Think like a PM - 7 steps

When first transitioning from healthcare to the tech space, my mind was filled with ideas of the ideal. A magical solution that would solve all problems and completely overhaul the EMR system overnight. Very quickly I realized, solving the problem was not the first step, understanding the problem was. Here are a few key lessons I learnt on how to think like a PM.

1. Focus on the customer, not the solution - each person interacting with a product is different, and will have different experiences, pain points while using a product. The first step to thinking like a PM is to acknowledge that your job is to help the customer maximize his potential and not just create an ideal world solution inside the bubble of your own mind.

2. What exactly is the problem that you are trying to solve? Are you trying to reduce the time spent looking for some information, are you trying to create a visually easier experience while looking for some information or is your goal to create a tabular version of something that's in prose? Break the problem into little pieces to understand it completely and you might even get multiple product ideas out of it.

3. Get in the habit of creating different use case scenarios. How an executive uses email will be very different from a mom of 3 using her email. How an outpatient physician documents his daily notes will be very different from an ER physician. Understanding the nuances will help flesh out the features of any product.

4. Interviewing a customer is about asking the right questions and listening. Very often, we tend to ask leading questions - do you think a chatbot will reduce the time you spend on customer queries? Do you feel like you spend a lot of money for staffing your front desk? Ask open ended questions and analyze answers to get a deeper understanding of a customer’s workflow and irritation points.

5. A solution may be fantastic but it may not be realistic at a given point in time. An iPhone became possible only after the internet came into being. A laptop came into being only after microchips and lithium batteries came into being. AI, ChatGPT and Machine learning are driving solutions today that may not have been feasible a few years back. Stay current and stay real.

6. Validate your ideas with numbers Turn your great idea into a great product by paying attention to the metrics. How often do people sign up for your product, how likely are they to pay for it, how likely are they to recommend it to someone else, is there any other product on the market that already does this better or faster or cheaper?

7. Feedback and iterations are key to a successful product The first version of the product is not the last. You might not realized you missed a feature until you launched the prototype. Use feedback constructively to make changes and allow the product to evolve.

These key pointers have been at the core of my learning and execution of ideas, as I transition into the role of a product manager.