optimal product process 2.0

8/17/2019 Optimal Product Process 2.0

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OPTIMAL PRODUCTPROCESS™

Second Edition, by Brian Lawley, CEO and Founder, 280 Group LLC

A Flexible Framework for Highly-Effective Product Management and

Product Marketing Across the Entire Product Lifecycle

280 GROUP PRESS

If you are interested in having the 280 Group deliver the contents of this paper and/or a presentation on the Strategic

Importance of Product Management and Product Marketing to your executive team, please email us at

[email protected] or call (408) 834-7518. We also offer in-depth Product Management consulting, contractors,

assessments, training, certifications, templates and books. Go to 280group.com for more information.

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2Copyright 2012-2014, 280 Group | 280group.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

OVERVIEW .........................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................6

A FLEXIBLE PRODUCT PROCESS FOR THE ENTIRE PRODUCT LIFECYCLE ..................................................8

THE SEVEN PHASE OPTIMAL PRODUCT PROCESS ............................................................................... 10

Phase I: Conceive .................................................................................................................................... 11

Phase II: Plan ........................................................................................................................................... 11

Phase III: Develop .................................................................................................................................... 12

Phase IV: Qualify ..................................................................................................................................... 12

Phase V: Launch ...................................................................................................................................... 13

Phase VI: Maximize ................................................................................................................................. 13

Phase VII: Retire ...................................................................................................................................... 13

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE OPTIMAL PRODUCT PROCESS .................................................. 15

ANSWERING THE CRITICAL PRODUCT QUESTIONS AT THE RIGHT TIME .............................................. 16

ACHIEVING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT ........................................................................................ 18

APPLYING THE OPTIMAL PRODUCT PROCESS .................................................................................... 19

THE FUTURE OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT ........................................................................................ 20

APPENDIX A: SOLUTIONS FOR EVERY STAGE OF YOUR CAREER ......................................................... 21

APPENDIX B: CREATORS OF THE OPTIMAL PRODUCT PROCESS .......................................................... 22

APPENDIX C: OTHER 280 GROUP PRESS BOOKS ................................................................................. 26

APPENDIX D: 280 GROUP PRODUCTS & SERVICES ............................................................................. 27

Consulting & Contractors ........................................................................................................................ 27Product Management Assessments and Optimization Plans ................................................................. 28

Training & Certifications ......................................................................................................................... 28

Templates, Toolkits & the PM Office ...................................................................................................... 30

APPENDIX E: THE NINE KEY OPTIMAL PRODUCT PROCESS DOCUMENTS ............................................ 31

BUSINESS CASE TABLE OF CONTENTS ..................................................................................................... 31

MARKET NEEDS/REQUIREMENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................ 32

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION/REQUIREMENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................... 33

ROADMAP TABLE OF CONTENTS ............................................................................................................ 34

MARKET STRATEGY TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................. 35

BETA PROGRAM TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................... 36LAUNCH PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS ...................................................................................................... 37

MARKETING PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ 38

END OF LIFE PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................ 39

APPENDIX F: THE OPTIMAL PRODUCT PROCESS FRAMEWORK ........................................................... 40

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Copyright © 2012-2014 280 Group LLC

All rights reserved. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of the information contained herein.

Although every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this book, the publisher and author assume no

responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any liability assumed for damage resulting from the use of the

information contained herein.

First Edition: January 2012 (v201101021‐AR)

Second Edition: December 2014 (v20140901‐AR)

eBook ISBN: 0985031204

Place of Publication: Campbell, California, USA



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This publication describes the 280 Group Optimal Product Process, a methodology and framework thatallows companies to perform highly-effective Product Management and Product Marketing.

The goals in developing the Optimal Product Process included:

Creating a modern product process that reflects best practices for Product Management and

Product Marketing in 2014 and beyond

Building in the flexibility to achieve excellence in any situation:

o Any development methodology: Agile, Waterfall or Hybrid

o Any industry or market

o

Any company or team culture

Covering ALL phases of the Product Lifecycle

Clarifying roles and responsibilities for Product Management, Product Marketing and those

they interact with

Creating a complete and comprehensive solution that goes far beyond a basic training course to

include corresponding templates, books, certifications, coaching programs and foundational as well

as advanced courses.

Providing a framework that supports continuous improvement of the Product Management

and Product Marketing functions

The Optimal Product Process accomplishes all of these goals and more. It is a complete methodology

that includes all aspects necessary to build a world-class Product Management function:

Roles and responsibilities

Criteria for making decisions for each phase and gate

Common activities for Product Managers & Product Marketers

Tools and templates to work through the challenges of each phase successfully In-depth foundational and advanced training on all skills and tasks

Coaching and mentoring programs

Advanced worldwide-standard certifications

OVERVIEW



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What makes the Optimal Product Process unique is that it covers the ENTIRE Product Lifecycle.

Additionally, it can be applied by any company in any market or industry, regardless of development

methodology used, widely different team cultures or the need for varying levels of documentation of

product efforts.

Our hope is that companies worldwide will adopt the Optimal Product Process so that not only will the

professions of Product Management and Product Marketing advance, but their companies will thrive

and their customers will benefit from great products being delivered.



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INTRODUCTION

Those of you who know me know that I have a HUGE passion for what I

do. I have spent my entire career in Product Management and ProductMarketing, and have been able to work on some amazing products at

great companies (Apple, Symantec, Digidesign, Claris and Whistle as an

employee and hundreds of great companies as a consultant.)

