A product manager's work is never done. While the product backlog is not a wishlist, chances are that you'll have some stories that are better defined than others. This is especially true in the early stages of a big project. It can also happen with a new team - or if you're new to an existing team. And there may be pressure to start pushing stories to the development … [Read more...] about Put your clearest stories at the top of the backlog
Archives for November 2022
How to maintain momentum in product development
As product managers, we aren’t just filling the backlog with stories and assigning them to the product team. We aren’t just saying what the priorities are, and answering questions about what this story is all about. Because if that’s what we’re mostly doing, the product team may start to question what these stories are all about. Asking why stories need to exist. And … [Read more...] about How to maintain momentum in product development
Using spikes to gain confidence in stories
In “How to prioritise when everything is a priority”, I talked about risks: Risks: areas where there is uncertainty, and that could trip you up if they are looked at too late. Picking these up sooner gets them out of the way and helps increase confidence in completing the remainder of the stories. It’s normal for a new team to feel that there is uncertainty everywhere. … [Read more...] about Using spikes to gain confidence in stories
Using user story statements to focus on outcome over output
An important part of product management is understanding the difference between output and outcome. Here’s a definition: An output describes the result of an activity a company carries out, but which does not have a measurable impact on its customers. An outcome is the actual added value that results from the output for the target group. Source: Workpath - … [Read more...] about Using user story statements to focus on outcome over output
Finding out why a request matters
When you’re asked for a change to your product, it might come in the form of a request to do something specific - such as adding a checkbox or a dropdown. It can be tempting to say “yes” and get the change made - particularly for what appears to be a relatively small thing. It’s nice to make people happy! Before you do that, you need to understand why this request is … [Read more...] about Finding out why a request matters