The Product Manager's Survival Guide

by Steven Haines

The key documents you need to become familiar with include: 1. Business Case. This is the primary business document that catalyzed the product’s original justification and definition—or is the documentation of major enhancements to the product over its life. The Business Case is used to justify the firm’s investment in the product. It also affirms and solidifies the product’s linkage to the fulfillment of the company’s strategic intent—or the intent that existed at the time of the product’s creation. The Business Case contains many important pieces of information that cover: a. The historical context that portrayed the market requirements for the product b. The underlying customer needs or problems c. The product description d. The overall marketing mix strategy e. The value proposition and product positioning statement f. The people in various functions who participated in the production, launch, sales, and management of the product g. The initial forecasts and associated assumptions h. The implementation plans i. The possible risks that could materialize 2. Product requirements document (PRD). The PRD describes the functional and nonfunctional characteristics of the product that reflect business and customer needs. PRDs are written by product managers and should be maintained in a central repository, which should make it easily accessible to you. Functional requirements reflect the basic intent of the product, or “what the product is supposed to do.” A lawnmower cuts gra...