Baby Steps and Step Back
Cauvin has a great series going on positioning. He started out the set of posts by focusing in on what a PM should do when they first arrive at a company, from what I could gather. I think it’s a good list, and well thought out. I wanted to add a first step that I think is important as well:
Take a deep breath, and a huge step back.
Realize that you have no freaking clue what is going on in that organization. No sense of culture, no sense of what’s been done in the past. You should not put the pressure on yourself to start, and then 1-2 weeks later present how to better position the product.
From where I am, it makes more sense to spend time taking the first task with which you are charged, and burying yourself in it. Don’t worry about talking to marcom about sell sheets. Worry about the fact your are climbing Mt. Everest in your underwear, and you have a ton of things to see and learn and figure out. And it’s going to be cold.
Other than that, Cauvin’s first post and his set of questions are a great foundation for a service or a product analysis. Obviously (as he mentioned), there are tons more in detail, and I would include on mine:
- What’s the vision as it currently stands for the product?
- What is the price / ROI model, and who owns it?
- Does a marketing plan exist, and who owns it?
- Is there a product dev plan, and who owns it?
Again, this list goes on and on. HMMM — I just had an idea. More to come on that.
Good work, Cauvin - I love these types of things. Keep it up!
