Building Customer Experiences with Airbnb Global Product Lead: The Next Big Thing Starts as a Toy

Building Customer Experiences with Airbnb Global Product Lead: The Next Big Thing Starts as a Toy

In the world of product development, whether it's a feature, functionality, or an entire product, the ultimate goal is to change the behavior of the customer. To successfully achieve this, it is crucial to question how customers behave, why they do it, and what motivates them. This can be done through thorough user research and understanding their needs and psyche. By understanding what the user is trying to achieve with your company's product or service, you can create a customer experience that truly resonates with them. This concept is often referred to as the "job to be done."

While timelines are always important, it is equally vital to look at the overall shipping goal and work backward from there. This approach helps in deprioritizing items that may not be necessary in the initial launch. By focusing on the end goal and working backward, you can ensure that the product meets the needs of the user from the start.

However, identifying how your product will change user behavior and predicting it without the need for a machine learning model is the true mark of success. If you can envision the impact your product will have and foresee how it will change the way users behave, then you've truly nailed it. The ability to solve user problems and change their behavior should be the primary focus for any product manager. It's not about a few features, JIRA tickets, or projects, but rather the ultimate outcome that the product drives for the user.

To continually improve and stay ahead in the product development field, it is essential to actively participate in different open discussions, seek out a product mentor, watch webinars, and continuously learn how to identify metrics that truly matter. A recommended read for product managers is "Measure What Matters" by John Doerr, which provides valuable insights into setting and achieving goals.

Now, let's shift gears and discuss the concept of the next big thing starting out as a toy. This idea stems from Clay Christensen's theory of "disruptive technology." According to Christensen, disruptive technologies are often dismissed as toys because they initially undershoot user needs. This dismissal allows them to fly under the radar of incumbents and eventually disrupt the market.

To distinguish between disruptive toys and toys that will remain just toys, it is essential to look at products as processes. The speed at which the product improves or worsens is a crucial factor. However, external forces such as the decreasing cost of microchips, ubiquitous bandwidth, and smarter mobile devices play a more significant role in the disruptive potential of a product. A disruptive product needs to be designed to ride these changes up the utility curve.

A prime example of a disruptive process is Wikipedia. Every day, it is bombarded with edits from spammers, vandals, and individuals with questionable intentions. However, every day, the dedicated contributors make it better at a faster rate. This relentless improvement, driven by good people outpacing the bad, has allowed Wikipedia to meet and surpass the encyclopedic information needs of its users.

Startups that focus on sustaining technologies are highly unlikely to be the ones we see dominating the market in the future. The true winners will be the disruptors, the ones that people dismiss as toys. If a technology is genuinely groundbreaking and its benefits are evident, many will pay attention and try to emulate it.

In conclusion, building customer experiences that drive behavior change requires deep user research, understanding their needs, and a focus on the ultimate outcome for the user. It is essential to question how users behave, why they do it, and what motivates them. By working backward from the overall shipping goal, deprioritizing unnecessary items, and envisioning the impact on user behavior, products can truly make a difference.

To stay ahead in the competitive landscape, actively participate in discussions, seek mentors, and continuously learn how to identify the metrics that truly matter. Remember, the next big thing may start as a toy, dismissed by many. Embrace disruptive technologies that ride the waves of external forces and continuously improve. Now, armed with these insights, here are three actionable pieces of advice for product managers:

• 1. Conduct thorough user research and understand the needs and motivations of your customers. This will help you create a customer experience that truly resonates and drives behavior change.

• 2. Focus on the overall shipping goal and work backward. By prioritizing items that align with the end goal, you can ensure a successful launch and meet the needs of the user from the start.

• 3. Embrace disruptive technologies and processes. Don't be afraid to be dismissed as a toy. If your product is truly groundbreaking and its benefits are evident, it has the potential to disrupt the market and surpass the competition.

With these strategies in mind, product managers can build customer experiences that not only meet user needs but also drive behavior change and disrupt the market.