🖊️Write to clarify your thinking, switch from feature to impact teams & discovery principles / PM Snacks #27

Learn about many benefits of writing, how Malt switched from feature to impact teams, some important discovery principles and more...

1️⃣ From Feature teams to Impact teams
Feb 2021 • 7 min read • #execution #organisation
A firsthand testimony of how Malt switched from the traditional feature teams to the impact ones. Johan reminds us of the problems they were facing: scopes without teams, always chasing new features w/o iterating. If it rings a bell, you should definitely read it. Here are some of the changes they made: 
1/ Stopped complaining about PM lacking time for discovery, and changed the method. Delivery is now owned by the tech team. A sidenote: tech should also be involved in discovery IMO.
2/ Named the assumptions & made discovery visible. In their case, they have a wiki with all the current experimentations, user interviews, etc...

2️⃣ Why There’s No Single “Right” Way to Do Discovery: Part 1
Feb 2021 • 28 min read • #discovery #principles
Teresa Torres writes incredible content but in long form. If you don't like it, I still recommend to read this one or watch the video version. Basically she explains why should not impose a (discovery) method on your team but a few principles instead: 
1/ Make the decisions collaborative within a small group. Most probably the product trio: PM (business & viability), Design Lead (experience & usability), Tech Lead (feasibility). You want diverse opinions & all the experts at the table. It makes no sense to reproduce a waterfall process: the PM gather ideas, decide on a scope, write tickets, then the designer build prototypes & design, then the engineers build the solution.
2/ Externalise your thinking: make it visible & articulated, through an opportunity solution tree, a board or a wireframe. It is like writing (article 4️⃣), it will help clarify your thinking and align people.
3/ Focus on outcomes: connect your thinking to the company's outcomes but focus on the ones the product team can impact. Measure w/ leading indicators rather than lagging. 

3️⃣ User Onboarding: The Ultimate Guide for SaaS Founders
Jan 2021 • 9 min read • #marketing #design #timetovalue
Last week I shared content to help you better communicate product changes. One of the best tool is to actually onboard your users in the app. You want them: to be autonomous, build a personal connection, and to find value in your product faster. In this article you'll have an overview of the different channels & materials from empty states to guided tours, and a few links to deep dive. Also, a work sheet to start planning it.

4️⃣ Writing Is Like An Exoskeleton For The Brain
Feb 2021 • 6 min read • #manageyourself #thinking 
I agree w/ everything Rémi is describing in his new article about the benefits of writing. But in my opinion this is actually the best (available) exoskeleton example. My favorites benefits: discovering my thoughts, speaking with more fluidity (thanks to editing). 

5️⃣ Portrait of a Clubhouse skeptic
Feb 2021 • 10 min read • #productculture #strategy
I must confess that I'm one of the skeptics. I prefer slow consumption to scan through the content, choose my pace & deep dive when I'm hooked: newsletter > realtime news, youtube video > going to a conference, podcast > live conversations. But Clubhouse is such an interesting startup for many reasons: 
1/ it's so easy to create technically (they use a service for the audio streaming & twitter already made a clone) but their network effect is their biggest moat. 
2/ it's the most convincing example of how VCs can impact a company's fate. For months, high profiles from Andreessen Horowitz were connecting every night. Basically a self-fulfilling prophecy.
3/ it's a good reminder of why context matters. They started in the perfect period: a perfect replacement of meetups & sillicon valley networking events during a lockdown. They chose their niche very well.
4/ it's a refreshing low-tech take: it's easy to start compared to podcasts (no expensive gig), conversations feel more personal (but often boring), commitment is low (you can tune in & do other things)

Btw, if you have an iPhone and want to try the app, I've (only) 8 invites. Just hit reply with your phone number.

❇️  When and how to start an e-commerce subscription
Feb 2021 • 53 min listen • #strategy #acquisition #satisfaction #french
I was lucky enough to be invited in a podcast with the co-founder of "Les petits culottés", a baby diapers subscription with amazing results: 20k clients, retention of 2.5y on avg & 5.0 satisfaction 🤩. We covered many topics: 
1/ When and how to start a subscription business (tip: you need to invoice at least 40€ a month to cover the logistics)
2/ Best acquisitions strategies
3/ How to scale customer care & satisfaction (w/ some tips from my ManoMano era)
   
A warm welcome to the 29 new subscribers, we are now 1474 readers strong!

Thank you for reading me.
Have a great week!

Olivier Courtois 
10y+ in product, currently coach, advisor & podcast host

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