Understanding Product Management with Ryan Dorrell

Today on the Agile Coaches’ Corner, Dan Neumann is joined by Ryan Dorrell, the Chief Solutions Officer, and one of the co-founders of AgileThought. He leads the strategic design of their portfolio of offerings and services across their practice areas, focusing on understanding what the future looks like for their clients and how they can best serve them.

 

In this episode, Dan and Ryan explore the topic of product management. Ryan explains what it is, the ideal skill set and thinking that goes into it, the benefits, and his own tips and techniques around it. He also goes in-depth about the differences between projects vs. products — and why you really should be joining the #noprojects movement!

 

Key Takeaways

What is (software) product management? And what goes into it? A lot of creativity, diverse skill set, and a different mindset around solving problems Continuously delivering value and aligning with products and services that provide to customers Solves a problem in a unique way Engaging with customers for feedback loops Customer journey maps, user story mapping, design thinking, and workshops The benefits of product management: Builds empathy with customers and focuses on understanding their needs Addresses the user experience Helps to make systems more delightful and engaging to use Ryan’s tips and techniques around product management: Go start learning and understanding the aspect of taking products to market Be prepared to learn a lot of new skills and techniques ● Projects vs. Products: A project is a temporary endeavor (to create a product or service) with a deadline A product satisfies a need, a want, or solves a problem and continuously evolves with customers/users feedback With product management, there is less focus on timesheets and more focus on the product itself Projects stop and start, while products respond to change Mentioned in this Episode: Chris Spagnuolo Twitter (products vs. projects): #NoProjects Ryan Dorrell’s Book Picks User Story Mapping: Discover the Whole Story, Build the Right Product, by Jeff Patton Project to Product: How to Survive and Thrive in the Age of Digital Disruption with the Flow Framework, by Mik Kersten #noprojects: A Culture of Continuous Value, by Evan Leybourn and Shane Hastie INSPIRED: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love, by Marty Cagan Mapping Experiences: A Complete Guide to Creating Value through Journeys, Blueprints, and Diagrams, by James Kalbach Want to Learn More or Get in Touch? Visit the website and catch up with all the episodes on AgileThought.com! Email your thoughts or suggestions to [email protected] or Tweet @AgileThought using #AgileThoughtPodcast!