Table of Contents
Cover
Title Page
Preface to the Second Edition
PART I: Lessons from Top Tech Companies CHAPTER 1: Behind Every Great Product
CHAPTER 2: Technology‐Powered Products and Services
CHAPTER 3: Startups: Getting to Product/Marketing Fit
CHAPTER 4: Growth‐Stage Companies: Scaling to Success
CHAPTER 5: Enterprise Companies: Consistent Product Innovation
CHAPTER 6: The Root Causes of Failed Product Efforts
CHAPTER 7: Beyond Lean and Agile
CHAPTER 8: Key Concepts Holistic Product
Continuous Discovery and Delivery
Product Discovery
Prototypes
Product Delivery
Products and Product/Market Fit
Product Vision
PART II: The Right People Product Teams Overview
CHAPTER 9: Principles of Strong Product Teams Team of Missionaries
Team Composition
Team Empowerment and Accountability
Team Size
Team Reporting Structure
Team Collaboration
Team Location
Team Scope
Team Duration
Team Autonomy
Why It Works
CHAPTER 10: The Product Manager Key Responsibilities
Deep Knowledge of the Customer
Deep Knowledge of the Data
Deep Knowledge of Your Business
Deep Knowledge of Your Market and Industry
Smart, Creative, and Persistent
Product Manager Profiles
CHAPTER 11: The Product Designer Product Discovery
Holistic User Experience Design
Prototyping
User Testing
Interaction and Visual Design
The Absence of Product Design
CHAPTER 12: The Engineers
CHAPTER 13: Product Marketing Managers
CHAPTER 14: The Supporting Roles User Researchers
Data Analysts
Test Automation Engineers
CHAPTER 15: Profile: Jane Manning of Google
People @ Scale Overview
CHAPTER 16: The Role of Leadership Leaders of Product Management
Leaders of Product Design
Leaders of Technology Organization
Holistic View Leadership Roles
CHAPTER 17: The Head of Product Role Competencies
CHAPTER 18: The Head of Technology Role Organization
Leadership
Delivery
Architecture
Discovery
Evangelism
CHAPTER 19: The Delivery Manager Role
CHAPTER 20: Principles of Structuring Product Teams
CHAPTER 21: Profile: Lea Hickman of Adobe
PART III: The Right Product Product Roadmaps Overview
CHAPTER 22: The Problems with Product Roadmaps
CHAPTER 23: The Alternative to Roadmaps
Product Vision Overview
CHAPTER 24: Product Vision and Product Strategy The Product Vision
The Product Strategy
CHAPTER 25: Principles of Product Vision
CHAPTER 26: Principles of Product Strategy
CHAPTER 27: Product Principles
Product Objectives Overview
CHAPTER 28: The OKR Technique
CHAPTER 29: Product Team Objectives
Product @ Scale Overview
CHAPTER 30: Product Objectives @ Scale
CHAPTER 31: Product Evangelism
CHAPTER 32: Profile: Alex Pressland of the BBC
PART IV: The Right Process Product Discovery Overview
CHAPTER 33: Principles of Product Discovery
CHAPTER 34: Discovery Techniques Overview Discovery Framing Techniques
Discovery Planning Techniques
Discovery Ideation Techniques
Discovery Prototyping Techniques
Discovery Testing Techniques
Testing Feasibility
Testing Usability
Testing Value
Testing Business Viability
Transformation Techniques
Discovery Framing Techniques Overview
CHAPTER 35: Opportunity Assessment Technique Business Objective
Key Results
Customer Problem
Target Market
CHAPTER 36: Customer Letter Technique
CHAPTER 37: Startup Canvas Technique
Discovery Planning Techniques Overview
CHAPTER 38: Story Map Technique
CHAPTER 39: Customer Discovery Program Technique The Power of Reference Customers
Single Target Market
Recruiting the Prospective Reference Customers
The Relationship
Platform/API Products
Customer‐Enabling Tools
Consumer Products
Summary
CHAPTER 40: Profile: Martina Lauchengco of Microsoft
Discovery Ideation Techniques Overview
CHAPTER 41: Customer Interviews
CHAPTER 42: Concierge Test Technique
CHAPTER 43: The Power of Customer Misbehavior
CHAPTER 44: Hack Days
Discovery Prototyping Techniques Overview
Feasibility Prototypes
User Prototypes
Live‐Data Prototypes
Hybrid Prototypes
CHAPTER 45: Principles of Prototypes
CHAPTER 46: Feasibility Prototype Technique
CHAPTER 47: User Prototype Technique
CHAPTER 48: Live‐Data Prototype Technique
CHAPTER 49: Hybrid Prototype Technique
Discovery Testing Techniques Overview
