Recently, I was in a conversation with an executive of a technology company. When I described my background, experience and capabilities in product management, he responded, “You’re a triple threat.” In thinking about product management and product marketing, what constitutes a triple threat?
Triple threats are often associated with sports or the performing arts. They’ve been described as:
As it relates to product management and product marketing, I believe the following definition best personifies what we should strive for:
You may be thinking, ‘”How can any person be an expert?” For starters, becoming a triple threat leader is a journey. It’s something that’s lived and experienced everyday.
What does it take to become a Triple Threat Leader?
From past experiences, observations, adoption and working with diverse product leaders, I believe the three elements include: Business, Innovation and Technology. Let’s take a look at each one.
BUSINESS
A key differentiation between PRODUCT manager and Product MANAGER as described by Saeed Khan in a recent post is the focus on “business or product.”
While many products people have an affection for technology or find a comfort zone, they are often apprehensive about venturing into the business side. For those who are concerned, this isn’t like being in an episode of the Twilight Zone. Whether you work for an organization or team that recognizes the value of your business capabilities, adding or infusing the business element is key.
In his post, “Seven Traits of Successful Product Managers,” Michael Shrivathsan shares that with a business orientation, “They understand how to identify market opportunities, importance of competitive differentiation, creating winning product strategy, pricing and promotion, partnerships, analyzing P&L statements, and so on.”
Additionally, when product management and product marketing provides more business-oriented data and value, there’s an opportunity to lead vision, strategy and elevate sales and marketing with positioning that drives the business more than the product.
How Can I Get More Involved in the Business?
There’s numerous ways product management and product marketing can become involved. Here’s a list of things I’ve done or been involved in:
- Define a new business opportunity (in business terms) and how it could be impact company success
- Assess a complementary company for acquisition or partnership
- Lead a team to define and communicate a product marketing roadmap
- Review a company (not product) competitor and communicate your findings to sales leadership
- Lead a discussion with sales discovering their knowledge of buyer and user personas
NOTE: In some of these examples, you’ll may need team, management or executive sponsorship.
INNOVATION
The next attribute of triple threat leaders is innovation. Jeff Lash, VP of Product Portfolio Management for Elsevier shared, “If you want to be a good product manager, build a portfolio of innovation initiatives. Though many frequently think of innovation as being dramatic and substantial, most innovation is less groundbreaking and more about refining current ideas, processes, and systems.”
Innovation is one area in product management and product marketing where your strategic thinking is needed and backed by your knowledge of markets, your business and rational thinking. While innovative ideas may surface from almost any area of the organization, becoming a triple threat leader means you understand, vet, prioritize and engage to ensure the reality and impact of innovation initiatives are relevant and add value to the organization and company without interrupting strategy and roadmap commitments.
Backed with data that substantiates a plan to research and validate any innovation, product leaders dispel assumptions, refine or dismisses disruptive initiatives, and add a level of business and technology strength to innovation discussions.
How Can I Get More Involved in Innovation?
Getting involved in innovation initiatives is easier than you might think. While you may not have access to executive conversations, you can:
- Organize an innovation session with other internal collaborators
- Lead a session with Marketing to design the packaging of a new product
- Replace a product council with a strategy game session.
- Volunteer to create an innovation initiative process.
TECHNOLOGY
Understanding technology, products, trends and how they apply to problems people will pay to solve is the core of what product management and product marketing should do best. While product management is usually made up of technophiles who own and use every electronic gadget, software and tool available, many do not have an understanding of what problems a product solves, how it’s positioned, what the buying and selling process entails.
I believe every product management and product marketing person must have a sound understanding of the technology, but this must be backed up with an excellent knowledge of those non-technical aspects that bring credibility in conversations with those outside your building.
“One of the key things that separates Product Marketing from other forms of marketing is the depth of understanding of products/solutions. This deep level of understanding is critical when it comes to working with customers” shares April Dunford. “Product management is a big job and often product managers can be so focused on feature development they can’t put themselves into the shoes of the customer when it comes to communicating why someone should buy. Customers don’t care about features or technology or anything else that represents how you do what you do.”
How Can I Get A Better Understanding of the Products?
Depending on your background, experience and current product orientation, gaining a better understanding depends on what you need. If you’re technical, you need more strategic marketing or product marketing oriented knowledge. If you’re less technical, you may need a plan to improve your knowledge of the product(s). Either way, this will support your triple threat opportunities. Here’s a list of things you can do:
More Technical?
- Connect with Sales Engineering or Services and join them on calls and listen to the positioning used with your product
- Interview several customers to understand why they bought from you and what the buying process was like
- Ask your executive sponsor to give you the elevator pitch about your product or service
- Read the Gobbledygook Manifesto and apply its principles
Less Technical?
- Connect with Sales Engineering and ask how they are on-boarded. Review any materials, videos and demos
- Join the sales team on prospect calls and listen to how your product is demonstrated and positioned
- Meet with the technical writing team and ask them to describe the most important features of the last release
Creating a Triple Threat Strategy
Becoming a triple threat product leader requires a personal strategy. Looking at the image above. Are their areas where you excel, are adept or even an expert? Take time to reflect and honestly assess where you are and what you need. Create a list of things you want to work on and socialize this with a mentor, manager or executive sponsor. Ask for their honest input and evaluation of your capabilities.
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As always, comments are welcome and I recognize the vast knowledge of experience in the product management and product marketing community.