Why Building Technology Requires Product Management

Technology around us evolves every single day. So how do you know if a certain technique or components would penetrate or create a market?

This illustration I discovered on Twitter is really profound. I could not locate the source so my apologies for not being able to credit the original author but nevertheless it is a wonderful piece of concepts pulled together into one illustration.

Functionality

In managing technology first you have to be able to come up with the function and "the job it is hired to do" for the user. If a product has many technologies packed in it but it cannot execute one single function for the user, then it is a useless product. You will immediately notice the difference of whether the function serves the user or not in Stage 1 of the above graphic. The function immediately serves the user in a minimum viable product. In this case, the user-minded developer had already entered the market in Stage 1 whereas the technology-minded developer could only reach the market by the time it reaches Stage 4.

Notice that the function for all the above is : getting from point A to point B.

Usability

Any product that enters market has to be usable. The less the user has to change and educate him or herself, the further it will penetrate the market. Software usually plays a huge role in this section. Hardware design should also be such that it fits human beings rather than human beings that would have to fit the design. Product development that does not pay attention to designing for the user and too focused on the technology would easily fall into the latter category and discover later that the product sinks.

All in all, a careful consideration on why and how a product serves the user would go a long way in promoting technology. There are many topics to be covered in this topic of technology but perhaps a subject for discussion for another day. What are your thoughts on design and product development?