CHAPTER 50: Testing Usability Recruiting Users to Test
Preparing the Test
Testing Your Prototype
Summarizing the Learning
CHAPTER 51: Testing Value Testing Demand
Testing Value Qualitatively
Testing Value Quantitatively
CHAPTER 52: Demand Testing Techniques
CHAPTER 53: Qualitative Value Testing Techniques Interview First
Usability Test
Specific Value Tests
Iterating the Prototype
CHAPTER 54: Quantitative Value Testing Techniques A/B Testing
Invite‐Only Testing
Customer Discovery Program
CHAPTER 55: Testing Feasibility
CHAPTER 56: Testing Business Viability Marketing
Sales
Customer Success
Finance
Legal
Business Development
Security
CEO/COO/GM
CHAPTER 57: Profile: Kate Arnold of Netflix
Transformation Techniques Overview
CHAPTER 58: Discovery Sprint Technique
CHAPTER 59: Pilot Team Technique
CHAPTER 60: Weaning an Organization Off Roadmaps
Process @ Scale Overview
CHAPTER 61: Managing Stakeholders Stakeholder Defined
Product Manager Responsibilities
Strategies for Success
CHAPTER 62: Communicating Product Learnings
CHAPTER 63: Profile: Camille Hearst of Apple
PART V: The Right Culture CHAPTER 64: Good Product Team/Bad Product Team
CHAPTER 65: Top Reasons for Loss of Innovation
CHAPTER 66: Top Reasons for Loss of Velocity
CHAPTER 67: Establishing a Strong Product Culture
Acknowledgments
About the Author
Learning More
Index
End User License Agreement
List of Illustrations
Chapter 6 FIGURE 6.1 Root Causes of Failed Product Efforts
Chapter 8 FIGURE 8.1 Continuous Discovery and Delivery
“INSPIRED is the authority on how to build a product that customers actually want. It's not about hiring product managers ‐ it's about establishing a culture that puts the user first, and builds the organization and teams around that customer to ensure that you are building the best product possible. From CEOs to APMs, this is required reading.”
—Amanda Richardson, Chief Data and Strategy Officer, HotelTonight
“We first started working with Marty when ImmobilienScout was entering growth‐stage, and he helped us set the organization up to rapidly scale and grow to become one of the largest and most successful technology startups in Germany. He remained a friend and advisor to the company for many years. His book INSPIRED helped people from all across the company, and the new version is sure to help many more companies.”
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“It does not matter if you are a seasoned product leader or a new product manager, INSPIRED will make you realise that you have the best job in the world and can have incredible impact ‐ especially if you follow Marty Cagan's words of wisdom. His book has been the bible of our industry for the past decade, and it will no doubt continue to be so with this latest update containing the most exciting best‐in‐class product practices.
—Tanya Cordrey, former Chief Digital Officer at Guardian News & Media
“Building a great product that nails Product/Market Fit is always a key first step to any successful start‐up. However, organizing the product and engineering teams, in ways that ensures scalability, speed, and quality is usually the next biggest challenge. Marty's insights and lessons learned can be applied to build highly productive teams to manage through dependencies, and build a culture that is positioned to scale. This applies whether your business is in need of a serious course correction, or on a rocket ship.”
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“We have worked closely with Marty shaping product and building product management organisations in several of our portfolio companies. Marty's insight and advice is leading‐edge and world‐class.”
—Harry Nellis, Partner, Accel
“Early in my career in Product Management, I had the good fortune of meeting Marty Cagan. Since then, he has been an incredible mentor for me and the teams I've led. I have seen, firsthand at multiple companies, how Marty transforms product teams and unlocks sustained innovation and growth. Marty literally and figuratively wrote the book on Product Management for today's technology industry.”
