AMA: Twilio Segment Staff Product Manager, SDKs and Libraries, Tasha Alfano on Product Management KPIs

I’ve worked with developer focused tooling for almost 7 years so I know exactly what you mean here. On almost every new feature or product our teams put into motion, we have a huge list of factors to consider such as security, legal, or billing. For developer tooling, there’s usually no change to pricing or billing, no new SKU. Does that mean these types of products don't provide value? No way! Libraries, SDKs, APIs, CLIs, and other developer focused tools are a huge part of the overall product. ...Read More

The partnership with Product Marketing is one of the most important functions when it comes to rolling out a successful product. Don’t read too much into the last part of that statement though, a Product Marketing Manager (PMM) is a crucial teammate to include from the start, not just at launch time. If I know who I will be working with in advance, I tag them in Product Requirements Documents or other important materials. Sharing context from the beginning is so important!  As far as the KPIs go ...Read More

In the past I've worked on new library launches, major upgrades, and I'm actually in the process of an end of life (EOL) effort right now. While these types of efforts have their own nuances, the core principles remain the same.  Transparency - When working on developer tools you have to maintain the highest level of transparency possible. Systems, developer workflows, and customer data can all be dependent on these tools and their interfaces. Communication - The way and the cadence that you dis ...Read More

The framework I use for setting KPIs for a new product or area typically looks something like this: Framing: I think big picture about the product, what is the purpose, and how can I measure whether or not we are tracking towards that ultimate purpose. This can even be thought of in terms of a user story, “As an [x] user, I want to be able to [y], so that [z].” Brainstorming: I like to start with many different categories that we can consider for KPIs such as usage, adoption, customer sentiment ...Read More

Developer Audience - now we are talking! As someone who worked as an engineer using SDKs, then building SDKs, and then moved into Product Management, I have a lot of opinions on this! We can definitely think about a ‘developer persona’ the way we all have different personas for our respective products, but all developers are definitely not the same. Building for different development platforms can add another layer of differentiation and complexity as well.  I have a secret though, when you work ...Read More

Congratulations! I’ll answer your question with a few questions of my own. Purpose: What do you want to drive? What does your organization expect you to own? In Product Management there is a lot of autonomy, but it can also feel tempting to take on everything that needs an owner. Outcomes: If you don’t own a specific KPI, what will happen? In a year, will this KPI matter? What about in 3 years? Does the KPI support the goals of the business in a real way? I’d recommend starting with 2-3 target K ...Read More