There are many kinds of products out there, but in this book, I concentrate exclusively on products that are powered by technology.
Some of what we explore in this book may help you if you're building non‐tech products, but there are no guarantees in that case. Frankly, there are already a wide variety of readily accessible resources for non‐tech products such as most consumer packaged goods, and for product managers of these non‐tech products.
My focus is on the unique issues and challenges associated with building technology‐powered products, services, and experiences.
Some good examples of the sweet spot that we explore are consumer‐service products, such as e‐commerce sites or marketplaces (e.g., Netflix, Airbnb, or Etsy), social media (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter), business services (e.g., Salesforce.com, Workday, or Workiva), consumer devices (e.g., Apple, Sonos, or Tesla), and mobile applications (e.g., Uber, Audible, or Instagram).
My focus is on the unique issues and challenges associated with building technology‐powered products, services, and experiences.
Technology‐powered products do not need to be purely digital. Many of the best examples today are blends of online and offline experiences—like finding a ride or a room for the night, getting a home loan, or sending an overnight package.
It's my belief that most products today are transforming into technology‐powered products, and the companies that don't realize this are rapidly being disrupted. But, again, I'm only focused here on technology‐powered products, and those companies that believe they must embrace technology and consistently innovate on behalf of their customers.