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Wimbledon 2021 just concluded. Djokovic won the 2021 title, and it was great to watch. Tennis is my new love for the last six months, and I have been practicing hard for 1-2 hours every day. I reduced 9Kg weight in the process and raised my health to the next level.
A lot learned in the past six months and watching the game closely. Here are some key things to take away from Tennis for a product manager.
Small wins collectively make a big win.
Set points make it to a game; multiple games make it to set, multiple sets makes it to a match. Each point/game/set counts to make it a big win. Mapping this to your product, each user experience, every feature, the theme makes it a core value for people to use and pay. Every touch point to the customer matters to make it a win.
Service faults – We all make mistakes.
If you watch the tennis game, a lot of faults are made during the service. And you have the chance for second-service. In first service you can hit hard and experiment, which does not count against you; however, if you repeat the failure, you lose a point. Every player make these mistakes, and it’s understood. As a PM, you try hard with your data points, observations, and gut feeling; however, you could be wrong and make faults. Learn quickly from the same and be careful the second time. Don’t get disheartened by your faults, as everyone makes mistakes.
Placement matters more than just sheer strength.
Where do you hit and place the ball? Did you find the gap that the opponent can’t reach in time? Positioning the product, targeting the right customers at the right place and time matters most.
Find the big gaps and target them hard.
As you play against the competition, you want to win by finding a gap and exploiting it quickly. As a PM, you do competitive analysis and keep a close eye on what’s going on. You need to look out for two things, you spot the gap in competition and ensure you don’t replicate that; secondly, create no gaps in your product. Each gap identification is an opportunity to improve and win.
Stay focused for the long term.
Tennis can be a 3-4 hours-long exhaustive game. You need to be well prepared for the same. Not only your physical strength, but the mental muscle needs to be strong to stand the opponent and win over it. Product management is as well about the thought process, your mental strength to handle ups and downs. Your readiness to work long and smart matters.
Mangesh is Product Leader
Full Bio here – https://mangesh.bhamre.in