Simply put, I love to create and market products that delight customers

and produce massive profits. That’s the vision for my company, the 280

Group. We help thousands of companies, Product Managers and Product

Marketers create and market GREAT new products that customers love

and that help their companies dramatically grow. This is what motivates

me and my team. The work on this project and this paper are driven bythis.

The 280 Group has been in the Product Management and

Product Marketing consulting and training business since

1998. Tens of thousands of Product Managers and Product

Marketers worldwide use our methodology, books,

templates, white papers and other resources, and have

gone through our training and certification programs.

Great companies like Cisco, Wells Fargo, E*TRADE, SAP,

Dell, Adobe, Microsoft, Intel and many others, ranging

from startups to Fortune 500 have benefitted from our

ideas and methodology.

We have been blessed with much success and have become well-known as a company that moves the

profession forward. We have published five best-selling books (two in the Amazon top 50 business

books on their first day of release), were ranked in the top 10 consulting firms by the Silicon Valley

Business Journal, have been featured on CNBC and Silicon Valley Business Report and have won

numerous awards for thought leadership and for our work and products.

The professions of Product Management and

Product Marketing have moved forwardsignificantly in the last ten years. They are

now recognized by many of the world’s great

companies as mission-critical and a key

element of their success. In fact, a 2013 CBS

News poll found that Product Management is

“A 2013 CBS News poll found that ProductManagement is now considered the fourth most

important profession in Corporate America,

behind only CEOs, General Managers and Senior

Executives.”

About the Author

Brian Lawley is the CEO and Founder of

the 280 Group. His 25 year career in

Product Management includes working

for great companies like Apple, Symantec

and startups, writing five best-selling

Product Management books, being

President of the Silicon Valley Product

Management Association and winning

numerous awards for thought leadershipin Product Management.



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now considered the fourth most important profession in Corporate America, behind only CEOs, General

Managers and Senior Executives. There are books, newsletters and blogs devoted to related topics. The

Silicon Valley Product Management Association (of which I was President for three years) has grown

dramatically as has the Boston Product Management Association. Other associations have sprung up, as

have the popular ProductCamps now being held in dozens of cities around the world.

Product Management is now also ranked in the top ten best jobs by Money Magazine. And the AIPMM

(The Association of International Product Marketing and Management) has been in existence for fifteen

years, representing the profession for its thousands of members. It sponsors Product Management

Education Conferences, and runs the worldwide-standard and vendor-neutral Certified Product

Manager (CPM), Certified Product Marketing Manager (CPMM) and Agile Certified Product Manager

(ACPM) exam and credential programs.

A few years ago when we created the Optimal Product Process

we realized that despite all of these advances there was

something missing. Being in both small and large companies

performing consulting, training and process assessment work we

could see that there was room for DRAMATIC improvements.

It was time for a flexible framework that would cover every aspect of the Product Lifecycle and could be

highly-effective regardless of which development methodology was being followed by engineering.

So we created the Optimal Product Process.

“Product Management is now

ranked in the top ten best jobs

by Money Magazine”



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When we created the Optimal Product Process we were highly customer-focused. Through extensivecustomer feedback and thousands of hours training and consulting with clients, we observed that the

following were challenges in the Product Management profession that needed to be addressed:

1. There was a lack of clarity on the roles and responsibilities between Product Management and

Product Marketing. In some companies there was only one person doing both roles. In other

companies there were two people (trying to do the same things some of the time), etc. And

often, critical parts of one or both of these roles simply were not being done at all.

2. Agile development was being adopted by many engineering organizations without the critical

strategic planning and other functions of Product Management being applied. When applied

to the right kinds of products, Agile can provide great benefits in terms of rapid software

development and staying close to the customer. However, when many companies shifted to

Agile development they stopped performing critical activities in the lifecycle, such as developing

business cases, crafting the market strategies, or planning for launches or end of life. Thus the

development and delivery benefits gained by going Agile were negated in many ways because

the strategic business aspects are no longer being taken care of. In many cases companies

adopted a hybrid approach (often jokingly called Wagile, Fragile or Agilefall because they

combine traditional waterfall

and Agile). The challenge in

doing this is that there is rarely

an underlying framework that

is well-thought-out. As a result

both the development and

strategic business aspects have

suffered.

3. Companies often weren’t adopting the materials and methods that they were trained on

because they weren’t flexible enough and not actionable. There was a need for flexible and

immediately actionable methodology that could be adapted to how the companies were already

doing business.

4. The training and other materials available were all woefully out of date. They had been

developed in the mid 1990’s or early 2000’s – Product Management and Product Marketing

have completely changed since then. Between the Internet, social media, the ability to get

instant customer reactions and market research, Agile development methodologies, the

A FLEXIBLE PRODUCT PROCESS FOR THE ENTIRE PRODUCT LIFECYCL

“Agile development was being adopted by many

engineering organizations without the critical strategic

planning and other functions of Product Management

being applied”



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globalization of the world economy, rapid release cycles and instantaneous availability of

competitive, product and marketing information the job of a Product Manager or Product

Marketer is VERY different now than it was even a few years ago.

5. There was a lot of duplication of effort and wasted time by Product Managers and Product

Marketers. Despite our 280 Group templates and toolkits many companies and individuals were

re-inventing the wheel with each product cycle. And to make matters worse they ended up

focusing their time and effort on creating the templates and perfecting the documents rather

than doing what was MOST critical – answering the key product questions and making the key

decisions during each phase.

