“Distinctive Competencies are rarely a product feature because a distinctive competency isn't easily copied and product features. If you come out with a new product feature today, your competitor could copy that within a few months.” In this episode of Pragmatic Live, Rebecca Kalogeris, VP of marketing for Pragmatic Institute, and Pragmatic instructor Mark Stiving will lead the audience through an exercise to identify and apply distinctive competencies using some of the biggest brands in the world. Not only will you learn about the power of distinctive competencies, but also how to start thinking about and leveraging them within your own organization. They also discuss: What are distinctive competencies and why do they matter Examples of distinctive competencies at big brands (Disney, Amazon, LinkedIn, Zappos and Walmart) How to get more differentiation for your products Enroll in Foundations on Demand Today to learn more about finding your company’s distinctive competencies >> https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/foundations-on-demand/

Win-loss analysis is a practice every company should be doing but not every company is doing it—at least not as effectively as they can be. Win-loss analysis can help your business in almost every facet—product strategy, marketing messaging, sales enablement, and more.   Andrew Peterson, Co-Founder of Clozd, the leader in win-loss analysis, explains how to optimize your win-loss analysis program.   Andrew has expert advice on the win-loss best practices to increase your win rate, whether it be getting started or leveling up your current program.   In this conversation Andrew will share: How to get started with a win-loss analysis program Tips to optimize your current program How to take the data you receive from your program and use it to implement necessary change 

“I have taken the classes before and have used so many of the concepts from the Framework at the various companies I've worked at, but to be able to get in there, teach it to so many different groups, companies and people with diverse backgrounds—It just shows the power in The Framework and the Foundations class,” —Dan Corbin, Pragmatic Instructor   In this episode of Pragmatic Live, Rebecca Kalogeris, VP of marketing for Pragmatic Institute, interviews Pragmatic instructor Dan Corbin about what students will learn in Foundations. Specifically, how Foundations can help the newest product managers understand their role better. And how long-time product managers can use what they learn to better explain their work and expectations to their team and other departments.   They also discuss: The five key sections in the Foundations course What makes the Pragmatic Framework powerful and effective The common challenges product professionals encounter How can students get the most out of the training when they enroll Enroll in Foundations on Demand Today >> https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/product/foundations-on-demand/

“It is essential to adopt a structured approach to collecting buyer insights. Now, if companies decide just to do an ad-hoc buyer interview or win-loss interview, and it's not a more structured process, then companies will end up relying on anecdotal information and never truly understanding the buyer” — Diana Igua   In this episode of Pragmatic Live, Rebecca Kalogeris, VP of marketing for Pragmatic Institute, interviews two experts from DoubleCheck Research —Diana Igua, director of marketing & operations and Jen Doyle, research director, about why win/loss is an essential activity for any company.   They discuss: What win/loss programs provide to product managers, product marketers and sales teams Why a collection of conversations is more meaningful than one story How to establish a standardized and focused process for structuring win/loss research Why surveys aren’t an adequate replacement for win/loss interviews Two approaches to get target groups to engage with a win/loss interview Additional Resources Foundations This course is the first step to becoming truly market-driven You’ll learn how to understand the market, how to use market knowledge and how to master the Pragmatic Framework. Learn More https://www.pragmaticinstitute.com/course/product/foundations

“Interestingly, there doesn't seem to be a market to hire consultants, to tell executives that their idea is stupid.” - Paul Young   What if you check all the pre-launch boxes and your product still flops? That’s what the CNN+ story feels like. But if we look a little closer, maybe the data was saying exactly what would happen, the team just didn’t listen.   In this episode of Pragmatic Live, Rebecca Kalogeris, VP of marketing for Pragmatic Institute, interviews Pragmatic instructor Paul Young about the lessons CNN+ can teach product managers.   They discuss: What early warning signs did CNN+ ignore that might have indicated the product wouldn’t succeed The conversion rate you should expect going from a freemium model to a premium model Why you need both data and stories to effectively communicate market research Keep Learning Launch is a course that helps you create a more strategic approach to exceed your business objectives. Learn to execute successful launches that align your entire organization around the same strategies and goals. Enroll Today

One of the largest struggles within product is articulating your organization’s unique abilities to deliver value to its market. But guess what, it’s also one of the most important! So how do you develop a successful path that combines innovation, proven methodology and sure-fire approaches to hone-in on the attributes and differentiators that set you apart from your competitors? We got you covered. Leon Stigter, Senior Technical PM at Amazon Web Services, covers topics on distinctive competencies and when and how innovation can become your biggest ally. In this discussion Leon will share: How you can find distinctive competencies and turn them into assets Why does “distinctive” matter in distinctive competencies? How to use marketing as a top asset when telling your story Why data is a key factor in your process

“Here’s how we define distinctive competencies: they are the unique attributes your organization has developed that allow you to deliver value into your market.” — Paul Young   In this episode of Pragmatic Live, Rebecca Kalogeris, VP of marketing for Pragmatic Institute, interviews Pragmatic instructor Paul Young about distinctive competencies and how to avoid some of the biggest pitfalls when identifying them.   They discuss: Distinctive competency as it relates to core competencies Examples of distinctive competencies: innovation, culture, customer intimacy, patent portfolio Why you can’t innovate like Apple >> Read More The consequence of assuming distinctive competencies without external validation Why technology isn’t a good distinctive competency How many (or few) distinctive competencies you should have in your organization The strategies for shifting distinctive competencies (the slow way and the fast way) Enroll in Foundations and get a lifetime free membership to the Pragmatic Alumni Community Students learn how to: Become market-driven by exploring concepts such as how to uncover strategic opportunities Define product team roles and responsibilities Prioritize actual vs. desired business goals Talk to and observe the market in action. Enroll Today

“We try to be pristine in our application of the definitions, and what it is we’re actually trying to accomplish can sometimes get lost in the shuffle” - Kirsten Butzow   In this episode of Pragmatic Live, Rebecca Kalogeris, VP of marketing for Pragmatic Institute, interviews Kirsten Butzow, Senior VP, customer operations at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt   They discuss: Sprints and how the market cares about usefulness and impact—not methodology Who is driving the release planning discussions How to collaborate for a launch Why requirements should start with data and market research The helpful role of a retrospective Additional Resources Want to learn more about effective launches?   Launch is a course that helps you create a more strategic approach to exceed your business objectives. Learn to execute successful launches that align your entire organization around the same strategies and goals. Enroll Today

“It's been a really interesting time to see such a high degree of camaraderie and cheerleading in the community because everyone is working on leveling something up; they want to grow their team; they wanna grow their influence; they wanna grow their own skill level.” — Georgina Donahue, Director of Community at Pragmatic Institute   In this episode of Pragmatic Live, Rebecca Kalogeris, VP of marketing for Pragmatic Institute, interviews Georgina Donahue, the director of community at Pragmatic Institute, about the growth of the Pragmatic Alumni Community.   They Discuss How the community helps connect alumni with jobs, candidates and innovative hiring strategies The types of engaging conversations happening in the community around building cross-functional teams and collaborating with other departments Masterclass opportunities exclusive to community members Enroll in Foundations and get a lifetime free membership to the Pragmatic Alumni Community   Students learn how to Become market-driven by exploring concepts such as how to uncover strategic opportunities Define product team roles and responsibilities Prioritize actual vs. desired business goals Talk to and observe the market in action. Enroll Today

This episode was recorded during our recent Product Chat Webinar.   Hear how should you approach your content endeavors, and where should you look to understand the best areas to focus your efforts and resources from Editorial and Metadata Leader at Netflix, Anjana Gopakumar.