🎙️ Pod Shots - Bitesized Podcast Summaries

This week we’re covering a recent episode of Aakash Gupta’s podcast with Jason Knight, a seasoned product expert with over 25 years in tech. Jason covers all things B2B, a world far removed from the idealised Product scenarios we often read about.

⚒️ Dealing with the Messy Reality of B2B Product Management

🎥Watch the full episode here

📆 Published: August 26th, 2024

🕒 Estimated Reading Time: 2.5 mins. Time saved: 95 mins🔥

🌊 The Myth of Perfection: Why You Can't Do It All

In the idealised world of product management, there's a checklist of best practices: being agile, leveraging lean methodologies, perfect continuous discovery, awesome A-B tests, forever iterating based on feedback, the list goes on. The reality? It's not possible to do everything perfectly all the time.

Jason Knight aptly points out that the narrative of failure if you don't "do it all" needs to be discarded. The truth is, reality isn’t like that and product managers are often faced with conflicting demands from different stakeholders. Pleasing everyone is impossible, and trying to do so can lead to burnout and a mediocre product.

Takeaway: Sod the "ideal product manager" checklist. Focus on what's most important for your product, team and the situation you find yourself in.

🎯 Navigating Sales-Led Growth: Balancing Customer Needs and Product Strategy

In many B2B environments, the pressure to grow revenue can lead to a reactive product strategy where the product team becomes more of a delivery function than a strategic leader. Sales teams, incentivised to close deals, may push product managers to implement specific features to win a deal, even if it doesn't align with the long-term product vision (or even actually close the deal…)

This dynamic often results in a product that's a patchwork of customer requests, leading to a lack of focus and scalability. Jason emphasises the importance of drawing boundaries where possible and knowing when to say no to requests that don't fit within your product's strategic vision.

Takeaway: Work closely with stakeholders but maintain your product's strategic integrity. Prioritise features that align with your long-term vision and scalability rather than succumbing to every customer request.

🛠️ Chipping Away at the Status Quo: The Reality of Organizational Change

For many new product managers, the reality of their role often doesn't match the expectations set by industry literature. You might find yourself stuck in an order-taker role, battling to implement best practices in an environment that resists change. But as Jason points out, change doesn't happen overnight. It requires chipping away at the status quo, one small improvement at a time.

Understanding the specific context of your organisation is crucial. Whether it's a sales-led culture or an industry where product management is still maturing, your approach needs to be tailored.

Takeaway: Set realistic expectations and focus on incremental improvements. If you're in an environment that doesn't support the product management practices you value, consider whether you can influence change or if it’s time to move on.

💡 Product Discovery: The Art of Asking the Right Questions

Product discovery is often hailed as a critical practice, but in B2B, it comes with its own set of challenges. Unlike B2C, where the end-user and buyer are often the same person, B2B product managers must balance the needs of buyers (who may never use the product) and users (who may not influence purchasing decisions).

Jason suggests that while product managers should definitely engage in discovery, they must also collaborate with sales and customer success teams to gather a holistic view of customer needs. This collaboration ensures that the insights gathered are not only comprehensive but also relevant to the current business context.

Takeaway: Product discovery in B2B requires a collaborative approach. Integrate insights from across your organisation to build a fuller picture of customer needs and use cases.

🔥 The Perils of Prioritisation: Avoiding the Feature Factory Trap

Prioritising features is one of the most challenging aspects of product management, especially in a B2B context. Traditional frameworks like RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort) can be helpful, but they often fall short when applied in isolation. According to Jason, these methods can lead to a focus on smaller, disconnected features that don't necessarily drive the product forward in a meaningful way (would Apple have built the iPhone this way??).

Instead, he advocates for a swinging for the fences and is also a fan of user a story mapping approach, where the focus is on end-to-end user journeys and use cases rather than isolated features. This method helps ensure that what you're building actually delivers value to the user and aligns with your broader product strategy.

Takeaway: Prioritise user journeys over individual features. Use frameworks as a guide, but don't let them dictate your strategy. Focus on the bigger picture and ensure that what you're building is cohesive and impactful.

📈 Looking Ahead: The Future of B2B Product Management

As B2B product management evolves, Jason sees a growing need for product managers to deepen their understanding of the business side of things. This includes areas like go-to-market strategy, pricing, packaging, and even the company's financial health. Product managers who can bridge the gap between product and business will be better positioned to drive their products forward.

Moreover, Jason hopes to see more product managers rise to C-level positions, bringing their unique perspective to the broader leadership team. This shift would not only elevate the role of product management but also ensure that product thinking is embedded in the company’s overall strategy.

Takeaway: To succeed in the future, product managers need to become business-savvy leaders. Focus on understanding the broader business context and work towards integrating product thinking into the company’s strategic decision-making process.

Want to know more quickly? Just ask the episode below [web only]👇️🤯
or if you prefer, 🎥Watch the full episode here

📅Timestamps:

• [00:02:39] Messy reality of B2B product management.

• [00:11:55] Unrealized workplace expectations.

• [00:13:49] Confidence meter and decision-making.

• [00:17:40] Challenging conventional wisdom in product.

• [00:22:33] B2B product management pitfalls.

• [00:30:28] Product managers' accountability for delivery.

• [00:36:13] Product management challenges.

• [00:41:49] Working under organizational constraints.

• [00:50:01] Building for scale.

• [00:55:15] Importance of Customer Coordination.

• [01:03:04] Building organizational alignment.

• [01:08:16] Building a product strategy.

• [01:15:13] Prioritizing Use Cases Over Features.

• [01:18:09] Taking big swings in product management.

• [01:19:36] Product leadership development.