 What do you think of when you hear someone talk about setting goals? If it is a business setting, maybe you think of those objectives tied to your annual review and salary compensation. You know, those things you don't really want to do, but your boss has to put something on the form to justify your salary. Goals.
I did not have a good relationship with setting goals early in my career. My goals were to do my job well so I would continue to get paid and could pay my bills. Goal setting felt contrived and artificial. Writing down something I was going to do anyway so I could check the box at the end of the year was not empowering or motivational. Looking back, I wish more of my employers recognized the value of goal setting is in the self-improvement through achievement, not in justifying your existence to the company. The "what have you done for me lately" mindset is defeating. I think goals have value as long as they further the goal setter's personal growth in a meaningful way. Goals that will benefit a company do not have to be business-related. A natural side-effect of developing people is workforce satisfaction, which leads to increased productivity. I had a goal to travel more. That goal had nothing to do with my career or furthering the objectives of my employer. I was timid and somewhat isolated in my life experiences thus far. Traveling helped me to gain confidence and perspective on how to handle challenges as they arise. I was able to take this personal growth and apply it to my job, which overall made me a better employee. I gained experience interacting with people from diverse cultures, which directly translated to the global teams I worked with every day. I became an asset to my company because of a goal that had nothing to do with my prescribed duties. Goals are important. Goals help people develop not only skills but a sense of accomplishment and ownership in their self-improvement. Goals have to be personal to be effective. It is also OK not to have any current goals. Sometimes our goal is to get through the next hour, day, week, and not lose our sanity. The point of having goals is to develop people. When you develop people, the benefit to your business will come along naturally.
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 It has been illuminating to note how the perception of what is required to protect against COVID-19 is different across the country. Population density, infection rates, social norms, and political views, among other factors, have an impact.
This observation made me re-visit how I think about the "target audience" when making product decisions. Demographic targeting is the easiest way to define market segments quantitatively. We can track product performance for "18-45-year-old women with an average household income greater than $150,000 annually." If we optimize our product features only against demographic performance, we miss out on the nuances of our audience. The woman who meets those demographic definitions in Los Angeles will have a very different life context than another cohort member in Billings, or St Louis, or Providence. Subjective influences are even more varied for global audiences. To create a portable product, you must understand your target audience and how the local market influences their behavior. I live and work on the west coast in the high tech industry surrounded by early adopters. It is easy to project my context onto my target audience. If my product is not performing well, it may because I overlooked an environmental factor. Let's take a simple e-commerce model as an example. My product allows consumers to purchase a product via their smartphone using a mobile wallet and have that product shipped to their home address. It is a pretty universal use case. What may cause friction for Sally in my target demographic?
It is common to leverage the latest and greatest technology in the name of "streamlining" the user experience. The best user experience is the most straightforward approach that will facilitate success across the broadest context of users. If your target audience exhibits a significant variation in behavior, consider creating features that can be turned on or off based on the current context.
It is OK to create your MVP based on your experience with the local market. Once you prove out the concept, learn about variations in cohort behavior across markets before expanding. Even if you decide not to make any changes, you will have a better understanding of your product's performance and will be able to make informed decisions in the future.  As a freelancer, my computer is my lifeblood. Unfortunately, this week my laptop suffered a slow, torturous death. During this time, I was in the middle of nowhere with nary an Apple Store in the entire state. I found a BestBuy within two hours of my location, ordered a new computer online for in-store pickup, and thought I was golden. They lost my order and couldn't get a replacement in for a week. I called a local Apple reseller, and they didn't have the model I wanted. I looked online at Walmart; no joy. I looked online at Costco and found they could ship one to a town I'd be in two days from now. I took a chance and went into the local Costco, bought a membership, and found the replacement I wanted. Five hours, one mini-meltdown, and I'm up and running again.
Adaptability is key to not only surviving but thriving in a business environment. Many businesses had to adapt when COVID-19 introduced mandatory work from home policies. Those companies are pleasantly learning that remote work can be productive and, in some cases, lead to higher employee satisfaction and engagement. The same is true when creating a product strategy. Have a plan, execute that plan, but keep your eyes open and be prepared to adapt if the metrics show a change is required. Products that refuse to adapt are doomed to be left behind. Look at what your market is telling you and find a way to fulfill a need. Adapting can be difficult. Have a backup plan or three and operate in a manner that allows you to be nimble. If something is not working and you're not sure how to adapt, ask for advice. Tap into your network and communities to mine ideas. When you become adept at adapting, you will surpass survival and begin to thrive.  I had a recent opportunity to practice social distancing while camping through Colorado and Utah. I primarily dry camped on public land in a self-contained campervan. Unfortunately, during my trip, there was a heatwave that pushed temperatures into the high 90's every day. Tired of the dust, dirt, and lack of shade, I booked a campground where I could plug-in, clean up, and cool off. The campground was at 10,000 feet, and when I arrived, it was 65° and raining. I got what I was looking for it even if it wasn't necessarily in the manner I expected.
This experience parallels what happens when we pivot on product direction. We have a roadmap, we work our plan, but sometimes things are just not working out. Looking for different outcomes, we decide to try something new. The result positive, but the change we observed was not the one we predicted. To make sure your results were not a fluke, you can alter the experiment slightly to rule out experimenter error. If the outcomes persist, you may have discovered something exciting. Unexpected results are not an indicator of a failed test, but rather an opportunity to take your strategy in a new direction. When we keep ourselves open to observing our tests' outcomes instead of forcing them into a preconceived definition of success or failure, we may discover new and exciting directions for our products. |