From Zero to One

Happy Monday everyone! There is lots going on in the Cleveland Product scene, so let’s get to it!

Article of the Week

I’ve been fortunate in my career to be involved in developing some products from scratch. I’ve been involved with ideation, discovery, MVP launch, v2, and then scaling it to significant usage. This is known as Zero to One Product Development.

But what are major considerations as you develop these early-stage products? I recently read an article from Harmony Venture Labs, and the article does a nice job of detailing the considerations you must have when going from concept to a functioning product that people actually use - and pay for! Here are the three things that resonated with me:

1. Identify the opportunity - Clearly identifying the opportunity and getting alignment on it will ensure that you are solving the right thing. The opportunity can take various forms - a pain point, an unmet need, or an unsatisfied desire - so determining this first is vital.

2. Prototyping - Once the opportunity is identified, create a prototype. A prototype can take many forms - paper prototypes, wireframes, or low-fidelity screens. No matter what problem you are solving or product you are creating, prototyping will show, at a low cost, whether your product can be used easily.

3. Find traction before the cash runs out - One you identify the opportunity and prototype the solution, you move on to building the MVP. You have to quickly prove your worth and value to your customer so you can realize revenue and move on to v2. All before the cash runs out!

As the article says, “Building a new product from the ground up is exciting, challenging, and sometimes harrowing work.” There are ways to mitigate risk and set yourself up for success, so read the article for more details!

Recent Events

👏 Thank you to Matt LeMay, Product consultant, speaker, and author for an engaging conversation last week. We talked through his Product journey, behaviors and conditions that must be present for Product teams to be successful, and what he sees as the future of Product Management.

Product Jobs of the Week

The Product roles at Cleveland companies keep rolling in!

• Tremco - Product Manager

• MRI Software - Product Owner

• GE Lighting - Product Manager and Director of eCommerce

Upcoming Events

• February 20th - Product Lean Coffee - Roadmapping @ Sweet P’s Cafe and Bakery

• March 13th - Oblique Leadership: The Counterculture Leadership Style for Complex Environments

• March 20th - Product Lean Coffee - Product Discovery @ Van Aken Market Hall

About the Author

My name is Shawn Leitner. I started the Cleveland Product networking group in 2017, which helps to connect Product professionals around Cleveland, providing them with a forum to network, learn, and share stories. For my day job, I'm a Product Consultant & Coach for Pathfinder Product and help clients implement strong Product practices so they can create products that their teams love building and their customers love using. Connect with me on LinkedIn or feel free to attend one of my events either virtually or in-person. Always up for meeting for a cup of coffee also!