Asa product log!
August was a tough month. The garmi was killer. The flood situation was tragic (we are praying for all those who were affected ). The internet was all over the place.
We’re hoping September brings in some much-needed relief. Hang in there, guys. We’ll get through this.
With that, let’s look into a few things we can learn about product this week:
How to choose a prioritization framework for your team
Resources: What PMs need to do in their first 90 days
Moreover, from this week onwards, we’ll be posting about Product Jobs in the local ecosystem. Keep a look out for this section in future editions of Sochnama.
How to choose a Prioritization Frameworks that works for your team
Having a hard time selecting a prioritization framework?
Well, to be honest, it is hard!
With over 30+ frameworks to choose and experiment with who has the time to try all of them before settling down and selecting one or two?
(Some of them are listed here: https://lnkd.in/eK4dq2h3)
Broadly speaking prioritization frameworks can be broken down into 6 major types:
🟠 Those that involve numbers
e.g. Rice
⚫ Those that involve group task
e.g. MosCow or The Product Tree
🟠 Those that involve games
e.g. Buy a Feature
⚫ Those that involve optimization of limited resources
e.g. Value vs Complexity
🟠 Those that allow you to formulate a mothership and strike force
e.g. DAIC
⚫ Those that allow you to always put customers first
e.g. Kano Model
However, in our opinion, if you are going to select a framework then you need to understand the persona of the people taking part in the prioritization activity.
What this essentially means is, if you have number crunchers in the prioritization team then choosing a framework that supports decision making through estimation will do wonders.
Whereas if you have a team that is slightly more strategic and wants the most bang for the buck then choosing a framework that optimizes limited resources would work best.
Additionally, as your organization evolves, you will quickly see that a framework you used previously may now become irrelevant or obsolete and you could potentially move towards more complex frameworks that take into account more than just the customer needs.
So next time you are trying to understand which framework to choose, consider who will be involved in the prioritization process and the current stage at which your company operates.
Here are some other helpful resources:
First 90 days as a Product Manager
Starting out as a Product Manager can be overwhelming. Pehlay toh Impostor Syndrome ka masla - you’re just thinking whether you’re even cut out for the job. Tukka toh nahee lag gya maira?
Next, there is a massive information dump that you’re supposed to consume and everybody in the organization is so busy that you have to piece the puzzle all by yourself.
We’re here to tell you that it happens. It’s ok and it’s normal to feel the heat. Break down the problem into 3 things:
The People: understand who is doing what, what the manager needs and wants, what makes your engineering/designers tick, see what they’ve achieved till now
The Product: what is the product today, where is it headed, why? Use the product with your consumer hat on. Make notes. Don’t suggest changes just yet - understand why it was done that way.
The Process: how is work done in the organization? Do they use SCRUM? What tools do they use? What’s the end to end ticket lifecycle like? What rituals do they have on a daily/weekly basis?
Tips:
Resist the urge to change everything in the product or process. Your initial days should be focused on knowledge accumulation.
Understand what work is currently in progress and facilitate it to bring it to completion as opposed to just blindly bringing it to a halt.
Work with the team to make them feel that you’re one of them, rather than an outsider with a chip on his/her shoulder.
Need to go deeper? Set hai. Here are some amazing resources to refer to in case you’re just starting out:
Product Jobs in Pakistan
Looking for a job? Check out these vacancies and fill out the Google form linked out from the page to apply OR feel free to forward them to someone you know.
Product Manager at Rush (Remote)
Product Manager at Taleemabad (Islamabad)
Product Owner at Yieldwerx (Lahore)
Product Manager at Ailaaj (Remote)
Junior Product Owner at Ailaaj (Remote)
What’s the Process?
A Product Soch member will screen your application. If they see you’re a good fit, they’ll reach out to have a chat & guide you on what to expect. In certain cases, you may be asked to do an assessment that will kept as a record item even for future opportunities. If all goes well, Product Soch will internally recommend you to the company’s HR and lobby to get you into the main interviews.