Product management used to be all about making a single product the best it could be. This worked when applications were isolated.
But today, with AI, products are no longer standalone entities, they are intelligent, interconnected parts of a wider system. So, product leaders need to manage an entire portfolio, balancing the unique demands of each line for growth. It's about viewing the broader perspective, not just the specifics.
To execute this effectively, you need both product sense and a comprehensive strategy. Inimfon Bassey, a senior product manager, is great at this. She manages a group of connected products, ensuring that one product's success does not negatively impact the other products. She understands that the highest return comes from a group of products that are effectively integrated, not just one hit product.
Inimfon focuses on managing a portfolio of interconnected products. She has the mindset of a venture capitalist, seeing each product as an investment with its own risks and rewards. She develops strategies for new products, updates for existing ones, and keeping stable products running smoothly. This enables her to explore possibilities for products to work together and optimize the complete system.
A significant hurdle is balancing new ideas with keeping core products stable. It's tempting to chase the next big thing, but that can divert resources from the products that are profitable. Inimfon handles this by grouping products into categories: growth drivers, cash cows, and experiments. She ensures the core products are adequately prioritized to stay reliable, while also setting aside resources for innovative concepts that could yield significant returns in the future.
Inimfon also leverages AI for her portfolio strategy, deploying it for predictive portfolio performance modeling. Rather than just using historical data and assumptions, she utilizes AI to analyze massive datasets from user behavior, trends, and key performance indicators about her product. This aids her in predicting how changes to one product will impact the others. For example, AI can inform her if a new app feature will damage a desktop product or if a price change will drive users to a competitor. This helps her make smart changes to her strategy.
Leveraging AI, she can decide how to allocate resources with greater certainty. If AI predicts a new product has a high potential for quick expansion, she can invest more in it. If the AI forecasts a feature will have minimal effect or might harm a core product, she can adjust her strategies and allocate those resources somewhere else. Using this approach, she can make significant choices based on data, not just speculation.
Inimfon Bassey demonstrates how product leadership is changing. She doesn't just focus on one product; she manages a system of products. She balances risk and stability and uses AI to make predictions. This makes her a forward-thinking leader who ensures her company's products work together for long-term success.
