What’s a Product First Approach?

A product-first approach in Product Management is a focus on delivering the best possible product experience and outcomes for the customer. It prioritizes the product and its features, design, user experience, and technical excellence. In this approach, the Product Manager is responsible for defining the product vision, roadmap, and requirements, and ensuring that the product is developed and delivered in a way that meets customer needs and exceeds their expectations.

This approach is often used when the product has a clear target market and a well-defined set of requirements, or when the goal is to deliver a product that is highly differentiated and provides a unique value proposition to customers. A product-first approach emphasizes the importance of designing and developing a product that is easy to use, meets customer needs, and provides a positive experience for the user.

The key to success with a product-first approach is to have a deep understanding of the customer and their needs, and to use that understanding to inform every aspect of the product development process. This requires close collaboration between the Product Manager, the development team, and other stakeholders, to ensure that the product is designed, built, and delivered in a way that meets the needs of the customer.

Whats a People First Approach?

A people-first approach in Product Management prioritizes the people behind the product, including the team, customers, and stakeholders. It emphasizes empathy, collaboration, and communication, and is focused on creating a supportive and empowering environment for the team and ensuring that everyone is engaged and invested in the success of the product.

In this approach, the Product Manager is responsible for building strong relationships with team members, customers, and stakeholders, and ensuring that their perspectives and needs are understood and incorporated into the product development process. The focus is on creating a culture of collaboration and communication, where team members feel supported and empowered to contribute their best work.

A people-first approach is often used when the product and its goals are less well-defined, or when the team is working in an environment with high levels of uncertainty and complexity. By prioritizing the people behind the product, Product Managers can foster a culture of collaboration and teamwork, and ensure that everyone is aligned and working towards a common goal.

The key to success with a people-first approach is to create an environment of trust, where team members feel valued and supported, and to ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities. This requires close collaboration between the Product Manager and the development team, as well as regular communication and engagement with customers and stakeholders, to ensure that everyone is aligned and working towards a common goal.

So, what’s better?

Both a product-first approach and a people-first approach have their merits and limitations. Ultimately, the answer to what’s more important will depend on the specific context, goals, and objectives of the product and the team.

In most cases, the best approach is to strike a balance between both, taking a product-first approach when developing the product and a people-first approach when building and leading the team. By focusing on both the product and the people, Product Managers can deliver successful products that meet customer needs, while also building strong, motivated teams that are engaged and invested in the success of the product.

One example of a company that prioritizes a people-first approach in Product Management is Zappos. Zappos is known for its customer-centric culture, where employees are encouraged to put the customer first in everything they do. This culture is reflected in the company’s approach to Product Management, where the focus is on creating a supportive and empowering environment for the team, and ensuring that everyone is engaged and invested in the success of the product. By doing what it does, Zappos has been able to create a strong and motivated team that is aligned and working towards a common goal, and has helped to drive customer satisfaction and business success.

On the other hand, an example of a company that prioritizes a product-first approach in Product Management is Apple, which is known for its focus on design and innovation, and for delivering products that are highly differentiated and provide a unique value proposition to customers. This focus is reflected in the company’s approach to Product Management, where the focus is on delivering the best possible product experience and outcomes for the customer. This has helped the company to drive customer satisfaction and business success, and has contributed to its reputation as a leader in innovation and design.

Thus, overall – it makes no sense to choose one over the other arbitrarily.