Building a Research Flywheel: A Helpful Guide for Product Managers & Their Teams
Product Management Today Webinar – March 2022
You’ve heard of Amazon and Vanguard, two of the most successful customer-focused businesses in the world, but have you heard Jim Collins’ Flywheel Effect? You might be surprised to learn that neither of these businesses would be where they are today without it.
Every step of the product journey is informed by research: what works, what doesn’t, what customers want, what they need. But no one tool or method can create a thriving research practice for product managers. Instead, PMs and business leaders need to turn the crank of the wheel to get processes in motion and build momentum.
By developing product- and customer-focused Flywheels, you can uncover new insights, make better products, and invest in more meaningful research. This, ultimately, will lead to more value, more growth, and a greater understanding of what your customer’s need.
Discover how it can help you supercharge your product process. Attendees for this session will:
- Learn how Flywheels create momentum and value
- Explore the process for defining your team’s Flywheel
- Uncover how to supercharge and expand your Flywheel
Recording
Request the recording from Product Management Today
Slides
Resources
Turning the Flywheel: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great by Jim Collins
This is an easy and quick read that introduces the concept, provides examples and the process.
Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon by Colin Bryar and Bill Carr
Get the inside of Amazon view of how they used the flywheel idea and a lot of other insight on their practices. I gave my copy to my sister-in-law to help her prep for an interview there.
Why we’re building an Ops-First Research Practice by Brad Orego
Brad has a similar way of approaching the flywheel as a tool to advocate research.
Demand-Side Sales 101: Stop Selling and Help Your Customers Make Progress by Bob Moesta
Don’t get confused by the title, this book is the most comprehensive and easy to understand summary about jobs I’ve seen anywhere. In a few short chapters Bob Moesta helps you understand the theory, see how the different forces work and how it will help your business.
Jobs-to-be-Done Handbook by Chris Spiek, Bob Moesta
This is the practical companion to Demand-Side Sales. They’ve packed this short book full of great tips on doing the research that fuels your work on Jobs.
Lean Customer Development: Building Products Your Customers Will Buy by Cindy Alvarez
Cindy’s approach is simple and powerful. I’m such a fangirl that I got a signed copy.