6. None of the methodologies available dealt with ALL of the critical parts of the lifecycle, such

as ideation and innovation at the front end, or retirement at the back end. There are MANY

examples of companies that don’t focus on all parts of the lifecycle and end up in severe trouble

– without an innovation pipeline or with products discontinued in a way that alienates

customers and damages their brand.

7. There has not historically been a way to do post-mortem analysis on Product Management

and Product Marketing work to ensure continuous improvement. The result is that teams and

the function don’t improve over time, and companies lose out on building Product Management

as a competitive advantage.

8.

Product Managers and Product Marketers weren’t able to leverage their skills effectively if

they switched companies or industries. Because EVERY company was doing things differently

there wasn’t a core set of skills and methods that could be used when starting at a new

company.

Taking these challenges into account, the 280 Group decided to leverage and dramatically expand upon

the base-level work that we had participated in during 2009-2010 when the AIPMM (Association of

International Product Management & Marketing) created the worldwide standard seven phase lifecycle

model in the Product Management & Marketing Body of Knowledge (ProdBOK®). We took the seven

phase lifecycle, and built a comprehensive and complete framework, training program, coaching

offerings and the corresponding Product Management Office set of tools to match.

The result is a framework and methodology that can be widely employed. Now Product Managers and

Product Marketers can ensure their products are dramatically more successful.



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The seven phase framework in the Optimal Product Process covers every phase that every product goesthrough (whether a company/team realizes it or not.) Oftentimes one or more of the seven phases are

ignored, shortchanged or not focused on, resulting in a less-than-optimal result for the company and its

customers. In many cases Product Management and/or Product Marketing are only involved in one

phase, and no one is watching the “Whole Product” concept that the customer ultimately perceives as

what they are buying. By being aware of and prepared for all seven phases, a company maximizes its

chances for delighting its customers and increasing its profits.

The seven phase model uses a phase-gate approach (with Agile work tied in during Plan, Develop and

Qualify). Each phase consists of standard tasks that must be accomplished, and then to move to the next

phase a gate must be passed through. The gate is a decision based on the work in the phase as to

whether the company wishes to move forward with the concept or product. By using this approach, the

right information and data is gathered, analyzed, and the risk of investing significant money or resources

is managed appropriately.

As mentioned above, although this is a

phase-gate process (also sometimes

referred to as waterfall), the notion of

Agile development fits in and can be

used effectively. When applying Agile

development methods such as Scrum,

Lean, etc. the company or team simply

goes through the Plan, Develop and Qualify phases much more rapidly with a smaller set of features for

each sprint (and less or no documentation required). They are still, nonetheless, doing required tasks in

each phase and must pass through the corresponding gate, but may be able to do so more rapidly and

efficiently and/or in parallel.

The Seven Phases of the Optimal Product Process

Conceive Plan Develop Qualify Launch Maximize Retire

THE SEVEN PHASE OPTIMAL PRODUCT PROCESS

“Oftentimes one or more of the seven phases are

ignored, shortchanged or not focused on, resulting in a

less-than-optimal result for the company and its

customers”



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Phase I: Conceive

During the Conceive phase a company or team is generating new ideas and evaluating and prioritizing

them to determine whether to move forward with them and spend time and resources. This may be

done formally or accidentally through observing customers and identifying latent needs. It may also be

done by executives, engineers, product managers, salespeople or others coming up with potential

products and/or new features.

In startups this is usually done by the founders, in technology companies by the engineers and in truly

market-driven companies by the Product Management and Product Marketing staff. In all cases Product

Management and Product Marketing can play a KEY role in this phase – they aren’t necessarily

responsible for coming up with creative new ideas (though they should articulate the needs of the

customers and the problems that can be

solved), but they should be held

accountable for leading their teams in

the effort. By applying ideation exercises

and using prioritization techniques

Product Management can lead the

company to identify and focus on new

and innovative ideas that can become

the engine for future company growth

and success.

Phase II: Plan

After having come up with a prioritized list of opportunities (ideally that leverage their company’s core

competencies and put them in a unique position to compete), additional time and effort can then be

spent doing some true planning. For example, market research and competitive analysis can be

performed. A business case can be developed in a standardized fashion. This can then be evaluated

against other projects accordingly) to determine if the opportunity is large and profitable enough to be

viable. Market needs (we prefer to use

this term rather than market

requirements because it more accurately

states what is being captured) can be

assessed, along with the market strategy

that would be used to take the product

to market. A roadmap can be developed

giving an idea of the longer-term

strategy and viability along with a product description (again we use this term rather than product

requirements because it more accurately reflects the fact that you are describing how the product will

meet the market need).

“By applying ideation exercises and using prioritization

techniques, Product Management can lead the company

to identify and focus on new and innovative ideas that

can become the engine for future company growth and

success.”

“Many companies make the mistake of jumping straight

into development, particularly when working with teams

employing Agile methodologies, without performing due

diligence on the business and strategy aspects of theproduct first.”



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Many companies make the mistake of jumping straight into development, particularly when working

with teams employing Agile methodologies, without performing due diligence on the business aspects

of the product first. The Optimal Product Process allows for doing the business and strategy work

whether your company is doing Agile, Waterfall or hybrid development. The plan phase ensures that ALL

critical questions about strategy and business are addressed regardless of how the product is being

developed.

