Super excited to be presenting at KCDC about building things people want. This is one of my favorite topics and it provides a lot of opportunity to dig deeper into topics.
Slides
Blogs on This Topic
Mental Model Minute: A Decision Making Model
Collaboration is good. Making decisions is good. These two things don’t have to be in conflict. I have seen a lot of small but growing companies where this feels like an either/or choice but it doesn’t have to be. The key is knowing who makes the decision and how much input is required. The more explicit we can be…
The Next Right Thing
You’ve seen Frozen 2, right? I mean, if your household is anything like mine, it’s playing on repeat in the background as children scramble, color, and fight. Admittedly, I have only sat and watched it end to end once. Still, there is one part of the movie that stick out to me and, I think,…
Customer Intimacy and Segmentation
The biggest mistake young companies make is trying to sell everything to everyone. It is impossible to get a clear value proposition or distinct competitive advantage without a targeted market segment. The biggest mistake older companies make is not realizing when the market has changed and that segment is consolidating, shrinking, or shifting. Both of…
Formulating Problem Statements
This morning, my children were arguing over spoons. At breakfast it is my 5-year-old Finley’s job to get out the silverware for herself and her sister. My Thalia, in the meantime, is just about to turn 3 and is fully feeling her control issues. Every morning they use these particular baby spoons to eat their…
Build Things People Want
When I started at my current company, the mandate I was given by the developers was to help them build things people want. It is something I have heard over and over again from developers throughout my career. And frankly, it’s a goal that the organization and the developers should be aligned on. The business…
Finding the First Thin Cut
My goal in any product development effort is to get an iteration in front of users as quickly as possible so I can see real users interact with it and respond to their emerging needs. The quicker I can build that first MVP, the sooner the feedback loop of engaging with users can take over.…
Jennie Ocken 