The Power of Empirical Evidence in Product Roadmap Decision-Making
We’ve all been there – sitting in a meeting, presenting a product roadmap that’s been carefully crafted, only to be met with skepticism and tough questions. It’s a familiar scenario, and one that can be challenging to navigate. But what if you could silence the doubters and confidently defend your roadmap decisions? The answer lies in empirical evidence.
What is Empirical Evidence?
Empirical evidence is data or information that can be physically observed or measured. It’s factual, not based on personal opinions or biases. As a product manager, you can collect empirical evidence through observational studies, testing, and analytics software. By leaning on empirical evidence, you can speak from a position of authority and minimize the potential for pushback.
Facts vs. Opinions
Opinions are nice, but they can only take you so far. When it comes to making decisions about your product roadmap, it’s essential to separate facts from opinions. Think like an attorney – they don’t rely on opinions to win cases; they gather proof and present evidence.
Let’s consider two scenarios to illustrate the difference:
Opinion-Based Example
Jane, a product manager, is questioned about her product roadmap. She becomes defensive, citing opinions and assumptions about what customers want. The conversation quickly spirals out of control, with team dynamics and personal opinions taking center stage.
Fact-Based Example
Emily, a product manager, is also questioned about her roadmap. But she’s prepared. She cites detailed statistics about customer engagement, loyalty, and revenue. She presents data from customer surveys and market testing, and her colleagues are impressed by her thoroughness. The conversation stays focused on what the customers want and need.
Creating Proof for Your Product
So, how do you create proof for your product? It starts with understanding your customer. You need to know their wants, needs, and pain points. This requires emotional intelligence, empathy, and a willingness to listen.
Once you’ve researched your customer, communicate your findings to your teams. Create personas, gather addressable market statistics, and ask your sales and marketing teams for data. Evaluate customer feedback channels and compile all the facts and stats into a common location.
Gathering Empirical Evidence
To gather empirical evidence, follow these steps:
- Research addressable market statistics relevant to your product domain and target users.
- Ask your sales or marketing teams for statistics on sales conversion funnels, Net Promoter Score (NPS), and more.
- Analyze behavioral engagement statistics for digital products, such as new vs. returning users, bounce rates, and page views.
- Evaluate customer feedback channels to identify problems that your product can solve.
- Compile all the facts and stats into a common location for easy reference.
Planning Your Product
With your empirical evidence in hand, you can plan your product with confidence. Conduct a customer journey mapping session to identify the features you need and the features you think customers want. Segment those features into two groups: must-haves and nice-to-haves.
Sketch early designs and test them with customers or a group of people with similar characteristics. Once your product is live, continue testing and iterating, focusing on both existing features and new ones.
Summary
In product planning, it’s essential to balance emotional intelligence with empirical evidence. By gathering facts and stats, you can prove why your product roadmap is valid. You’ll be able to stand tall, knowing you’ve built a solid case, and ask your stakeholders to render a decision in your favor.