Phase III: Develop

After a plan (whether an Agile backlog with sprint priorities assigned or a more formal plan) is in place

and agreed upon the product is then developed. Feature and schedule tradeoffs are made. Technical

feasibility may be assessed. If certain critical features are not possible, the product may be delayed or

cancelled altogether. In either case, the team moves forward with creating a product that will be “Above

the bar” in terms of what must be delivered to customers in order to succeed, and achieve the

company’s profitability and/or strategic goals.

Phase IV: Qualify

As the end of development nears, the team

determines if the product is ready to move

into the final qualification phase. Although

there may have been testing done up to this

point in terms of product functionality and

reaction from customers, the product has

not been considered final enough yet to

determine whether it can meet the required

level of quality to fulfill the overall product

objectives in the eyes of the customer.

Many companies either minimize or rush this phase, compressing the amount of time originally allotted

or deciding to ship a product that may not have been used in real-world scenarios. This omission can

cause a major catastrophe for the product and/or company if the quality level should prove to be sub-

par for their brand image. It can also result in spending significantly large amounts of money launching

and marketing the product without having verified that the quality and customer satisfaction levels will

be adequate to drive sales.

Note: as an example consider the Microsoft Kin phone. After spending hundreds of millions of dollars

(perhaps billions including acquisitions) developing it, they spent a huge amount to launch the product

and even had a launch party at their campus. Sales were so anemic they cancelled the product in LESS

THAN SIX WEEKS. Had they done testing with real users (in addition to their internal quality testing) they

could have avoided serious embarrassment.

“Many companies either minimize or rush this phase,

compressing the amount of time originally allotted or

deciding to ship a product that may not have been

used in real-world scenarios. This omission can cause

a major catastrophe…”



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Phase V: Launch

After qualifying the product to ensure that it meets appropriate standards, and will be accepted and

embraced by customers and the market, a company then officially launches the new product (or an

updated version for existing products) into the marketplace. A successful launch allows the company to

generate interest in the new product. Once a product is released it rapidly becomes old news. By

working closely with its channel and other

partners to successfully introduce, sell and

support the product it gives the company

the opportunity to set the competitive

argument against other companies and

products. A company without a specified

launch plan and process will rarely meet its initial or long-term revenue goals (unless they get incredibly

lucky). This is one of the biggest pitfalls in the technology market: engineering-driven companies believe

that because they build it that the industry will magically become aware and be willing to buy it. We at

the 280 Group are constantly amazed at the amount of money spent to develop great new products that

are then given no chance to succeed because the company isn’t realistic about what it takes to do an

adequate product launch.

Phase VI: Maximize

After the initial launch, the product requires ongoing marketing and other activities to ensure that it

continues to be as successful as possible. This includes demand generation, competitive responses,

public relations, ensuring customer feedback is included in the next revision of the product, and also

supporting the sales force and channel. In some companies there are dedicated Product Marketers that

ensure the product gets what is needed

to keep sales going and achieve revenue

goals. In other companies the Product

Manager may be asked to do this in

addition to full-time responsibilities of

planning and working on new products.

Phase VII: Retire

As the product ages it may be revised, with a new version as a replacement, or it might be intentionallydiscontinued or sold on an ongoing basis without much effort being put into it. Either way, at some

point the product will be retired. For some products this isn’t much of an issue. The inventory can be

sold off, or the product can be removed from a website or price list.

“A company without a specified launch plan and

process will rarely meet its initial or long-term revenue

goals”

“After the initial launch the product requires ongoing

marketing and activities to ensure that it continues to be

as successful as possible”



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For other products, such as Enterprise

software or products being sold in the

financial, government or medical fields,

end of life can be a critical factor that

must be planned for and dealt with

effectively. And even in the consumer

space this can be critical. Consider what would happen to Apple if they did the wrong thing with retiring

a product when coming out with a new version. They might end up with billions of dollars of useless

inventory and losses as well as a loss of reputation and customer loyalty.

“A poorly executed end-of-life and product retirement

can cost companies millions and significantly damage the

company’s brand”



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The Optimal Product Process specifies the roles and responsibilities of Product Management andProduct Marketing, as well as all of the other parties they interact with: Engineering, Quality Assurance

and User Experience to name a few. This can vary from company to company, as some companies only

have one person performing both roles and the line between them can be blurred. As such, the Optimal

Product Process provides standards and guidelines that can be followed, and is flexible to allow for what

works best for each company.

In the Optimal Product Process the Product Manager is responsible for making sure that a great product

is built and brought to market, including all of the whole product components such as features, service,

warranty and anything else necessary for success. Product Marketing is then responsible for making sure

that the product sells as well as possible. This includes activities like positioning, messaging, pricing and

sales enablement.

Getting role clarity such as this ensures that all critical tasks in the Product Lifecycle have an owner and

that nothing falls through the cracks. It also ensures that companies can know what skills each role must

have so that each individual can get the training, coaching and tools to do the job effectively.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE OPTIMAL PRODUCT PROCESS



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During each phase of a product’s life, there are critical questions that must be asked and assumptionsthat must be challenged in order to ensure maximum success. Whether written down formally or not,

without taking key strategic and tactical factors into account, there is a risk of product failure.

The 280 Group Optimal Product Process identifies these questions in nine key documents associated

with the seven phases of a product lifecycle. These documents are included in the 280 Group Product

Management Lifecycle Toolkit™, which is the basis for the 280 Group’s Optimal Product Management

and Product Marketing™ Training that teaches the entire Optimal Product Process. Each of these

documents includes the critical questions, issues, decisions and considerations for products that must be

addressed in order to ensure success. They represent a comprehensive way of ensuring that nothing

falls through the cracks and that everything is thought through thoroughly and effectively.

