This week, Product Faculty hosted Jori Bell, Sr Product Supervisor at Spotify, for a particular #AskMeAnything session. Jori talks about product discovery by means of information, in addition to instruments and frameworks she makes use of all through the product lifecycle.
Meet Jori
Jori Bell is a Senior Product Supervisor at Spotify. She’s labored as a Product Supervisor at SoundCloud, Rolling Stone, and AOL. Jori’s work spans information, promoting, and advertising and marketing product. Most lately, Jori is spending her time engaged on instruments for the Creator group by means of a Market mannequin at Spotify.
How do groups at Spotify prioritize their product discovery efforts and tooling concerned with that work?
This actually varies from workforce to workforce and is dependent upon the place a product is in its lifecycle. For instance, discovery for a brand new product that isn’t out on the planet goes to look totally different than discovery for an present product.
For brand new merchandise, PMs work actually carefully with our Enterprise workforce to debate the bigger impression. We do numerous upfront work to weigh alternatives towards each other. That collab with Enterprise, coupled with our collab with Product Insights people, helps us suss out which alternatives to discover.
Current Merchandise: We try to drive lots of our decision-making about discovery by means of information. A few of my favourite discovery strategies we use for present merchandise are consumer journey mapping and whiteboarding classes (we use Mural for that).
Might you speak some extra about that information? What sort of information?
Current consumer habits and what we have now to work with. For instance, if we have been attempting to grasp if customers needed to purchase issues from artists, like merch let’s say, I’d have a look at the buying information that I’ve accessible to me. Within the case of Spotify, we have now a Live shows integration, which serves as an awesome proxy.
You may additionally be eager about: 5 Causes Why Product Managers Must Perceive Information
How do you’re employed with a product the place the principle goal is to create group and engagement, however final success is quantified by way of financial returns to the core enterprise?
An incredible tradeoff query. To me, this turns into a query of balancing and aligning incentives. On this case, and in lots of instances, I don’t suppose incentives should be competing. But when I felt they have been, I’d begin by actually mapping out the competing incentives/objectives to see the most important gaps and in addition, the place overlap lies.
Do your groups have devoted software program instruments for Product?
Numerous devoted instruments: loving Airtable and Mural for discovery and collaboration today.
Get began in your product stack right here: Tech Mastery Half 1: Selecting Your Product Stack
Whats the right combination of qualitative and quantitative proof to discover an concept? Are there any instruments and frameworks that may assist with this?
At all times a stability but in addition rooted in what’s attainable, particularly if you’re in scrappy mode. It’s ultimate to have numerous quant information but in addition normally costly to do that. Once we don’t have the best quant information, we lean closely on proxies. I’ve additionally all the time been shocked to listen to that you simply solely want about 5-6 qual interviews (in my expertise at Spotify) to characterize a audience by way of supplementing with quant with qual information.
I like the SVPG 4 massive dangers framework: feasibility, viability, usability, enterprise danger.
Who’s concerned in concept validation at Spotify? eg. is UX and Eng concerned?
Is determined by how massive the mission is however I prefer to work carefully with my engineering and design leads on this, in addition to product insights, when I’ve devoted people on my workforce. In the end, as a PM, I drive the workforce in the direction of a call.
How would you describe the product tradition at Spotify?
I’d say we have now an awesome, Product-driven tradition. Spotify has a few of the finest PMs I’ve ever labored with!
One other nice learn: What Is the Spotify Mannequin?
When have you learnt whether or not to remain enhancing merchandise at your organization or begin your individual?
That’s a private one. If I have been to go and begin one thing alone, I feel I’d if it felt proper… It simply relies upon the place I’m at and what I’m feeling obsessed with.
I’ve been studying concerning the Swedish idea Lagom and the way it promotes “simply the correct quantity.” How do you incorporate this idea into your each day as a Product Supervisor?
By no means heard of Lagom, however to me it appears like constructing a MVP 
As a extra design-oriented PM, this can be a problem for me as a result of I wish to “construct all of it” however in the end, I’ve to stability and account for effectivity. I’ve experimented rather a lot over the previous few years with difficult myself. i.e. what are inventive methods to resolve technical issues? Might we use a Google type for metadata assortment vs. constructing a type into our platform? I’ve shocked myself going towards my default and it’s been enjoyable!
Are there any product discovery methods that you simply maintain in your toolbelt which have stayed tried and true all through the years?
So many! I like a great ol’ consumer journey mapping session. For me, this entails getting a cross-functional group within the room to map out the “ultimate” consumer journey.
Spotify superbly balances Personalization vs Socialization. What’s extra essential for consumer acquisition vs consumer retention?
Good query: I feel it’s a wholesome combine and once more relies upon the place the listener is of their journey with Spotify. If I’m new to the platform I might need actually totally different wants than a long-time listener (i.e. seeing my community utilizing the app may be tremendous essential).
How can I put together for an entry-level Product Supervisor interview?
Displaying your buyer focus I feel might be key. On the core of PM’ing you’ll want to be grounded in what the wants of your buyer are so I feel demonstrating that’s going to be tremendous useful. Good luck!
Try: Product Administration Mock Interviews: The Secret to Touchdown Your Dream Job
How do you proceed to develop your PM abilities outdoors of every day work?
I try to keep plugged in with Product communities (like this one) and I like chatting with people who find themselves transferring into Product. I’ve additionally taken lessons outdoors of labor to assist me grasp areas that I don’t really feel tremendous sturdy in.
How do you outline success for the characteristic or performance of the product that you simply handle?
I like utilizing metrics and KPIs for fulfillment however one thing we do additionally do is map merchandise again to outcomes and visions. And we actually attempt to join it again to how what we’re constructing may impression a buyer’s life. It undoubtedly brings what you’re constructing to life.
Any closing suggestions?
Aspiring PMs….don’t be scared about not having the proper background to be a PM. There’s a means in and we have now a greater group than ever to assist you breaking into the sphere. Your expertise, no matter function you’re coming from, might be relevant! I’ve seen all of it
