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InsightHunt

Hunt the Insights

E

Ebi Atawodi

Director of Product Management, YouTube

YouTube (Google)

🎯 Product Strategy (2)🔍 User Research (1)⚡ Execution (1)

Key Takeaways

  • 1.A good vision must be lofty yet realistic, devoid of current technical limitations, and grounded in a potent user problem.
  • 2.Use the 'Once Upon a Time' storytelling framework to simplify complex product visions into a narrative everyone can understand.
  • 3.Practice 'Catfooding' alongside Dogfooding: don't just use your own product, religiously use your competitors' products to build product sense.
  • 4.Maintain a living 'Top 10 Things You Should Know' document that lists the most critical user problems and tech debt, rather than relying solely on new research for every cycle.
  • 5.Structure strategy documents as 'Insights -> Strategy -> Big Rocks' within a strict 2-page limit to force clarity.
  • 6.Evangelize vision in concentric circles: start with the core team, move to stakeholders, and finally present to leadership.
  • 7.Product management is the art of Clarity (removing noise) and Conviction (making the bet).

Methodologies(4)

🎯 Product Strategy

A storytelling framework that forces PMs to articulate the 'before' state, the catalyst for change, and the 'after' state of the world in simple, human terms. It translates complex product goals into a relatable journey.

Core Principles

  • 1.Start with 'Once upon a time...': Describe the current state of the world and the user's specific struggle.
  • 2.Introduce the catalyst: 'Then one day...' (insert the product launch or specific change).
  • 3.Describe the immediate impact: 'And because of that...' (the direct user benefit).
  • +2 more...

"If you got on a plane and the pilot was like, 'I don't really know where we're going... but trust me, we'll get there,' you probably would be thinking twice about staying on that flight."

#'once#time'#vision
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🔍 User Research

A living, collaborative document that lists the absolute most critical problems (qualitative, quantitative, and tech debt) facing the product. It serves as the source of truth for planning cycles.

Core Principles

  • 1.Maintain a living document: It is not a one-off presentation; it is updated quarterly.
  • 2.Crowdsource the problems: Ask cross-functional partners (Marketing, Eng, Design) to contribute their own lists of '10 things'.
  • 3.Include 'Product Debt': Infrastructure and tech debt are valid problems if they hinder the user experience.
  • +2 more...

"If I go around... and ask what are the top five problems for studio? They should all have the same answer. This says I've done my job."

#things#should#know'
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🎯 Product Strategy

A method of 'working backwards' where the PM writes the press headline or mocks up the app store update that would announce the finished product. It anchors the team on the final value proposition.

Core Principles

  • 1.Write the Headline: Draft the specific title you would see in a TechCrunch article or a major press release (e.g., 'Uber replaces your Clipper Card').
  • 2.Draft the Sub-head: Explain clearly what the launch is and why it matters in one sentence.
  • 3.Visualize the Entry Point: Don't just mock the UI; mock the App Store 'What's New' panel or the marketing hero image.
  • +1 more...

"Words are amazing, but a picture tells a thousand words... He literally took out a pencil and drew the future."

#'future#headline'#visualization
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⚡ Execution

A strict document format for strategic planning that prevents 'peanut buttering' resources across too many initiatives.

Core Principles

  • 1.Section 1: Insights (The Why): Based on the 'Top 10 Problems' and data.
  • 2.Section 2: Strategy/Approach (The How): The specific angle or leverage point the team will use to solve the problems.
  • 3.Section 3: Big Rocks (The What): Limit to 3-5 major initiatives. These are the boulders in the jar; the sand (small features) fills in around them.
  • +2 more...

"If I asked you to make me a cocktail, you would put ice in first... You would not put the drink and then put the ice or it will splash... that's how an endless roadmap looks to me."

#'insights-strategy-big#rocks'#2-pager
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