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Start for freeThe Truth About Product Reviews
Product reviews are a crucial part of the product development process, but many product managers (PMs) approach them with misconceptions that can hinder their effectiveness. This article explores unconventional strategies for conducting successful product reviews, based on insights from Mika, a product lead at Figma, and Yuki, who leads the product team at Figma.
Common Misconceptions About Product Reviews
Many PMs believe that product reviews are primarily for making decisions between different options or getting approval to move forward with a project. However, this perspective often leads to suboptimal outcomes.
The Real Purpose of Product Reviews
The most important outcome of a product review is not just making a decision, but building trust and winning over key stakeholders. This shift in focus can dramatically improve the effectiveness of your product reviews and lead to better long-term results.
Unconventional Strategies for Effective Product Reviews
1. Start with the Punchline
Traditional advice often suggests building up context gradually before presenting your main ideas. However, this approach can lead to disengaged stakeholders and wasted time.
Why It Works
Starting with the most controversial or interesting aspects of your proposal immediately captures attention and encourages engagement. It allows you to focus the discussion on the most critical elements of your presentation.
How to Implement
- Present your key recommendations or insights within the first 20% of your deck or the first five minutes of your review.
- Use title cards with clear points of view rather than generic headings.
- Consider using an "alignment widget" to identify areas of misalignment early in the discussion.
2. Create a Memorable Meme
Instead of trying to cover all bases with extensive information, focus on creating a memorable concept or statistic that can spread virally within your organization.
Why It Works
A well-crafted meme or striking statistic can create emotional attachment to your idea and make it more likely to gain traction both internally and externally.
How to Implement
- Develop an internal brand or catchphrase for your project (e.g., Figma's use of "flies" for their slides product).
- Identify a single, powerful statistic that encapsulates the need for your product or feature.
- Use this meme or statistic consistently in your communications about the project.
3. Share Your Gut Instinct
When faced with unexpected questions, resist the urge to defer all answers to a later time. Instead, be willing to share your initial thoughts, even if they're not fully formed.
Why It Works
Sharing your gut instinct demonstrates confidence, saves time, and allows for immediate alignment or identification of misunderstandings.
How to Implement
- When asked a question you're not fully prepared for, preface your response with "Based on my current understanding..." or "My initial thought is..."
- Use thought experiments to explore potential outcomes without committing to a specific course of action.
- Be transparent about the limitations of your current knowledge while still providing valuable insights.
4. Embrace Skepticism
Instead of focusing solely on the positive aspects of your proposal, demonstrate that you've thoroughly considered potential drawbacks and challenges.
Why It Works
Addressing potential issues proactively builds credibility and shows that you've thought deeply about the proposal. It also preempts concerns that stakeholders might have.
How to Implement
- Include a section in your presentation that explicitly addresses potential drawbacks or challenges.
- For each identified problem, present a potential solution or mitigation strategy.
- Use data and user research to support both the positive aspects of your proposal and your approach to addressing concerns.
5. Recognize the Limitations of Product Reviews
While product reviews are important, they are not the be-all and end-all of product development. The work you do outside of these formal meetings is often more crucial to your success.
Why It Works
Understanding the true role of product reviews allows you to focus on building trust and momentum rather than fixating on getting immediate approval.
How to Implement
- Use product reviews as opportunities to build trust and alignment rather than solely seeking formal approval.
- Continue to make progress on your project between reviews, demonstrating value and building momentum.
- Look for opportunities to showcase your work in real-world scenarios, even if it's not yet perfect (e.g., using an early version of a product for an internal presentation).
Case Study: Figma Slides
The development and launch of Figma Slides provides an excellent example of how these unconventional strategies can be applied in practice.
Creating a Memorable Meme
The product team initially referred to the project as "flies," which quickly became an internal meme. This quirky name created emotional attachment within the company and generated excitement when the product was eventually announced publicly.
Embracing Skepticism
The team went through multiple iterations of their product pitch, each time addressing potential concerns and demonstrating the depth of their research:
- An initial hackathon prototype generated excitement but wasn't enough to secure approval.
- A more formal product review that compared Figma Slides to competitors still didn't get the green light.
- The final vision pitch included extensive user research, clear solutions to identified pain points, and explicit consideration of challenging design decisions.
Recognizing the Limitations of Product Reviews
Despite positive feedback from the vision pitch, the team didn't receive an immediate "green light." Instead, they focused on making the product more real:
- They used an early version of Figma Slides for a high-stakes internal sales kickoff presentation.
- This real-world demonstration built trust and momentum, ultimately leading to the product's launch at a major company event.
Key Takeaways for Product Managers
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Focus on building trust: The primary goal of a product review should be to win the trust of your stakeholders, not just to secure a decision.
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Start with the punchline: Capture attention early by presenting your most interesting or controversial ideas upfront.
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Create memorable concepts: Develop internal branding or striking statistics that can spread virally within your organization.
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Share your thinking process: Be willing to offer your gut instinct on unexpected questions, even if your thoughts aren't fully formed.
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Address potential issues proactively: Demonstrate that you've thoroughly considered drawbacks and challenges to build credibility.
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Look beyond the review: Recognize that the work you do outside of formal reviews is often more important than the reviews themselves.
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Demonstrate real-world value: Find opportunities to showcase your product in action, even if it's not yet perfect.
Conclusion
By challenging conventional wisdom about product reviews, you can create more engaging, productive, and ultimately successful presentations. Remember that stakeholders are human beings with limited attention spans and emotional responses. By tailoring your approach to these realities, you can build the trust necessary to move your projects forward and achieve your product goals.
Implementing these strategies may feel uncomfortable at first, as they go against much of the traditional advice given to product managers. However, by focusing on building trust, engaging your audience, and demonstrating the real-world value of your ideas, you'll be better equipped to navigate the complex landscape of product development and secure support for your initiatives.
Ultimately, the success of your product doesn't hinge on a single review or presentation. It's the culmination of your team's hard work, your ability to build relationships and trust with stakeholders, and your capacity to turn ideas into tangible value for users. By approaching product reviews with these principles in mind, you'll be well-positioned to drive innovation and create products that truly resonate with your target audience.
Article created from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1coI_d9MsQ
