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<h3>Recap: The Problem with Prioritization Workshops</h3><p>In <a data-mce-href="https://therightspeed.co/blog/thoughts-on-product-workshops---part-1" href="https://therightspeed.co/blog/thoughts-on-product-workshops---part-1">Part 1</a>, I discussed how every Product Strategy Workshop follows the same frustrating pattern:</p><ul><li>Brainstorm ideas<br></li><li>Transfer everything into a spreadsheet-based scoring model that drains energy from the room<br></li></ul><p>The spreadsheet is where things fall apart. It slows the process down, alienates less technical team members, and inevitably leads to someone troubleshooting formulas while everyone else checks their emails.</p><p>I wanted to create a better solution—something that eliminates spreadsheets while keeping prioritization simple and collaborative.</p><p>So I built <a data-mce-href="https://stacknrank.loveable.app" href="https://stacknrank.loveable.app" target="_blank" rel="noopener">StackNRank</a>, a tool designed specifically for this purpose. And I built it in just 5 hours using AI-assisted development tools.</p><h3>The AI Tool Stack I Explored</h3><p>I've been testing various AI-assisted coding and workflow tools recently. Some that caught my attention include:</p><p>Make.com – No-code workflow automation<br>n8n – Open-source automation alternative<br>Airtable – Structured data storage<br>Bolt – Code-generation AI assistant<br>Cursor – AI-assisted coding environment<br>Supabase – Solid Firebase alternative for back-end storage</p><p>For StacknRank, I needed speed and simplicity, which led me to choose Lovable.app.</p><h3>Why Lovable.app?</h3><p>Lovable is an AI-powered development platform that significantly simplifies the process of building and iterating on ideas.</p><p>Here's how it works:</p><ul><li><strong>Describe your vision</strong> – Simply explain what you want your app to do</li><li><strong>Get a working scaffold</strong> – Lovable generates a functional base structure. It built for me a landing page, a way to capture 'opportunities' and a way to easily score them using some slick UI sliders.</li><li><strong>Refine components</strong> – Instead of writing code, you adjust UI elements and logic by typing in your request, like you are slacking with an engineer.<br></li><li><strong>Connect data sources</strong> – I used Supabase for persistent storage, 100% because lovable has a nice 'Supabase' button in their tool.</li></ul><figure id="figure-m7njxdyjakm8hoeps1" class=""><img id="m7njxdyjakm8hoeps1" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1dqMkydenOfIM6K4wk0uPSqO2NhpBjmmzp6WAuh7DAtEiaAMnx4iNg1flVLb5fV5.png" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 3/2; object-position: 35% 25%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="3:2" data-caption="An actual prompt I provided to Lovable.app" data-positionx="35%" data-positiony="25%" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1dqMkydenOfIM6K4wk0uPSqO2NhpBjmmzp6WAuh7DAtEiaAMnx4iNg1flVLb5fV5.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 3/2; object-position: 35% 25%;"><figcaption class="body-normal text-gray-500 mt-2">An actual prompt I provided to Lovable.app</figcaption><br></figure><p>This approach is much faster than coding from scratch while still providing control over important details.</p><h3>Lessons Learned from the Build Process</h3><p>💡 AI tools accelerate development but aren't magical</p><ul><li style="list-style-type: none;" data-mce-style="list-style-type: none;"><ul><li style="">Lovable handled about 80% of the work quickly, with the remainder requiring refinement</li></ul></li></ul><p>💡 Start rough, then iterate</p><ul><li style="list-style-type: none;" data-mce-style="list-style-type: none;"><ul><li>Instead of aiming for perfection initially, I built a basic version and improved it incrementally</li></ul></li></ul><p>💡 Effective tools reduce friction</p><ul><li style="list-style-type: none;" data-mce-style="list-style-type: none;"><ul><li>The challenge in prioritization isn't generating ideas—it's ranking them efficiently</li><li>By eliminating spreadsheets, StacknRank maintains engagement throughout the process</li></ul></li></ul><h3>What's Next?</h3><p>I'm not trying to monetize StacknRank. It's an experiment built out of curiosity, and I'm happy if people find it occasionally useful.</p><p>That said, I welcome your feedback:</p><p>👉 Try it here: <a data-mce-href="https://stacknrank.lovable.app" href="https://stacknrank.lovable.app" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">https://stacknrank.lovable.app </a></p><p>👉 Share your thoughts: Let me know what works well, what doesn't, and what improvements you'd suggest</p><p>🚀 In Part 3, I'll officially introduce StacknRank, explain its functionality, and demonstrate how teams can use it to replace spreadsheet-based prioritization.</p><p>Stay tuned!</p>

