Product Leader Map

In this interactive AMA session for MTP Leaders, Dave Martin, Executive Coach and Chief Product Officer at Fractional joins us to discuss how product leaders can achieve success using The Product Leader Map. We recommend reading Dave’s post Level up Your Product Function With the Product Leader Map where he introduces the idea, then watching the session to learn more.

If you’re short of time, read on for our top 4 takeaways.

1. Identify what’s important

Being a product leader is challenging. From ensuring continuous learning to empowering teams, there’s always something to tackle. Using the Product Leader Map, Dave explains, you can break everything down into three core segments:

• Products
• Culture

These three core segments, he says, are key to success in a leadership role where you’re much more “hands-off”. By using the map, you can focus on the areas that are most important to you, as a leader.

The Product Leader Map [Image: Dave Martin]

2. Coaching product teams is key

Product teams need to understand what each element of the map represents and leaders should mentor and coach their teams to use the map effectively — sharing the steps and ideas outlined in Dave’s post, Level up Your Product Function With the Product Leader Map, will help you to do this.

Of course, the longer you progress as a product leader, the less hands-on and further away from the product manager role you become. Dave, therefore, suggests that it might be helpful to delegate this role of a coach to a senior product manager.

3. Focus on one area for 90 days

As product leaders, there’s so much to tackle at any one time so Dave suggests picking a section of that map that best represents an area you’re keen to improve, and focusing on that for 90 days. Typically, he says, it’s important to pick outer area one from each circle. For example, if you’re keen to improve ‘Products’, you might pick ‘Strategy’ to focus on. Then, write down six things you’d like to see improve in this area.

4. Using the map can be beneficial in a new role

When starting a new role as a product leader, Dave explains that you need to understand what these nine topics on the map are to succeed in using them effectively. He says, “In a new role, spend 30 days to focus on the main three areas. Evaluate every area of the business and the teams that function within it.” Understand them to the full while also understanding how other parts of the business work.

Discover more content on Product Leadership or use our Content A-Z to find even more product management content.