Substantiate Skill
by Linking to a
Class
Display Skill
on Profile
Add a Skill
94 | 3/30/2014
Browse For Skill
Substantiate Skill
by Linking to a
Project
Search For Skill
Linking to a
Work Experience


Based On Profile
Substantiate Skill
Via Endorsement

Filtering
Substantiate Skill
by Linking to a
Class
Display Skill
on Profile
Add a Skill
95 | 3/30/2014
Browse For Skill
Substantiate Skill
by Linking to a
Project
Search For Skill
Linking to a
Work Experience
96 | 3/30/2014
97 | 3/30/2014
98 | 3/30/2014
99 | 3/30/2014
100 | 3/30/2014
3/30/2014 | 101
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Goals
To improve a given capability based
on usage data and insight
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
To fix defects or usability issues

Community Feedback
To finish deferred work that directly

Method
Make hypotheses based on usage
data and value proposition
Prioritize design changes based on
assumed effectiveness
Work with design to produce
wireframes, comps, assets, etc
102 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Goals
To communicate the existence and
value of a new capability
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
To increase the likelihood of realizing

your value proposition

To formalize an entryway into the new

capability or feature
Community Feedback
103 | 3/30/2014
104 | 3/30/2014
105 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Goals
To communicate the existence and
value of a new capability
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
To increase the likelihood of realizing

your value proposition

To formalize an entryway into the new

capability or feature
Community Feedback
Method
Identify strategic method for
communicating value
Ensure method includes an action
that supports the value proposition
Disseminate a test to a significant
population of users
106 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Goals
To leverage alternative signals related
to product usage
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
To better understand how people

perceive product changes

To understand the gestalt of the

community
Community Feedback
107 | 3/30/2014
Contextual Research
Behavioral Insights
Goals
To leverage alternative signals related
to product usage
Value Proposition
Feature Definition
To better understand how people

perceive product changes

To understand the gestalt of the

community
Community Feedback
109 | 3/30/2014
Method
Ensure that you receive all
communication that in any way
touches an end-user
Ship
product
product
Drive
consensus
110 | 3/30/2014
Establish
vision
This sounds great, Im in.

How do I get started in
product?
111 | 3/30/2014
Get your hands as dirty as

possible. Throw yourself into an
experience of making. Coding,
design, or whatever it is learn
it, and make something. Its not
like there have to be 10 million
people using it. It might be just
your friends, or yourself. But you
made something, and you
shipped it.
Joe Gebbia
Chief Product Officer, AirBNB
112 | 3/30/2014
Get some skills, first... you have

to have some street cred. You
have to have some experience in
building something. Building as a
designer, building as an engineer,
and probably a little bit of
crossover
Leland Rechis
Head of Product, Kickstarter
113 | 3/30/2014
Go make something If it
succeeds, great, you have a
business. If it fails, you have a
great experience and a set of
stories to talk about that make
you very marketable to teams
that need people like you.
Gary Chou
114 | 3/30/2014
product/market fit
115 | 3/30/2014
behavioral insight
116 | 3/30/2014
Ship something.
117 | 3/30/2014
Come study with me at Austin Center for Design!

$12k, one year, one hell of an experience, yaall!
www.ac4d.com
Applications due May 1st

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Design as Product Strategy

Bringing design thinking to product management

As a company, we certainly have a

There arent a lot of examples of

Is it just hard work?

Ive been doing this, essentially by

Where is the trend towards

Information & Flow

How does it look?

Can I find my way?

How does it feel?

Is it consistent with our brand?

Can we create demand?

Does it have the

Does it reflect cultural

What are the revenue

What are the qualities of a

You need to sell, engage, learn,

You need to sell, engage, learn,

I toggle between my rational

I toggle between my rational

I think its important to practice

I think its important to practice

Can we teach someone to care?

Can we teach someone to care?

For better or for worse, product

For better or for worse, product

Ability to tell stories

Ability to make sense of signals

A passion for listening and learning about people

Curiosity about other disciplines

Affable the ability to work with others

Your resume is like your life - it is your golden ticket to

[Students say] I could do anything I

To find patterns and anomalies, and

Launch & Usage Metrics

To act as a procedural stepping-stone

To find patterns and anomalies, and

Launch & Usage Metrics

To act as a procedural stepping-stone

To make inferential leaps about why

Launch & Usage Metrics

To make obvious the specific goal

Students think they have an

Recruiters make snap

Your resume is like your life - it is your

Dont apply to 5 of my jobs, because

Samantha, international business major

Emphasize bullets on a resume,

Form an opinion of a candidate in

Think they should have a broad-butshallow set of abilities, rather than

Are looking for specific skills, and

Students think they have an

Recruiters make snap

These are insights:

To make inferential leaps about why

Launch & Usage Metrics

To make obvious the specific goal

To identify the utility and emotional