Product Workshops - Part-2

<h3><br>The Never-Ending Cycle of Brainstorm and Rank</h3><p>We've all been there. The conference room with bright lights. The wall gradually filling with colorful sticky notes. The mix of caffeine, ambition, and mild frustration.</p><p>Welcome to the modern product strategy workshop, where good ideas get documented, categorized, and often forgotten.</p><p>If you've ever participated in one of these sessions—whether called "Design Thinking," "Strategic Initiative Planning," or simply "That Meeting We All Have to Attend"—you know the routine:</p><p>First, gather all stakeholders into a single room. The outspoken immediately take charge while the quieter participants mentally prepare ideas they'll share later.</p><p>Next comes the brainstorm. Ideas flow freely. They land on post-its, digital Miro boards, or increasingly busy Google Docs where people occasionally type over each other's contributions.</p><p>Then the facilitator attempts to cluster similar ideas. After discussion about whether certain concepts are truly distinct, you end up with groups labeled with predictable phrases like "Grow Revenue," "Delight Customers," or the more honest "Build Cool AI Stuff and Peace Out."</p><p>And just when everyone thinks they've finished contributing...</p><p><strong>The Prioritization Spreadsheet appears.</strong></p><h3>When Enthusiasm Fades</h3><p>You can see the energy decrease noticeably. Eyes lose focus. The previously enthusiastic product manager who was excited about market opportunities suddenly becomes interested in their phone.</p><p>The workshop has entered its final phase: the spreadsheet exercise.</p><p>Someone presents their carefully prepared spreadsheet, complete with a prioritization framework from a product management resource. Maybe it's RICE (Reach, Impact, Confidence, Effort), or DVF (Desirability, Viability, Feasibility), or a custom approach that your leadership team prefers.</p><p>The problem isn't the frameworks themselves. The problem is what happens next.</p><h3>The Spreadsheet Problem</h3><p>When Excel or Google Sheets appears on the screen, your workshop noticeably slows down.</p><p>The facilitator spends time explaining how to use the document. "Please use the dropdown menu instead of typing directly" becomes a common reminder. Someone inevitably breaks a formula, and everyone watches as it gets fixed.</p><p>Meanwhile, half the room loses interest. For every spreadsheet expert in your organization, there are several people who find Excel challenging. They participate passively, hoping not to be put on the spot.</p><p>By the time half the spreadsheet is complete, you're running over schedule. People start finding reasons to leave. The remaining participants hurry through their scoring to finish the session.</p><p>The final result? A prioritized list that few people fully believe in, based on subjective scores processed through an "objective" formula, saved in a file that might not be referenced until someone asks months later, "Didn't we already make this decision?"</p><h3>Why Do We Continue This Process?</h3><p>The goals behind these exercises are valid. Teams need structured ways to generate ideas and make prioritization decisions.</p><p>But we've settled for a process that:</p><ul><li>Starts with energy but ends with tedium</li><li>Excludes people who aren't comfortable with spreadsheets</li><li>Takes significant time to prepare and complete</li><li>Often produces results that lack full team buy-in</li></ul><p>We continue because spreadsheets are familiar tools, and every prioritization task seems suited for them. They're widely available, provide structure, and create an impression of objectivity.</p><h3>Finding a Better Approach</h3><p>Frustrated by seeing team engagement decrease during spreadsheet-based prioritization, I decided to build something better. A simple tool designed to help teams brainstorm and rank ideas without spreadsheets.</p><p>No more formula issues. No more extensive setup time. No more watching team members disengage during prioritization.</p><p>I built StacknRank in just five hours using AI-assisted development tools (specifically Lovable.app). It's designed for one purpose: maintaining engagement from brainstorming through prioritization.</p><h3>What's Next?</h3><p>🚀 In Part 2 of this series, I'll show you how I built StacknRank. You'll see exactly how I used AI-powered development tools to create a solution to this common problem, and what I learned along the way.</p><p>Stay tuned—because if you've ever felt frustrated during a lengthy prioritization session, there is a better option available.</p>