The 280 Group nine key documents from the Product Management Lifecycle Toolkit.

NOTE: The documents can be used in very formal circumstances where a company culture or teamrequires extensive written documentation for each phase. Equally important, if a company and/or

team is less rigid and formal, there may be no need to write the full (or any) documents. All that

matters is that the key considerations covered in each one are thought-through and addressed in a

satisfactory manner that will ensure product success.

ANSWERING THE CRITICAL PRODUCT QUESTIONS AT THE RIGHT TIM

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Documentation in the Optimal Product Process can range from very little with nosignoffs to extensive with formal signoffs.

The documents are also designed to ensure that there is no duplication of effort or content – they are a

perfectly designed set of complementary templates that can help dramatically boost a Product

Manager’s productivity. Note: See the Appendices for the table of contents for each of these nine

documents.



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The Optimal Product Process is also designed to drive continuous improvement of products and/orsupport processes within any organization. Continuous improvement of products and the corresponding

process is an ongoing effort that can best be evaluated once a formal Product Management and Product

Marketing process is defined and implemented within an organization.

To support the notion of continuous improvement the 280 Group’s Optimal Product Process includes

the ability to capture critical decisions and key assumptions about a product during each phase of the

lifecycle. This provides a record of what has happened over the life of the product that can be used as

data when looking for areas of improvement.

In addition to the nine key documents, the 280 Group has also created one document called a Master

Product Plan (MPP), which is included in the Product Management Lifecycle Toolkit. The MPP includesall nine documents in one and can be iterated at each phase in the lifecycle. Only the parts that are

relevant to that particular phase for your company need be written or considered when passing through

the gate. By using the MPP you can iterate one document through all seven phases.

By using the MPP (or interim versions of the nine documents), you can also easily go back and do a post-

mortem to see how your assumptions and documents changed over the life of the product. And if you

are using MPPs for more than one product, you will have a standard way of determining where your

efforts need to be enhanced so that you become more efficient and effective.

ACHIEVING CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT

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If you would like to deploy the Optimal Product Process, or a variation of it at your company, there are a

number of services and offerings that the 280 Group provides to support you in the adoption of the

Optimal Product Process:

• Optimal Product Management Assessment™ and Optimization Program. Through this

consulting offering, we assess your company in terms of its process, people and tools, and

create a customized plan for optimization. The result is a set of specific recommendations and

an optimization plan for dramatically increasing the effectiveness of Product Management and

Product Marketing at your company.

• Optimal Product Management and Product Marketing™ Training. This is a three day

course that teaches the entire Optimal Product Process so that students can manage any

product, in any industry, successfully through any phase of the lifecycle.

• Product Management Lifecycle Toolkit™. Used as the basis for the training course and the

overall process, this toolkit contains templates for the nine key documents used in the process,

the Master Product Plan and also a variety of other useful templates and samples that can be

leveraged to produce better documents and make decisions more efficiently.

•

Product Management Coaching. Individual and team coaching to help you adopt and apply

the Optimal Product Process.

• Product Management Certifications. These are offered by the 280 Group and administered

by AIPMM as a vendor-neutral third party. They ensure that Product Managers thoroughly

understand the core concepts of Product Management and the Product Management

Framework.

APPLYING THE OPTIMAL PRODUCT PROCESS

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The professions of Product Management and Product Marketing will continue to evolve and become

even more important in the corporate world. New advances such as the Optimal Product Process,

additional tools and books as well as more organizations, conferences and resources will continue toadvance the profession. And the 280 Group will continue to be a leader in these efforts.

Make sure you join our mailing list and take advantage of the vast free resources that we offer in order

to leverage our work.

It is our hope that the Optimal Product Process will be embraced widely and will become the basis for

the advancement of the profession and excellence in many companies. With a standardized process,

certification exams, training, books and other resources, the professions of Product Management and

Product Marketing are poised to become even more important and relevant in the world’s greatest

companies.

We welcome your comments on this publication – please email us at [email protected].

THE FUTURE OF PRODUCT MANAGEMENT

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If you want to increase your skills in Product Management or Product Marketing and rapidly accelerateyour career, the 280 Group has a comprehensive set of solutions you can take advantage of.

APPENDIX A:

SOLUTIONS FOR EVERY STAGE OF YOUR CAREER



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About The 280 Group

The 280 Group is a Product Management and Product Marketing consulting and training firm located inSilicon Valley, CA. Founded in 1998, the 280 Group helps companies deliver products that delight their

customers and produce massive profits. Products and services include consulting, contractors, training,

certifications, templates, coaching and books. The 280 Group’s methodology is based on worldwide

standards and is used by tens of thousands of customers across the world.

Clients include small and medium-sized companies as well as Fortune 500 companies such as Adobe,

SAP, Cisco, Intel, E*TRADE, Symantec, Dell, Hewlett Packard, Wells Fargo and others. The 280 Group was

ranked in the top 10 consulting firms by the Silicon Valley Business Journal and has won the AIPMM

award for Thought Leadership in Product Management. They have been featured on World Business

Review, the Silicon Valley Business Report and have several books in the top 150 business books on

Amazon.com.

For more information go to 280group.com, call (408) 834-7518 or email [email protected].

