Everything is a Product
This realisation came to me after reading the biographies of Michael Jordan and Leonardo Da Vinci. Some of the VCs and Product Folks in Silicon Valley also subscribe to this thought. They treat themselves and their careers as that of professional athletes. According to them, the way you conduct yourself, the way you eat, your personal journal or as a matter of fact, your fingernails are nothing but mini - products. They see these attributes as features and a part of a bigger product i.e. themselves.
Stripe employees treat documentation as a part of their product development process.
The next question that one should ask : What does it mean for anything to be a product? Well, it means that it can be broken down into smaller chunks conceptually. Each detail can be worked upon and can be made better so that when all the pieces are reconnected, the picture looks significantly better than what it was. A few examples :
A. Treating reading as a product
Objectives :
- To increase the reading speed
- To retain the read material better
KPIs:
- Reading Speed
- Performance on a retention test
Processes that affect the KPIs:
- Device used while reading i.e. Kindle/Mobile/Tablet
- Background music (if any)
- Environment
- Posture . . . Countless other details
B. Treating your diet as a product
Objectives : To eat healthy and ensure that you do not gain weight because of your diet
KPIs:
- Calorie intake
- Other quantifiable metrics that I am not aware of
Processes that affect the KPIs:
- A diet chart
- Time of the day when the meal is consumed . . . Countless other details
From your Instagram page to how you mentor someone, everything is a product. You are a professional athlete who’s a product!