Thoughts on Product Workshops - Part-1

<p>In <em>Atomic Habits</em>, James Clear talks about getting 1% better every day. He really drives home this idea that success is made up of small, incremental improvements that compound over time. This really resonated with me, and I started looking for opportunities to put this idea into practice. What I discovered is that James Clear is full of bullshit. Well, maybe half full.</p><figure id="figure-d182y0xjam4blqijo"><img id="d182y0xjam4blqijo" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2eD4SbWnhe401pGrTEkjgqgu2QvIAYeCihLlpzAqNyFuPS5SxuKsCnpxcShFFUEp.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: 10% 10%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="1:1" data-caption="" data-positionx="10%" data-positiony="10%" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/2eD4SbWnhe401pGrTEkjgqgu2QvIAYeCihLlpzAqNyFuPS5SxuKsCnpxcShFFUEp.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 1/1; object-position: 10% 10%;"></figure><p>Around the time that I was reading Atomic Habits, I was also obsessed with the idea of neuroplasticity. My kids can learn so much faster than me, so I guess my obsession had more to do with my own neuro-rigidity. To combat this, I thought it would be fun to learn how to memorize the sequence of a deck of playing cards. There’s a clear method to learn this skill (you can google it) that involves mapping numbers and suits to people and actions, then imagining people doing those actions in 52 different locations around your home. I started with just the spades, thinking I could memorize 13 cards pretty easily. For 2 weeks, every day, I would spend 15 minutes practicing. One percent every day, right? Wrong! I improved over the first few days. I could memorize the 13 cards in about 2 minutes. Then my ability plateaued. The practice sessions were mentally painful. I dreaded doing it the next day, and after several days of no improvement, I quit. Stubborn. Rigid. Neurons.</p><p>Still obsessing about building some flexibility in the gray matter upstairs, I put the 1% rule to work on the piano. I’ve always been musical, but never classically trained. I figured if I pick a piece and spend 15 minutes every day working on it, it will come together over time. Guess what? It works! Practicing and improving on the piano is a great way for me to exercise and build connections in my brain, and I think there are a ton of connections at play! (pun intended). Playing piano requires (at least for me) three out of my five senses. And all of these have to work together to produce the musical result I’m after. Currently, I’m working through Maple Leaf Rag, and while my progress is comically slow, I notice that I’m improving every single day.</p><p>A common area where people like to apply the 1% rule is in the gym. Fitness gurus rightfully preach consistency over everything else when it comes to staying in shape. I’ve had some mixed results. Over a year ago, I started a daily push-up habit. Start with 10, every day (easy peasy!). Then, increase by 1 every week. I did this for about 6 months. I was up to 32 push-ups in a row, and I was curious if I’d ever reach a maximum and what would that look like? I mean, it was pretty easy to add just one push-up each week, so I really didn’t see an end in sight. Then, my shoulder answered my question for me. They call it an “overuse injury.” For me, the 1% rule is not a helpful motivator for staying fit. Instead, I look to the mental, physical, and emotional benefits of daily activity, and I’ve given up on getting to some fabled “peak” 1% at a time.</p><p>Mr. Clear probably didn’t mean for his 1% rule to be universally applicable. He also didn’t mean that you can improve 1% per day in perpetuity – if this was true, then I would be doing 7,812 pushups in a row by now! Nonetheless, the 1% rule is a great mental model to remind us that small habits, practiced with consistency, can pay great dividends.</p>

Just a little bit, every day.

