Field Notes

Last updated: 14 Feb 2021

On Customer Empathy

Nicole Westman - The Verge

• As a user, the system I use should work for me instead of me having to work the system.
• A great recent example is techies and volunteers banding up to create easy to use websites that scrape COVID vaccination appointments from multiple locations into one place.
• Their efforts made it easier, especially for older folk, to find appointments and sign up for them.
• Examples - New York, California, Massachusetts.
• Follow on reading Normcore Tech, NYTimes.

Why Product Strategy Fails

Freek Vermeulen - HBR

• Real strategy is a clear set of choices - what we’re going to do and what not going to do
• Many so called ‘strategies’ are in fact goals or priorities (increase revenue in X)
• Clear strategy - (1) we’re going to address X (2) for Y (3) so that they can do Z
• Everyone is aligned - imagine your team is wildly successful in 3 years. What does that look like?
• Empower the team to create bottom up initiatives within the purview of these choices (instead of pushing top down)
• Also see Julie Zhou’s excellent How to be Strategic and this LinkedIn post

Unglue Your Strategy

Rita Gunther McGrath - HBR

• Competitive advantage is transient
• Abandon the idea that stability in business is the norm
• Embrace continuous change, avoid rigidity
• Strategy should be fluid, customer centric, less industry bound

Target Market Roulette

Marc Gruber, Sharon Tal - WhereToPlay

• A real life case study to evaluate market opportunities, target market and first move
• Also see Steve Blank’s explainer

Four Types of Markets

Steve Blank - WSJ

• There are 4 types of markets - Existing, Resegmented, New, Clone
• Know the market you are in - it is important
• Strategy and tactics for one market type seldom work for another
• Tools like customer discovery prove vital