Optimal Product Process Creators

Brian Lawley

CEO and Founder, 280 Group

Brian Lawley is the CEO and Founder of the 280 Group. He is the author threebest-selling books, The Phenomenal Product Manager, Expert Product

Management and 42 Rules of Product Management and is the former President of

the Silicon Valley Product Management Association (SVPMA). He was awarded the

Association of International Product Marketing and Management award for

Thought Leadership in Product Management, and has been featured on World

Business Review and the Silicon Valley Business Report. He is the editor of the Optimal Product

Management blog and newsletter and also writes guest articles for publications such as the Software

Development Forum newsletter, Softletter and the SVPMA newsletter.

Prior to founding and running the 280 Group Brian spent many years working on innovative products at

world-leading companies, including Digidesign (acquired by Avid), Apple (Product Manager for the

MacOS human interface), Claris, Symantec and Whistle Communications. Brian is a Certified ProductManager (CPM) and Certified Product Marketing Manager (CPMM) and has a Bachelor’s degree in

Management Science from the University of California at San Diego with a minor in Music Technology

and an MBA with honors from San Jose State University.

APPENDIX B: CREATORS OF THE OPTIMAL PRODUCT PROCESS

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Jim Reekes

Senior Principal Consultant and Trainer, 280 Group

Jim Reekes spent the first 20 years of his career developing software. He has

extensive knowledge and experience with the entire software development

process ranging from very small to very large projects. During his 12 years writingsoftware at Apple Computer, Jim worked at every level of the operating system. As

a member of the QuickTime team, he created the company’s innovative audio

architecture, earning him two patents and establishing the foundation for

countless multimedia products. His contributions include key benefits and innovations found in iTunes

and iPod.

Jim Reekes was the former VP of Product Management for Meeting Maker, Inc., creating the company’s

product vision and strategy. His accomplishments include expanding into new markets while competing

against Microsoft. Jim’s efforts resulted in revitalizing the product through new positioning and an

exceptional product benefits. He reorganized the company’s product line, and extended it by integration

and acquisition. Jim has been providing consulting services in Product Management to Silicon Valley for

a diverse set of clients ranging from software products to web sites. Jim is often described as

“visionary.” Jim has expertise in product strategy, competitive analysis, market driven requirements,

messaging and positioning, and brand building.

Greg Cohen


Greg Cohen is a Senior Principal Consultant with the 280 Group and a 15 year

Product Management veteran with extensive experience and knowledge of Agile

development, a Certified Scrum Master, and former President of the Silicon Valley

Product Management Association. He has worked and consulted to venture start-ups and large companies alike and has trained Product Managers throughout the

world on Agile development, road mapping, feature prioritization, product

innovation, product lifecycle process, and Product Management assessment. Greg is the author of the

books Agile Excellence for Product Managers and 42 Rules of Product Management as well as a speaker

and frequent commentator on Product Management issues.

Greg has a background in B2B software and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) including spend analysis,

business analytics, contract management, network security, and medical technology. Prior to consulting,

he has managed over a dozen products from concept through deployment and end of life for Silicon

Valley Companies such as Instill (acquired by iTradeNetworks) Idealab!, and Pandesic (a joint venture

between Intel and SAP.)

Greg earned an MBA with honor from Babson College and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical

Engineering with second major in Electrical Engineering from Tufts University.



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Pam Schure


Pamela Schure is a Senior Consultant and Trainer with the 280 group and a 25

year Product Management, Product Marketing and international business

veteran. She has extensive full life-cycle experience in product definition, ProductMarketing, business development, team and relationship building and operational

management. Prior to the 280 Group, she worked for multi-national companies

such as Apple, Sun Microsystems and Adaptec. She also enjoys working with

smaller teams and companies to ensure that they create and maintain competitive differentiation with

their products. She combines strategic overviews with hands-on tactical execution expertise to deliver

excellent business growth results.

Her entrepreneurial leadership at companies of all sizes builds value in diverse industries for both

hardware and software solutions. Pamela’s experience includes analyzing, positioning and delivering

both B2C and B2B products to global markets. Her success is a result of combining engineering expertise

and business skills to bridge the gap between technical knowledge and market awareness. She has

worked and managed in a range of functions including engineering, Product Marketing, Product

Management, sales and marketing. She has lived and worked in the US, United Kingdom, France and

South Africa and has conducted business internationally, including Europe, Africa, and Asia-Pacific.

At the 280 Group, in addition consulting work, she is the lead Product Management trainer for a major

company in Silicon Valley. Pamela has achieved the following certifications from the Association of

International Product Marketing and Management (AIPMM): Certified Product Manager (CPM), Certified

Product Marketing Manager (CPMM) and Agile Certified Product Manager (ACPM). Pamela has a BS in

Applied Mechanics from UC San Diego and an MBA in Marketing from Columbia School of Business. She

communicates fluently in French, and speaks conversational Italian.

Tom Evans


Tom Evans is a Senior Principal Consultant and Trainer at 280 Group and is an

internationally recognized authority in Product Management, Product Marketing,

international business, go-to-market strategies, business partnerships and

entrepreneurship. In his extensive experience, he has helped start-ups through

Fortune 500 companies create and launch winning products and has led go-to-

market and business development efforts in the US and global markets. Tom has

been responsible for successfully developing and implementing Product Management & Product

Marketing methodologies at multiple companies. Tom’s experience covers numerous verticalindustries, technologies, and international markets. His industry experience includes complex software

solutions for manufacturing, document management, call centers, financial services, and project

management. Tom lived and worked in Brazil and has conducted business internationally, including

Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific.