<figure id="figure-9m7h1xr00xm2w7sw3x" class="selected"><iframe id="9m7h1xr00xm2w7sw3x" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IoZ645N0pPQ" class="w-full bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;" allowfullscreen="" data-url="https://youtu.be/IoZ645N0pPQ" data-corners="default" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IoZ645N0pPQ" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9;"></iframe></figure><p>Some of our clients are in the business of building highly-customized enterprise software for a small base of high-value customers. These software customers produce a steady stream of product requests to make their software better.</p><p>Some are quick and easy: "Can you re-order the shipping options dropdown?"</p><p>Some are a bit more involved: "I need my invoice numbers to be prefixed by the first three characters of my customer's name"</p><p>And, some are just dumb: "Can you log me in as super-admin when I click the owl's beak in the footer logo on the home page?"</p><p>The challenge I often see is that account managers can't properly assess incoming customer requests on how much effort might be required to fulfill them. This usually requires a product person or a developer.</p><p>Instead, the account manager might take a note letting the client know, "I'll talk to our dev team and get back with you".&nbsp; The note is taken and then a developer is interrupted on Slack for the 12th time that day.<br></p><figure id="figure-vlwjx9sxvqm2uvcwbf" class=""><img id="vlwjx9sxvqm2uvcwbf" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1emm9PkysBh2q0BqF8rv63XmZRddHT5pjEf952BRlBJlynl11MVm6xarGL3hdEfQ.png" alt="Abstract polygonal space. Low poly 3d wire. Artificial Intelligence. 3D rendering." title="Abstract polygonal space. Low poly 3d wire. Artificial Intelligence. 3D rendering." class="object-cover bg-gray-100" style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 40% 15%;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="40%" data-positiony="15%" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/1emm9PkysBh2q0BqF8rv63XmZRddHT5pjEf952BRlBJlynl11MVm6xarGL3hdEfQ.png" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: 40% 15%;"></figure><p>Maybe the developer responds in slack "should be fine", just to shake the intterupt and get back to coding. I've seen this game of telephone happen in this same ad-hoc fashion more times than I've seen <em>Back To The Future</em> (it's a lot!).&nbsp; And now, I'm proposing a better way.</p><p>Drawing inspiration from my kids' <a data-mce-href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/downloads/gswflashcards.pdf" href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/downloads/gswflashcards.pdf">elementary education about healthy eating</a>, I created a quick and easy-to-remember framework to add some structure to the madness.&nbsp; I call it "Go / Whoa / No".&nbsp; Here's how it works.</p><table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1" data-mce-style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 15%;" data-mce-style="width: 15%;"><h2><strong>Go</strong></h2></td><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;">The task is routine and a simple change. It's likely something that has been done quickly before and so we have a lot of confidence that the item is low-effort. The next step on a "Go" request is to prioritize and complete the work.</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 15%;" data-mce-style="width: 15%;"><h2><strong>Whoa</strong></h2></td><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;">We are sure we can do it, but we aren't exactly sure how or if we'll need to change other parts of the system to accommodate. More research is needed before we can properly estimate the task. The next step on a "Whoa" request is to research a solution and provide an estimate before committing to the work.</td></tr><tr><td style="width: 15%;" data-mce-style="width: 15%;"><h2><strong>No</strong></h2></td><td style="width: 50%;" data-mce-style="width: 50%;">The request, as written, is incompatible with our software now and we foresee that it will remain incompatible taking into account vision. The next step on a "No" request is to understand more about what the client really needs and explore compatibile ways to meet the need.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>When a client asks an account manager (AM) "Can you make the software do X?", the AM records the request and tries to assign "Go, Whoa or No" to the request. If they don't know, they still record the request, but leave the "Go, Whoa, No" section blank. Before leaving the call, the &lt;blank&gt;s are called out and the client is informed that we'll check with our dev team to get an answer on the outstanding requests.</p><p>Now, requests can be batched and sent over to your dev team and they can fill out any missing "Go, Whoa, No"s.&nbsp; I like to use a <a data-mce-href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kn7yUOjp92wlXmvYWp8-_c5AEY6uUtpIYjzRnef4V-k/edit?usp=sharing" href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1kn7yUOjp92wlXmvYWp8-_c5AEY6uUtpIYjzRnef4V-k/edit?usp=sharing">simple google sheet</a> for this, but you can use any tool you like.</p><p>Once your dev team adds their input, you can go back to the client where you'll have no trouble doing the following:</p><ol><li>Prioritize the "Go"s</li><li>Decide which "Whoa"s you want to invest more research into.</li><li>Discuss the "No"s and potential work-arounds</li></ol><blockquote><h3>Sounds like a lot of work, Nick. I'm just going to keep slacking my developers.</h3></blockquote><p>It's more discipline, but actually leads to less work and happier customers.&nbsp; Let me explain.</p><p><strong>Shorter Time to Value<br></strong>Remember when the AM first wrote down the request? Some of the items were immediate "Go"s.&nbsp; This means the client can leave the call knowing that these "Go" items will be put into the development queue or they can select which "Go" items they'd like to have first. By forcing the AM to identify and prioritize "Go"s early, we are shortening the time-to-value (TTV).</p><p><strong>More Developer Mindshare<br></strong>Instead of slacking your developer or product manager one-off questions, you are batching your requests. Batching forces the developer to block some focused time to deeply consider your batch of requests. Sure, you won't get an 'in-the-moment' assessment, but you'll get a more accurate and thoughtful picture of what is possible for your client.</p><p><strong>Invaluable customer insights<br></strong>As a product manager who loves <a data-mce-href="https://therightspeed.co/blog/forcing-functions-my-method-of-organizing-for-success" href="https://therightspeed.co/blog/forcing-functions-my-method-of-organizing-for-success">forcing functions</a>, I welcome the mandate to review batches of "Go, Whoa, No"s regularly. This is a raw, early look into what customers need to run their businesses and a tremendous asset for building a strong product strategy.&nbsp;</p><p>"Go / Whoa /No" is just a simple framework that forces us to answer the question "Can we do this?", as soon as we possibly can but with some added rigor, discipline and the right amount of focus. Give it a try and let me know how it works out for you.</p>

