What is a Product Mindset & how to develop it❓

Product mindset is not rocket science. It’s a practice where you begin with below mentioned 3 steps:-

1. Identifying problems
2. Mapping goals
3. Understanding user’s need

Honestly, in my own personal experience, I started noticing problems in all the use cases which I was getting exposed to, during my interaction with all the apps ( I am working on documenting my pain points with Google Meet ).

In fact, as a PM you should be able to map the overall goal of the product with the identified problem & imagine yourself as a PM for that particular product & figure out the top 3 reasons why you would prioritize that particular problem over others.

It’s one of the most critical skillsets for a PM because you are going to make tons of crucial decisions in day-to-day practice. You can also refer to the above-mentioned 3 steps as a key framework for the PM. Understanding the problem in-depth will solve half of your struggle & smart prioritization will help in achieving the overall goals successfully.

Beware of jumping to a solution. It’s one of the most rookie mistakes which a PM does at times and doesn’t portray a Product mindset.

How to develop a Product Mindset?

1. Eat framework in your breakfast, lunch & dinner 🍜
   Repetition is key & to inculcate this habit, you need to ensure that you are creating a template for yourself & addressing each problem statement based on that template. You can also create a weekly self-review to monitor your progress based on the kind of problems you address in that week & how you were able to prioritize them.
2. Question all the holy cows ❓
   Don’t hold back any question or assumption floating around in the organization. Ask as many questions as possible. Your ability to understand the problem in depth will be strengthened with this practice.
   Example: Let’s build this new login flow only for Android
   As a PM, you should question why only Android?
   Are Android users delivering more revenue?
   Are organization goals more aligned towards generating revenue or towards growth?
3. Apply framework in all kind of situations ✅
   It can be a good practice for a PM to look through the lens of the framework towards each problem statement official or personal. It will surely enhance your capability to address a different set of problems & nourish your decision-making skills.

Thanks for reading! If you’ve got ideas to contribute to this conversation please comment. If you like what you read and want to see more, clap me some love! Follow here, or connect with me on LinkedIn