Something I’ve noticed among the strongest product teams is that they think of their product as a system, and they start doing it from day one.
A system works like an engine. Something goes in, something comes out. The input might be data, customer information, or a problem to solve. The output is something measurable: more revenue, faster delivery, or better service. When you can measure both ends, you have the basics for understanding what makes your product work.
Then you look inside and ask: what’s the fastest path from input to optimal output? Answering it is phase one, which I think of as delivering excellence.
Phase two is mastery. This is where the 80/20 rule shows up. Mastery takes about 20% of the work and creates 80% of the impact. You’ve found your optimal paths, now the question becomes how to maximize customer delight and make it repeatable and scalable.
Then comes the part many teams miss. Everything around your product keeps changing. The teams that hold onto it keep experimenting and keep tuning the engine so it performs as well next year as it does today.
If this framework sparked something for you, forward it to someone on your team. And I’d love to hear how you think about your product as a system. Tag me with your take on Linkedin.
Investment Spotlight: Amplitude
Products That Count gives product leaders a place to share practical knowledge about building and scaling products. Mighty Capital, a member of the Products That Count Corporate Alliance, also engages with this community. Products That Count Founder and Board Chair SC Moatti serves as Managing Partner of Mighty Capital. This month, we’re highlighting Amplitude, a Mighty Capital portfolio company that helps product teams understand how people actually use their products.
The product lesson is in how Amplitude itself grows. Its 2021 annual report describes its free Starter plan as “a low friction model for getting a single team started.” For product leaders, the question is worth asking of your own product: what is the smallest team that can get value alone?
Read the Amplitude case study at Mighty Capital.
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