AMA: Salesforce Senior Director of Product Management, Manjeet Singh on Product Strategy

I think strategy skills can be build and improved over time by continuous practice and asking the right questions. And build habit of thoughtfully writing your strategy again and again. Break down problems to their core elements and ask "why" questions repeatedly. Why are we building this AI product? What fundamental needs are we solving?Here are some good questions to ask when you start to Who is customers, what is their JTBD? Which big idea do we do? Which one best aligns with what is best for ...Read More

Short answer: When product strategy is successful, everyone can feel it easily (employees, customer, patterns..)Long answer: You know your product strategy is successful if it meets key performance indicators (KPIs) like revenue growth, user acquisition, and market share, while also achieving strategic milestones. High NPS and low churn rates, further signals success. Additionally, strong market response through user engagement and competitive positioning, coupled with solid financial performanc ...Read More

The core of product strategy is to answer the question "how you will differentiate"Once you have a differentiated offering (based on internal alignment) then you can validate over a period of time by:Track progress towards your success metrics: revenue growth, retention, customer acquisition..etc Talk and listen to customer. They will tell you if your product is heading in the right directionConduct market analysis to verify that your product addresses a real and sustainable market need, ensurin ...Read More

If your execs are pushing your product in a different direction from your customer & market input, try to understand why that is. In most cases, exec have some more insights than you do, either from customer conversation or through feedback from sales.They may be trying to pivot for where the market is going that doesn't quite map to where the market currently is. Or there may be a miscommunication or misunderstanding about what the market needs.  In each case, do your best to figure out why ...Read More

This is a 3 parts question, so let me take it one by one:Balancing user requests with optimal design: This comes down to mastering the art of prioritization as a PM. Pick a framework. For design I prioritize user requests based on frequency, impact, and alignment with product vision Conducting usability testing to validate design decisions, and have two version of design. A North Star to show end to end journey (to excite customer and cross functional team) and a smaller version that team can ac ...Read More

Great Question. I focus on three key areas: continuous innovation, deep customer understanding, and strategic differentiation. Here's my approach: Continuous Innovation: Maintain a robust product roadmap with both short-term improvements and long-term visionary features. Allocate resources for R&D and experimentation with emerging technologies, and encouraging ideation from all levels in the teams (product, design, dev). How you allocate varies based on your product stage.. but try to carve ...Read More

Markets trends works as your tailwind or headwind. You should be continosly scanning the macro and micros trends and make an educated guess of where the puck is going.. for example where the most VC investment is happening this year?Market trends help inform strategy by: Informs Direction: Market trends help identify emerging opportunities and threats, guiding the focus and direction of your product strategy. Aligns with Demand: By understanding trends, you can align your product with current an ...Read More

I typically use a multi-tiered reporting approach: Weekly: Brief updates to immediate team and key stakeholders Format: Short email or Slack update Content: High-level progress, blockers, and wins Bi-weekly: More detailed report to cross functional leads Format: Presentation or detailed dashboard Content: Deep dive into metrics, progress on key initiatives Monthly: Comprehensive report to executive leadership Format: Formal presentation with Q&A session Content: All key areas, with emphasis ...Read More

Stakeholder identification varies by the company size, culture, how decision making happens and types of the product (B2B vs B2C). But in general key stakeholders needing buy-in for your product strategy should include: Executive Leadership: Ensure alignment with company goals and secure support for strategic initiatives. Define the customer problem and the opportunity size. Sales and Marketing Teams: Collaborate to align the strategy with go-to-market plans and customer acquisition efforts. Pro ...Read More

First, Evaluate how disruptive gen AI is to your business If I don’t do anything, can competitors with gen AI make me obsolete? Creative work: advertising, design, gaming, media, entertainment A lot of document processing: legal, insurance, HR If I don’t do anything, will I miss out opportunities to boost revenue? Customer support: chat, call centers Search & recommendation Productivity enhancement: automated note-taking, summarization, information aggregation If there are opportunities, wha ...Read More

Focus on the Core, Expand with Purpose First focus on growing and protecting your core (what product area is a cash cow for your business). Always play by strength before expanding too thin and peanut spreading features just because competition is doing something. Some Key Strategies to find the balance: Invest in features that not only differentiate your product but also directly enhance user experience and satisfaction. This reinforces your core value proposition and strengthens customer loyal ...Read More

Here is my simplified formula to protect the strategy:Product Strategy Protection = (Clear Communication + Sales Enablement + Data-Driven Decision Making + Collaboration) * Leadership AlignmentBreakdown: Clear Communication: Effectively conveying the product vision, target market, and value proposition to the sales team. Sales Enablement: Equipping the sales team with the necessary knowledge, skills, and tools to sell effectively to the target market. Data-Driven Decision Making: Using data to i ...Read More

Creating a successful strategy involves several key steps1. Market research + Customer and competitors insights2. Start defining Goals and Objective3. Develop positioning - Value props --> how you will differentiate4. Build and execution plan - short term and long term5. Define what success will look like and how we will track it6. Stakeholder alignment- identify, engage and align with key stakeholders throughout the process.7. Continuously track metrics and refine the strategy as needed.I kn ...Read More