Go / Whoa / No - A Framework for Customer Requests

<p>I am not naturally organized. In second grade, we had those desks where the top lifted up to reveal a nice bin for books, crayons, papers, etc. My lid didn’t close all the way and papers were sticking out on all sides. One day, my teacher stopped mid-lesson and demanded that I get out of my seat. She then dragged my desk into the hallway and dumped it onto its side, quite forcefully. My stuff scattered throughout the hallway. Kids in other classrooms were peeking into the hallway to see what all the ruckus was about. “Clean it up and I will be calling your parents about the missing work”. &nbsp;This was the day before spring break. I spent most of that spring break in my bedroom completing a large pile of “seat work” that should have been done in class.&nbsp;</p><p>I wish I could say that I learned my lesson and from that day forward, I&nbsp; always met the due dates and kept an impeccably tidy Trapper Keeper. I’m just not wired that way – and so I’ve had to develop strategies and tricks over the years to keep myself on the right path and not kneeling on the linoleum floor dealing with the consequences of my true nature.&nbsp;</p><p>One of my favorite tools for staying on track is the <strong>Forcing Function, </strong>a task, activity, or event that forces a person to take action and produce a result. I’ve been employing forcing functions since before I knew they had a name. In college, I commuted to school, so I made sure to stack my classes on the same 2 days of the week – I just needed to get to my first class and since I was already on campus, I was sure to get to the rest. Later, when I had a job and was making real money, I found that I was spending it all on dumb things like partying, gadgets, expensive dinners, etc. So, I bought a house. This forced me into a monthly payment to build equity with less money to waste. Today, I’m surrounded by an elaborate system of forcing functions. Even my house, a 100 yr old 2-story craftsman a mile from town, forces me to walk more, climb more stairs and I always have a project to tackle to keep my hands busy – yes, I believe picking this home was intentional.</p><p>The most common forcing function in people’s lives might just be W2 employment. Over 60% of the U.S. workforce are W2 employees. Taking a regular job is a forcing function for income – at least it always has been for me. Taking a job is a contract, I give the employer time and energy and the employer gives me money. For me, breaching a contract is just not an option (I always gave 2 weeks!) and so the job forced me to produce income, awesome!</p><p>What’s better than income? Yep, more income. To force this, I had to develop even more intricate forcing functions to serve in the context of my role at each company. Remember, I’m not an organized person – but to get ahead in the workplace, you can’t be a slouch. You can’t flake. Consistency and competence are key. Here are some things I did to compensate for my deficiency and to keep moving up.</p><ul><li>I got a gym buddy that I worked with. We carpooled to the gym in the morning, then to work. Healthy body, healthy brain and bonus, I was sure to get to work on time.</li><li>“Three Things” - I would send a weekly email to my manager on Monday telling them the three things I did last week along with the three things I plan to do this week. It forced me to do those things since I made the commitment. It also forced my manager to see the contributions I was making. The key here was to keep the email short. Managers don’t want to read your long ass emails about every little thing.</li><li>Plan it on the calendar - Put all monthly and quarterly planning meetings on the calendar before the year starts. For me, I put reminders that the meetings are upcoming as well so I had time to prepare.</li><li>Notes Notes Notes! - I always have a pen and paper when talking to others. My notes are messy, but I don’t miss action items when I write them down.</li><li>Demo Days - Scheduling time to demo functionality is a great forcing function for product teams. I have done this every sprint within teams and company-wide, for certain initiatives, every quarter.</li><li>Hiring Consultants (yes, shameless plug!) - Important things become urgent when you are paying a consultant by the hour to help you solve problems. This forces your attention and progress onto whatever it is you are trying to accomplish.</li></ul><p>While this isn’t an exhaustive list of forcing functions I’ve used, it provides a good look into how we can all set up systems to force the outcomes we desire. What forcing functions do you use in your professional life? I’d love to hear them. Drop me a line on my <a data-mce-href="../contact" href="../contact">contact form</a> and let me know.</p><table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1" data-mce-style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 100%; background-color: rgb(218, 128, 85);" data-mce-style="width: 100%; background-color: #da8055;">Want to explore how Right Speed can help your company grow through expert product leadership and streamlined product development? <a data-mce-href="../contact" href="../contact">Contact Us</a> today.</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br></p>

