SUNDAY REWIND: Why product managers should not be data-driven by Jens-Fabian Goetzmann

In this breakout session from #mtpcon London 2022, Jens-Fabian Goetzmann explains that product managers should make data-informed decisions and balance quantitative and qualitative research.

Jens explains the possible issues with data-driven decisions as follows:

– Goodhart’s law and the difficulty of measuring: It is difficult to find the right measurement metrics.

– Local maximum problem and the problem of incrementality: A/B tests can provide data to an extent. Once you have reached the threshold, the results will be pretty much the same even if you make thousands of small iterations. As a result, teams will stop suggesting incremental solutions.

– Thinking opportunistically instead of strategically: Opportunistic thinking means acting to improve KPIs. There is no hypothesis and no strategy. Moreover, KPIs are more of a proxy for progress toward a plan. In contrast, thinking strategically means setting up a hypothesis and working on it even after setbacks.

– Analysis paralysis: Product development has risk and uncertainty. Managers often have to make quick decisions based on the best probability and information. Data-driven managers are dependent on data to make every decision.

To reduce dependency on data, Jens suggests:-

– Create a product strategy and vision by maintaining a balance between qualitative research and quantitative analysis.

– Do qualitative and quantitative research. This helps to generate a hypothesis by understanding the audience and customer behaviour.

– Take advantage of new opportunities. You can build prototypes without shipping and coding when you make data-informed decisions.

Product managers should take a data-informed approach, basing their decisions on product vision and strategy and balancing quantitative and qualitative data analysis.

Watch the original talk: Why product managers should not be data-driven by Jens-Fabian Goetzmann