I want to know how to get my product team to support efforts outline the desired product benefits, so we can discuss a marketing plan earlier in the process. I'd also like advice on how to let them know, in as kind a way as possible, that some improvements/repairs should probably not be launched because it's the natural progression of our product's capabilities.

PART 1: DOCUMENTING AND TESTING PRODUCT BENEFITS   The product's team job is to lay out the Minimum Viable Product and the ideal scenario and technology of what's available. A strong product marketer can take the minimum product specifications, speak to potential customers and figure out which product benefits resonate most with them, then build the marketing plan from there. If you're having problems getting the main idea, show them the benefits of a prototype and how it can help shape their pr ...Read More

If there is one thing I've learned in my time at Intercom it is to ALWAYS start with the problem statement. This is ingrained deeply into how we solve problems, and it really stems from how our product team builds product. At the core, never start with the solution - always start by outlining the problem you are trying to solve. My colleague Robbie does a great job of explaining this philosophy here. The main takeaways are:1. Define the outcome the customer wants2. Define why they want that outc ...Read More

I'll start with the first question around working with your PM team to get a sense of what's launching and product benefits. If your product team does not already do this, definitely work with them to see if they can develop a PRD or some form of product documentation that outlines the problem the product is trying to solve and what the solution will be. Here's an example I found quickly on Coda: https://coda.io/@john/prd. This is an important asset that all stakeholders across engineering, desi ...Read More

This looks like 2 questions, but it goes back to your relationship with product managers - you need to make sure they bring you into the process very early on when they are prototyping the feature/product. You want to understand what they are trying to solve, so you can align on what the GTM could look like. You also need to have an honest discussion on why they think these small enhancements deserve a big push if you believe they don't need a bigger GTM. It goes back to the t-shirt sizing exerc ...Read More