Each week I scour articles, wading through the dogs, and bringing you the best insights to help product managers, developers, and innovators be heroes.

 

Video – The art of product management. Sachin Rekhi, software product manager, spoke at a Wharton Business School workshop for entrepreneurs about what product managers do. Watch the video at http://www.sachinrekhi.com/video-the-art-of-product-management

How product managers can influence & build trust with internal stakeholders. Product managers must be influencers. We work across the functions of an organizations and up and down the structure from executives to front-line employees. Building trust and gaining influence is a challenge, but by (1) managing expectations, (2) making stakeholders feel heard, and (3) letting data make your case, you can be successful with stakeholders. Read the details of each at https://community.uservoice.com/blog/how-to-get-internal-stakeholders-to-trust-product-management/

5 rules of innovation from Steve Jobs based on Walter Isaacson’s biography. Jobs was the Zen master of integrating humanity and engineering. It is at the intersection of art and machinery where he excelled. See if you agree that these 5 rules create innovation: http://www.forbes.com/sites/johnwasik/2016/05/20/apple-innovation-rules-steve-jobss-secrets

Product innovation is only the beginning – launch and growth are the metrics of success. This article touches on several aspects for what needs to occur and can occur after product development, including questions about cannibalizing sales of existing products. Read about the importance of marketing products through introduction/launch, growth, and maturity in the INSEAD post at http://knowledge.insead.edu/customers/the-considerations-for-launching-an-innovation-4712

The power of copying to create innovation. Developing something new from something old is the source of much innovation and perhaps more than we recognize. Mark Twain stated the principle well by saying, “Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection.” Read this short article to see how copying propelled Toyota, Canon, and others to become market leaders: http://www.manilatimes.net/is-copying-the-best-approach-to-innovation/263558/

40 years of innovation through the lens of IBM. IBM has contributed numerous technology innovations over the last 4 decades and continues to be an innovation leader. IBM’s Chief Innovation Officer shares highlights of this rich and inspiring history:  http://www.forbes.com/sites/gregsatell/2016/05/22/ibms-chief-innovation-officer-looks-back-on-nearly-40-years-of-breakthroughs