YOUR GUIDE

For manufacturers, it’s easy to focus on performance specs, technical capabilities, and product reliability.

But if your customers struggle to use the product or don’t use it the way you expected, none of that matters.

That’s where a usability study comes in.

What is a Usability Study?

A usability study helps ...

I’ve seen two kinds of conversations in product strategy.

One group jumps to ideas fast.
“What if we added this feature?”
“We need something new.”

They move quickly. They stay busy.
But they rarely move the market.

The other group slows down.
They ask better questions.
They want to understand the customer, the compe...

Most product roadmaps are built to satisfy internal priorities.

They’re packed with features, organized by release dates, and shaped by competing voices inside the business.

But when a roadmap isn’t grounded in what your customers actually need, it loses its purpose.

A good roadmap should do more than organize ...

Manufacturers thrive on efficiency, but when it comes to bringing the right products to market, many rely on gut instinct, engineering-driven decisions, or sales pressure instead of a structured approach.

If your company is just starting to think about product management, this guide will help you avoid common pit...

When product managers present to executives, the stakes are high. The goal? Secure buy-in for your product vision, strategy, or critical decisions. But success doesn’t happen by simply delivering a compelling presentation. It happens before the meeting even starts.

That’s where pre-wiring comes in.

Pre-wiring is...

When I talk with manufacturers, I often ask a simple question: What outcomes are you working toward?

The answers usually fall into two categories: big-picture business goals and specific product outcomes. While they’re connected, bridging the gap between the two is where real success happens.

Here’s what I’ve fo...

Early in my career as an industrial designer, I believed that great design was the key to success. If a product was well-designed, if it looked good, functioned flawlessly and felt intuitive, then people would naturally buy it.

I spent hours refining details, perfecting aesthetics and making sure every part of th...

When I talk with manufacturers, one topic comes up over and over: the frustration of seeing great ideas not translate into great products. It’s not always about effort, it’s about navigating the common challenges that hold products back from reaching their full potential.

Here’s a look at the nine challenges I se...