Kamal is a product manager in a IoT based energy analytics company called SafeHomes. The company hit a jackpot when they launched their first product suite for intelligently managing home security systems. SafeHomes has a client base of over 1000 home owners. They have successfully deployed and supported their customers and generated healthy revenues within 3 years of launching their products.
SafeHomes is now looking to build a platform to effectively integrate, manage and deliver intelligent, customized and timely insights to their users on managing and monitoring their home security as well as penetrate new markets like offices. This new platform is expected to take SafeHomes to their next level of business and growth.
Kamal has recently moved into the role of a Product Manager for this new platform. He used to be one of the early developers of the intelligent home security system and has seen the evolution of SafeHomes from its early days, to where it is today. He has the respect of all employees and the founders of the company who have now entrusted him with creating a vision of the future for SafeHomes. The new platform is at the heart of this vision.
He has been pondering over what the vision statement needs to be and how he can go about crafting it. Kamal is passionate about what he does and is keen to take on the mantle of setting SafeHomes on the path to become a reliable and successful building security product in the years to come.
What are some of the approaches that Kamal can take as he embarks on his journey of crafting a vision for SafeHomes products?
Suggested Solution:
Kamal can start of by doing the following
1. Talk to the founders to understand their thinking and why they want to have a new platform.
2.Understand from the founders, customers and key sales folks what their competition and product distinction will be when compared to similar products in the market.
3.Talk to key engineers to understand more about the solution.
4. Iterate through these conversations, keeping stakeholders and especially the founders involved, while using a template given below in order to build and continuously refine the product vision (or in this case platform vision).
5. Kamal should checkin with the founders to see if this template will help articulate the vision as they see it.
Template
This product is
for < Who are the users>
who <What is their need>;
the <product name>
is a <solution, product, capability, describe a few product adjectives>
that can <elaborate some more what the product does>.
Unlike <competitive or similar products that do (briefly state what)>;
our product <add the punch line of how your product is different from the others>
There are other ways to develop the vision too. I invite your comments and ideas. Please do post.