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Tom was a contributing author to the “42 Rules of Product Management” and to the “42 Rules of

Product Marketing” and speaks and blogs on the topics of Product Management & Product Marketing.

Tom has achieved the following certifications from the Association of International Product Marketing

and Management (AIPMM): Certified Product Manager (CPM), Certified Product Marketing Manager

(CPMM) and Agile Certified Product Manager (ACPM). Tom has a BSEE from The United States Air Force

Academy, an MSEE from The University of Dayton, and graduated with honors with an MBA from TheUniversity of Texas at Austin.

Phil Burton


He has executed assignments for US and non-US clients with B2B products and

services covering both applications and infrastructure. His projects have covered

the entire product life cycle, including portfolio management and pricing, writing

market requirements documents, planning product launches and creation of sales

tools. Phil has trained thousands of 280 Group customers in principles and best

practices of Product Management and Product Marketing. He is also a contributing

author to the best-selling ”42 Rules of Product Management” and a co-author of “42 Rules of Product

Marketing.”

Phil has extensive full life cycle Product Management and Product Marketing experience, with a strong

understanding of how to tailor the product life cycle process to the specific needs and organizational

structure of a client. Phil has expertise in product definition, launch, messaging and positioning,

collateral creation, competitive analysis and sales tool creation. He is also an excellent public speaker for

both executive level and technical groups.

Prior to consulting Phil had more than 25 years of hands-on Product Management and Product

Marketing experience. He has worked for both established companies such as Sun Microsystems, NovellInc., Convergent Technologies (acquired by Unisys), Octel (acquired by Lucent Communications), as well

as startups at various stages of development. He has a Civil Engineering Degree from M.I.T, with an

undergraduate degree in civil engineering from City College of the City University of New York. He is a

member of several information security organizations and is a Certified Information Systems Security

Professional.



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The Phenomenal Product Manager

The Product Manager’s Guide to Success, Job Satisfaction and Career Acceleration.

By Brian Lawley, CEO & Founder of the 280 Group

The Phenomenal Product Manager goes beyond the basics and teaches you how to work

more effectively with your teams, how to influence when you have no formal authority, how

to get the most important work done in less time, and how to manage and accelerate your

career.

Agile Excellence for Product Managers

Learn how to work more effectively with development teams using Agile processes.

By Greg Cohen, 280 Group consultant & trainer

Software companies are rapidly turning to Agile development to cope with fast changing

markets and borderless competition. Yet little has been written to guide Product Managers

through the transition to working with Agile teams and the huge benefits that doing so

affords. Agile Excellence is a plain-speaking guide on how to work with Agile development

teams to achieve phenomenal product success.

Expert Product Management Advanced Techniques, Tips and Strategies for Product Management and Product

Marketing.

By Brian Lawley, CEO & Founder of the 280 Group

Covers advanced topics such as how to prioritize feature requirements, build product

roadmaps, plan and execute high-impact product launches, run more effective beta programs

and get great reviews for your products.

42 Rules of Product Management

Learn the rules of Product Management from a group of experts.

By Brian Lawley & Greg Cohen of the 280 Group

42 Rules of Product Management is a collection of Product Management wisdom from forty

experts from around the world. With over five hundred years of combined hands-on Product

Management and Product Marketing experience, the authors each share one rule that they

think is critical to know to succeed in Product Management. Whether you are a seasoned and

experienced Product Manager or are just starting out, ‘42 Rules of Product Management ’ will

help you lead with greater effectiveness and influence.

APPENDIX C: OTHER 280 GROUP PRESS BOOKS

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Consulting & Contractors

Whether you need a high-level seasoned consultant to help you with your product strategy or your next

industry-changing launch, or an acting interim Product Manager, the 280 Group can provide you with

the right talent. We take on both small, short-term, highly focused projects as well as providing longer-

term contracting talent that can become part of your team for up to several months if need be.

Typical projects include:

Product Management Product Marketing

Market Analysis

Developing Business Cases

Profit & Loss Analysis

Customer Research

Market Research

MRDs & PRDs

Product Roadmaps

Working With Engineering Teams

Reviewing Functional Specs

Finalizing Product Requirements Prioritizing Feature Sets

Feature, Schedule & Cost

Tradeoffs

Competitive Analysis

Running Beta Programs

Product Launches

Sales Tools

Positioning

Pricing

White Papers

Reviewer's Guides

Product Demos

Competitive Comparisons

Customer Testimonials

Success Stories

Features & Benefits/USPs

Press Tours & Materials

Presentations

Training Materials

APPENDIX D: 280 GROUP PRODUCTS & SERVICES



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Product Management Assessments and Optimization Plans

Take your company’s Product Management to the next level.

Product Management is one of the most important strategic functions in a company. Great Product

Management leads to more successful and more profitable products, happier customers and long-term

winning strategies to conquer markets. It also ensures that your company doesn’t waste money

developing, marketing and selling products that don’t meet customer needs, and should not have been

built in the first place.

Optimal Product Management requires that you have the following elements in place:

An effective Product Process (as lightweight as possible for your culture)

A great team who understands their role and is trained to perform at a high level of competence

Excellent standardized tools and templates to ensure that deliverables can be created quickly

Systems in place for ongoing company improvements/learning

To help you take Product Management to the next level at your company, the 280 Group offers anOptimal Product Management Assessment™ and Optimization Program. This is a service where we

assess the Product Management function at your company (process, people and tools), provide concrete

recommendations for dramatically improving its effectiveness and assist you with implementing key

changes. The resulting deliverable is a specific plan for optimizing Product Management at your

company. By working with the 280 Group you can ensure that you are implementing best practices and

that Product Management will help drive your company’s overall success.

