Rerun: The state of the product – Susana Lopes on The Product Experience
Nov 1, 2023
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Susana Lopes, Director of Product at Abatable, discusses using the State of the Product presentation to manage stakeholders and drive alignment. The episode explores product strategy, navigating change, becoming well-rounded in product management, and strategic factors for companies.
The state of the product presentation empowers product managers to have strategic conversations and make recommendations to executives, highlighting the importance of creating a comprehensive presentation that covers all aspects of product performance, market analysis, strategy, and execution.
To ensure an effective state of product presentation, it is essential to convey a concise and compelling message that aligns with the overall product strategy, addresses the concerns and priorities of executives, and strives for clarity, memorability, and a strong call to action to increase the chances of gaining approval and support for recommendations.
Deep dives
Overview of the Podcast Episode
In this podcast episode, the hosts discuss the state of product presentation with guest speaker Susanna Lopez, who is the Director of Product at Enfido. The episode explores the concept of bottom-up strategy and how it empowers individual product managers to have strategic conversations and make recommendations to C-level staff. It discusses the importance of creating a state of product presentation that summarizes product performance, market analysis, product strategy, roadmap, and execution. The episode also delves into the use of frameworks such as SWOT analysis, Porter's Five Forces, competitive assessments, and strategic network analysis. It highlights the need for concise and compelling presentations, gaining buy-in from executives, and the outcomes and decisions that follow these presentations.
Implementing the State of Product at Onfido
When introducing the state of product at Onfido, new team members often struggle with focusing on the sections they find easiest, neglecting other crucial aspects. It is important for product managers to balance their efforts across all sections, such as the market analysis, strategy, and data analysis, to create a comprehensive presentation. For organizations looking to implement a similar approach, it is recommended to start with a minimum viable state of product. By focusing on a specific aspect, such as a market analysis or a strategic network analysis, and getting buy-in from peers, it becomes easier to expand and refine the state of product presentation over time.
Key Strategies for Effective Presentations
To ensure an effective state of product presentation, it is essential to convey a concise and compelling message to the C-level staff. This involves trimming down the content to highlight the key points and recommendations, while avoiding an overwhelming number of slides. The presentation should present a cohesive story that aligns with the overall product strategy and addresses the concerns and priorities of the executives. Additionally, it is important to consider the time allocated for the presentation, ensuring it is long enough to cover the necessary content but not excessively lengthy. Striving for clarity, memorability, and a strong call to action will increase the chances of gaining approval and support for the presented recommendations.
Continuous Iteration and Adaptation
Creating a state of product presentation is an iterative process that evolves over time. It is recommended to conduct regular updates and reassessments to reflect market changes and new insights. By revisiting and refining the presentation annually, organizations can ensure that it remains relevant, effective, and aligned with the company's goals. Additionally, as the organization grows, it becomes crucial to involve more stakeholders and seek buy-in at various levels to create a cohesive and aligned product strategy.
This week, we go back into the archives when Susana Lopes, Director of Product at Abatable, joined us on the podcast. In this episode, we discuss how she used the State of the Product presentation to manage stakeholders and drive alignment. Tune in for an episode filled with practical insights and invaluable resources.
Our Hosts Lily Smith enjoys working as a consultant product manager with early-stage and growing startups and as a mentor to other product managers. She’s currently Chief Product Officer at BBC Maestro, and has spent 13 years in the tech industry working with startups in the SaaS and mobile space. She’s worked on a diverse range of products – leading the product teams through discovery, prototyping, testing and delivery. Lily also founded ProductTank Bristol and runs ProductCamp in Bristol and Bath.
Randy Silver is a Leadership & Product Coach and Consultant. He gets teams unstuck, helping you to supercharge your results. Randy's held interim CPO and Leadership roles at scale-ups and SMEs, advised start-ups, and been Head of Product at HSBC and Sainsbury’s. He participated in Silicon Valley Product Group’s Coaching the Coaches forum, and speaks frequently at conferences and events. You can join one of communities he runs for CPOs (CPO Circles), Product Managers (Product In the {A}ether) and Product Coaches. He’s the author of What Do We Do Now? A Product Manager’s Guide to Strategy in the Time of COVID-19. A recovering music journalist and editor, Randy also launched Amazon’s music stores in the US & UK.
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