There
are times where technocrats, bitten by the entrepreneurial bug have a
particular idea and they would like to develop it. But once they develop the
product, they have difficulty in getting the product across to the masses. Only
a few early customers trickle in. This is because they have not really
validated their idea. Only when the market feels the need for a particular
product, will the masses end up buying it. Else, the product will be
languishing without any takers.
For
a company practising Product Management with well defined roles of product
planning and product marketing, these problems will not occur. This
is because the product management function envisions the product strategy,
new product strategy and new
product development and also for the emerging markets for the
company. They would always validate the idea before development and will also
have a detailed product positioning strategy. As a part of product
marketing, the marketing strategy will take care of the positioning
and relevant directions to the marcom teams.
A product
manager needs to be a friend of the end user and buyer. We need to keep in
mind that the buyer is different from the user. The product marketer
communicates to the buyer about the values he will be getting and the product
is designed keeping the user in mind. If the product manager does not heed the
market and designs a product keeping a closed view, there are high chances that
the product will not be accepted by the masses.
As
to the best ways to validate the market opportunity, it would be going to
prominent customers (Existing and new) and talk to them regarding the pain
points that they face. A lot of secondary research will also go into finding
new opportunities. The question that the product managers should always have in
mind is that if they build it, will the market buy? Answering that in each
phase of the product will work wonders for the product. There should also be
internal evangelising amongst the company to accept the product.
If
the product is not taking off, then the strategy will have to be revisited and
if this means going back to the market, then it has to be done. There are no
two ways about it. The product manager will always build products for
the market, more specifically, the end user.



