Insights-Driven Product Strategy: Get your Research to Count
Summary
In this talk, Johanna Kollmann will discuss how true insights can inform product strategy, with direct impact on the roadmap and metrics. Drawing on her experience as a research lead and product manager, Johanna will share case studies and tools that are relevant for researchers, designers, and product leaders. Stick around to join the conversation and ask Johanna your questions during our post-session Q+A, moderated by Christian Crumlish.
Key Insights
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Research that only validates design artifacts risks being undervalued by product leadership focused on broader strategic outcomes.
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Separating research questions from interview questions improves research clarity, collaboration, and outcome relevance.
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Insights must go beyond facts to explain why something happens and its meaning for product or business strategy.
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Confirmation bias from domain experts turned product managers can hinder objective interpretation of research data.
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A simple collaborative analysis tool mapping observations, meanings, and business relevance facilitates insight development and shared understanding.
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Framing insight headlines in terms of strategic goals like adoption garners more leadership attention than tactical usability language.
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Strategic insights can reveal systemic blockers outside the immediate product team’s control but crucial for impact, requiring escalation.
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Visual tools like quadrant diagrams enable non-traditional product managers to communicate research-based priorities effectively with leadership.
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Human-centric metrics such as employee well-being and client relationships complement business metrics and support successful digital transformation adoption.
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Performance forums that integrate research, design, product management, and analytics facilitate alignment on mission-level goals and coordinated action.
Notable Quotes
"The product leadership really doesn’t see the value in research and they’re thinking about shutting the research team down."
"Research was completely evaluative and tactical, positioned as serving design by validating wireframes and high fidelity prototypes."
"Design strategy focuses on providing a framework for developing design solutions that support a given product strategy, whereas product strategy addresses the business model, the roadmap, and prioritizing requirements - Frank Guo."
"The most significant source of confusion is the difference between research questions and interview questions - Erica Hall."
"Insights are unexpected discoveries about how things work and how to make them work better - Gary Klein."
"Confirmation bias is when we ignore or explain away data that doesn’t support what we already believe - Nina Belk."
"If you frame it as poor first experience risks a negative impact on adoption, you get way more eyeballs and attention."
"The service wasn’t achieving the impact it was set out to have because the regulations governing everything else were not fit for purpose."
"A simple quadrant diagram helped our product manager tell the story to leadership and made him look good."
"What we measure is super important because it determines what people pay attention to. Without governance, priorities and ratings become outdated."
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