Crafting Exceptional Products: Insights from Experience
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Chapter 1: Personal Journey in Product Development
Throughout my career, I've navigated various development methodologies, including traditional waterfall and agile frameworks like Scrum. My journey has led me to question my position, oscillating between engineering and management roles.
In my previous role as a manager in contract development for medical systems, I found the experience rewarding, as it allowed me to contribute significantly to society while engaging in technically challenging tasks. However, I often struggled to focus on product quality due to the numerous managerial responsibilities I faced. These included overseeing project and account management, defining product specifications, and managing team dynamics—tasks that typically fall under the purview of a Product Manager (PdM).
Additionally, limitations within the company regarding hiring practices hindered my ability to build a strong, experienced team, which compounded the challenges I faced due to contractual constraints.
While I gained valuable management experience, my inability to prioritize product creation ultimately motivated me to seek a new opportunity. When considering my next role, I prioritized companies that not only focused on producing high-quality products but also valued social contributions and allowed me to refine my engineering skills.
The first video discusses the essential elements every business needs to thrive, emphasizing the importance of focusing on user value and ethical practices.
Chapter 2: Essential Elements for Creating Quality Products
Moving forward, I want to outline three key factors I believe are crucial for developing exceptional products. For clarity, I define a "good product" as one that effectively delivers value to its users.
Section 2.1: Organizational Values
The first aspect I consider vital is the organization's core values. While profitability is a natural focus for any business, an excessive emphasis on sales can lead to overlooking user needs.
A recent article highlighted that 60% of major websites employ dark patterns, revealing a troubling lack of genuine user concern among many companies. To foster the creation of quality products, it's crucial for an organization—especially its leadership—to maintain values that prioritize user welfare over mere profit.
One management member once stated, “I’d prefer to do the right thing and face bankruptcy than to compromise our principles for profit.” This sentiment resonates deeply with me. When I first encountered Google’s motto, “Don’t be evil,” I felt a sense of alignment with those values.
In our company, we actively engage employees in discussions about our values, encouraging self-reflection on whether our actions align with these principles. This ongoing dialogue fosters a culture where integrity is prioritized, even if it may initially seem overly serious.
Section 2.2: Appropriate Role Distribution
The second necessity I've identified is an appropriate distribution of roles within the organization. In my previous position, my broad managerial responsibilities often resulted in half-finished projects. However, in my current role, responsibilities are distinctly divided among PdMs, Project Managers (PjM), Engineering Managers (EM), and others.
During interviews, I discovered that roles like PdM and Scrum Master are assigned full-time, allowing individuals to concentrate solely on their responsibilities. This division enhances our ability to create quality products.
A PdM I spoke with during my interview expressed a desire to improve the medical industry, which inspired me and reinforced the notion that dedicated professionals should be in these roles. Post-hire, I found that our PdM actively listens to users and rapidly makes informed decisions based on their feedback.
The second video provides insights on becoming a successful product manager, highlighting skills and strategies essential for effective product leadership.
Section 2.3: Professional Team Members
Lastly, the presence of skilled professionals is critical. Even with the best values and systems in place, a lack of individual expertise can hinder product quality.
In my interviews, I noticed that many engineers had significant experience, enhancing our team's overall competency. The organization emphasizes high standards of professionalism, encouraging continuous learning and collaboration.
Although this might seem self-evident, our team collaborates seamlessly to explore multiple solutions for each challenge, weighing their advantages and disadvantages before deciding on a course of action. This environment fosters in-depth discussions and swift implementation of ideas.
In conclusion, while I've shared my thoughts on the elements necessary for creating superior products, I recognize that these factors may not be absolute requirements. Exceptional products can emerge even from imperfect systems. However, to maintain a consistent output of quality products, it’s essential to cultivate an awareness of these principles.
I feel fortunate to work in such a supportive environment, and I am eager to contribute to our collective journey toward achieving our ideal state.
Thank you for taking the time to read my insights! If you found this helpful, consider following my work for more discussions on product management and development practices.