Steve Johnson on product management

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Product management evangelist and guitar player.

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June 2011

 

The Top 7 Product Management Mistakes- And How To Avoid Them

Bad products are everywhere.  Products that simply aren’t useful, don’t work right, are too difficult to learn, or that take forever to sell.  Little wonder, as there are so many things that have to  go right in order to create a successful product.  There are, however, some pitfalls that occur so frequently and are so damaging that we believe they are at the root of the vast majority of bad products.  

via katelynfriedson.com

Good tips and ideas here. Enjoy!

Posted by Steve Johnson 
 

Agile: organization, movement, or philosophy? | All About Agile

No.  I may want it to be a philosophy, and it may be my personal philosophy.  But it is not a philosophy that is recognized by the general population.  Nor even a philosophy as recognized by the IT industry nor software developers. It is a movement.
via allaboutagile.com

Interesting thoughts on agile. For some it's a religion; for some, a philosophy. What do you think?

Posted by Steve Johnson 
 

Inside Apple's Retail Store Operation - Mac Rumors

According to several employees and training manuals, sales associates are taught an unusual sales philosophy: not to sell, but rather to help customers solve problems. "Your job is to understand all of your customers' needs - some of which they may not even realize they have," one training manual says. To that end, employees receive no sales commissions and have no sales quotas.

via macrumors.com

A friend shared this article with me and I was struck by the phrase "help customers solve problems" -- a common theme for Pragmatic Marketing alums. This may be the New Rule of Selling: Help people buy. Don't sell them or trick them.

Posted by Steve Johnson 
 

Flair

Many of my friends have heard me tell the tale of of "flair." Some of us have a flair of decorating and some have the skill of design.

Flare

Apparently this school for Graphics Design doesn't have a "flare" for spelling.

Posted by Steve Johnson 
 

Video Thursday: The trouble with Names--Bob Corrigan

"It's really hard to treat things whose names you know and whose stories you know with contempt." -- Bob Corrigan 

"Names are the hooks we hang ideas on."--Al Ries and Jack Trout.

Posted by Steve Johnson