Forcing Functions - My method of organizing for success

<h3>How killing my own product earned me a seat at the adult table and a bunch of respect.</h3><blockquote><p>I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.&nbsp; -Abe Lincoln</p></blockquote><p><br>Often, despite mountains of ambition, we find ourselves faced with a harsh reality that our shiny north star is just a shitty, defective StarLink satellite crashing towards the earth. I've learned the hard way that sometimes, success isn't about pushing harder—it's about knowing when to pivot or stop. This is one of those moments.</p><p>At an online coupon company, we had 10s of millions of people come to us every month with very high shopping intent. Shoppers literally had their credit card out before hitting our site as they were looking for a coupon or a code for free shipping. It seemed obvious that with so many people and so much data about where they were shopping and what they liked to buy, that we could earn a fortune by making strong product recommendations. The company assembled a team that spent a few months dreaming up a “product recommendation” experience…this was a few months too long and then, the Product leader of the effort resigned.</p><p>I was called upon to take the place of the former Product leader. I was very new to “Product” and “Leadership”. Nonetheless, I had unbounded ambition and I started presenting a vision for our product offering – “Hot products at great prices”. With our data, we would curate popular products that were being offered at historically low prices. (i.e. A KitchenAid Mixer for $250 or a Kureig for $70). And with our scale, we would reach $400M in revenue in just 3 years! I actually presented this to our customers (large retailers) at an annual partner summit. **cringe**</p><p>We assembled a scrappy team and put our 'Hot Products at Great Prices' vision in front of millions of shoppers, certain we were onto something big. A month later, our annual revenue tracking to $1.5M — far short of the $20M target. We were getting side-eyes across the company. It was my failure, and the spotlight was on me to fix it.</p><p>At the same time, Jet.com launched their wildly successful site that promised “Any product you want at the best price”. &nbsp;They did this by using shipping and return terms to optimize their prices. For example, you could get a pair of Nike Flynet Racers for 20% off if you accepted a slower shipping time and waived your right to return them. Jet figured out how to optimize prices using logistical levers.</p><p>At the coupon company, we had been experimenting with discounted gift cards, cash back and we were already the king of coupons. This led to the epiphany that we could do better than Jet by optimizing prices around promotional levers. Instead of “Hot Products at Great Prices”, we could offer “Any Product at the Best Price (even better than Jet)” by stacking discounts. With this realization, it was clear that our current effort was a classic ‘cart before the horse’ problem. We needed to invest in discount stacking and robust matching of discounts to product SKUs before we could offer the best product recommendations.</p><p>Our operating cadence was anchored by the “Monthly Operating Review”. This is where us Product leaders went in front of the execs to explain how things were going. I was in my 3rd month and my product was failing, and there was no way to sugar-coat it. I decided to go into the boardroom with the recommendation that we kill our product and deploy the team onto other initiatives with better ROI. I also made the strong recommendation that we invest more heavily into discounted gift cards and cash back because I believed these capabilities were key to unlocking a successful “Product-first” offering in the future. Then, I left the meeting.</p><p>Later, after the meeting, our COO approached me and told me that she was impressed by my presentation. She said it “took guts” to kill my product like that. I was surprised and flattered. Sometimes, the smartest thing a product leader can do is admit defeat early and focus energy on more promising opportunities. That realization earned me respect, and more importantly, a chance to lead a new, successful initiative. Eventually I was asked to build out our gift card offering, as a “Sr. Director of Product”. More importantly, I learned that humility and honesty can coexist with a relentless pursuit of a path forward – which continues to drive my ethos today.</p><table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" border="1" data-mce-style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%;" data-mce-selected="1"><tbody><tr><td style="width: 100%; background-color: rgb(218, 128, 85); border-style: hidden;" data-mce-style="width: 100%; background-color: #da8055; border-style: hidden;"><p>Want to explore how Right Speed can help your company grow through expert product leadership and streamlined product development? <strong><a href="../contact" data-mce-href="../contact">Contact Us</a> </strong>today.</p></td></tr></tbody></table>

Blog

Product Workshops - Part-2

Thoughts on Product Workshops - Part-1

Just a little bit, every day.

Go / Whoa / No - A Framework for Customer Requests

Forcing Functions - My method of organizing for success

Killing my product, loudly