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—Marty Abbott, CEO, AKF Partners, former CTO, eBay
“Great products delight customers. Marty Cagan has led and inspired countless product teams and in INSPIRED, you will learn how to build those products, both strategically and tactically.”
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“CEOs, Chief Product Officers, and anyone who cares about creating great products, must read this book. Your customers will love you for it.”
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“Marty is not only a seasoned expert on all aspects of the often ambiguous discipline of product management, his book also provides inspiration, tools and techniques, and really practical help.”
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“If you want your customers to love your products, INSPIRED is an 'everyone in the company' must read book.”
—Jana Eggers, CEO, Nara Logic
“What I really love about working with Marty is that his techniques are applicable to building really great enterprise products ‐ not just new consumer apps. INSPIRED is our true north. Anytime I feel the organization moving sideways, it's time to read it again!”
—Jeff Trom, Founder and CTO, Workiva
“I've known Marty for nearly 20 years. By now, you'd think I'd have heard everything he has to say. And yet, every time I see him, his continued interest in learning about our field means that he always new ideas to share. And with honesty, humanity, frankness, and most of all…perspective that never fails to give me fresh energy and a new approach. Thrilled that he's bottled it for us once more in this new edition of INSPIRED!”
—Audrey Crane, Partner, DesignMap
“Marty's practical approach to building great products transformed the way we approached product development for the radical betterment of the Company and our customers. Just as importantly, his methodology helped shape multiple people's career trajectories both inside the Company and outside of it as they've gone on to drive product development in other organizations ‐ from Fortune 500 companies to other VC backed high growth companies. If you're in a leadership role or on the product team at an organization trying to build products your target audience loves, this should be the next book you read.”
—Shawn Boyer, Founder, Snagajob and goHappy
“When I needed to stand up a productive, scalable product management function at Etsy, I turned to Marty. His playbook for establishing product management as a distinct discipline is invaluable for any team working on products powered by software and made by engineers.” Rarely is a business book so clearly written and packed full of concrete advice. We used it as our product management guide in scaling Etsy, and I've used it in every company since.”
—Maria Thomas, Board Member and Investor
“The art of Product Management is the art of life itself. Surround yourselves by great people, focus on your mojo, build great stuff with integrity, hold strong opinions but lightly. And Marty is one of the best teachers of this art.”
—Punit Soni, Founder and CEO, Robin, Former Google APM
“Marty was a coach and mentor for my early years in product management and the book INSPIRED became the go to guide whenever I needed some clarity on the product manager's role, skill set or the daily challenges from product discovery to execution. And it still was a solid reference while stepping up to a product leadership role. Now, in my role as discovery coach, I recommend the book to every new client. It's not a methodology book; this book helps product people to get the right mindset regardless of the frameworks and techniques they are using.”
—Petra Wille, Discovery Coach
“Marty's 2nd Edition builds on an amazing base of knowledge and experience, and provides even more insights, lessons, and frameworks that are imperative to every product‐based company.”
—Chuck Geiger, CTO/CPO Chegg
“Marty has a way of elegantly simplifying decades of experience leading and teaching product organizations to excel in value creation for their customers into one actionable, inspiring, quick read. From organizational assessments, tools for aligning teams against a real user need, to the nitty gritty of pulling off continuous product discovery & delivery, INSPIRED is my go‐to reference and recommendation for any Product Leader looking to up their game for the sake of building winning p
roducts.”
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“Marty is legendary among the best product leaders for cutting to the heart of where their teams need to improve. His advice is practical, actionable and will excite you and your team to better address customer needs immediately. Your engineers and customers will thank you for reading this book.”
—Hope Gurion, Product Leader
“Marty is the go‐to expert for how to build great products. He has personally trained and educated product managers from all over the world across every industry. Marty has coached and guided some of the most successful Internet companies of our time. This second edition shares even more from his vast expertise and knowledge about how the best companies in the world are able to build products that their customers love.”
—Mike Fisher, CTO, Etsy
“Marty reminds us of the importance of why we build products. The product mindset and focusing on our customers, builds better entrepreneurs, companies and better solutions for all of us. This mindset is the foundation of building successful product companies at any stage.”
—Erin Stadler, Discovery Coach, Boomtown Accelerator