Training & Certifications

Optimal Product Management and Product Marketing™

Optimal Product Management and Product Marketing is a three-day course that teaches students the

foundation, knowledge and skills that are necessary to be a highly effective Product Manager or Product

Marketing Manager. Through a combination of lectures, discussions and intensive hands-on exercises,

attendees will learn about all aspects of how to effectively manage products throughout the entire

Product Lifecycle and how it applies to their current and future roles. The course is appropriate for both

new Product Managers and Product Marketing Managers who need to learn the foundational skills and

knowledge of their profession, as well as more senior Product Managers and Product Marketers who

want to brush up on their knowledge of the profession and want to learn about the most current trends,

best practices and up-to-date methodology.

How to Be a Phenomenal Product Manager™ Based on the best-selling book The Phenomenal Product Manager , this one-day course is the only one in

the world that teaches how to dramatically increase your effectiveness and productivity as a Product

Manager. Through hands-on exercises and lecture students learn critical skills and develop a

corresponding action plan to apply in their jobs. Topics covered include the role (and non-role) of

Product Management, how to work more effectively with sales and engineering, influence and

negotiation, career advancement and more.

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Leadership for Product Managers™

This one-day course will help transform you into a highly effective and dynamic Product Management

leader in your company. Through a combination of lectures and extensive hands-on exercises you will

learn to apply your specific strengths as a leader, to exert more influence in your organization. You’ll

learn how to more effectively lead those over whom you have no formal authority and you’ll leave the

course with a concrete plan of action to apply what you have learned.

Certified Product Manager™ (CPM) Exam Intensive Prep Course

This two-day in-person course consists of a day and a half of class time followed

by the certification exam on the afternoon of the second day. It provides an

intensive review of concepts to help students prepare to take the exam to earn

the Association of International Product Marketing and Management (AIPMM)

prestigious Certified Product Manager (CPM) credential. It is appropriate for

those who have extensive Product Management experience and/or have taken

the 280 Group’s Optimal Product Management and Product Marketing three-

day in-person course. Students review the key concepts and terminology used inthe exam as well as strategy for answering the exam questions and a Q&A for

anything else they want to review.

Certified Product Manager™ Self -Study Course and Exam

The Certified Product Manager™ (CPM) Self -Study Course allows you to prepare for the prestigious

industry standard Association of International Product Marketing and Management (AIPMM) CPM

certification exam. With this purchase you will have everything you need to master the material and

prepare for the exam. The AIPMM online certification exam is included, (a $395 value) at no additional

charge.

Agile Excellence For Product Managers™

This one-day course teaches the practice of working in an Agile environment.

The course covers Scrum, XP and Lean Agile development methods. It focuses

on practical applications making participants more effective on the job in an

Agile environment. Includes extensive hands-on exercises and handouts, and

includes a copy of the best-selling book Agile Product Management Excellence

from the 280 Group. This course also prepares you to take the exam to become

an industry-standard Agile Certified Product Manager.

Agile Certified Product Manager™ Self -Study Course and Exam

This self-paced course can be taken at your own pace on your computer. It teaches how to work more

effectively with development teams using Agile techniques (Scrum, XP, Lean) and prepares you to take

the exam to become an industry-standard Agile Certified Product Manager. Topics covered include the

role of Product Management in Agile environments, story mapping, backlog prioritization and many

other concepts. Includes study guide and practice exams plus the certification exam.

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Certified Product Marketing Manager™ (CPMM) Exam Intensive Prep

Course

This two-day in-person course consists of a day and a half of class time

followed by the certification exam on the afternoon of the second day. It

provides an intensive review of concepts to help students prepare to takethe exam to earn the Association of International Product Marketing and

Management (AIPMM) prestigious Certified Product Marketing Manager

(CPMM) credential. It is appropriate for those who have extensive Product

Marketing experience and/or have taken the 280 Group’s Optimal Product

Management and Product Marketing three-day in-person course. Students

review the key concepts and terminology used in the exam, as well as

develop a strategy for answering the exam questions and a Q&A for anything

else they want to review.

Certified Product Marketing Manager™ Self -Study Course and Exam

The Certified Product Marketing Manager (CPMM) Self-Study Course allows you to prepare for the

prestigious industry standard Association of International Product Marketing and Management (AIPMM)

CPMM certification exam. With this purchase you will get everything you need to master the material

and prepare for the exam. The AIPMM online certification exam is included (a $395 value) at no

additional charge.

Templates, Toolkits & the PM Office

The 280 Group’s methodology is available in a series of toolkits, which contain templates and narrated

training presentations that help you deliver more effective documents in significantly less time. There

are eight toolkits in all:

Product Management Lifecycle Toolkit™

Product Roadmap Toolkit™

Feature Prioritization Toolkit™

Product Launch Toolkit™

Competitive Analysis Toolkit™

Beta Program Toolkit™

Product Reviews Toolkit™

Developer Program Toolkit™

The toolkits are also bundled together in the PM Office Professional, which includes all eight toolkits at a

discounted price. Toolkits and the PM Office are all single user license – volume licenses are available.

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optimal product process 2.0

Documents