How Product Thinking Helps Accelerate New Product Development

The benefits listed in the following article are an excerpt from one of our recent white papers, Accelerating New Product Development.

The solution to a complex problem can have many answers. Answering what it takes to bring a single idea to life can be accomplished through a one-off approach. However, bringing idea after idea to life, building better products time and time again, and evolving them to meet the demands of an ever-changing world requires a Product-Thinking approach to product development— from discovery to delivery.

For new products in particular, an effective approach is the crucial difference between a great idea that falls flat and a great idea that turns into a great product. But the road from idea to execution can be long and bumpy, and is split into many phases.

At Connected, we consider there to be three major phases in the journey to building a new product at speed and scale: immersion, discovery, and delivery. Below we outline the main benefits behind a Product-Thinking approach to each of these three major phases.

The Immersion Phase

Getting to grips with the problem and the team

In a Product-Thinking immersion phase, the team comes together to define the overarching problem they want to solve and create a practical workflow that focuses on product impact. 

• Time is more efficiently used as the team comes together to build a foundation for the project based on alignment around a problem space

The Discovery Phase

Testing, validating, experimenting, and prototyping to define the right product

In a Product-Thinking discovery phase, research done by a cross-disciplinary team leads to product ideas that can be tested and validated against the four risk areas (desirability, feasibility, viability, usability) and further tested through prototyping.

• Resources are more focused as individuals are given the license to dedicate their time to exploring, experimenting, and taking risks

• Senior stakeholders can manage their time more effectively, knowing that the time is aligned around a metric of product impact

• Prototypes are built at a more rapid pace as teams look to make progress through product, giving the team the opportunity to learn from users

The Delivery Phase

Building, testing, and progressing simultaneously

In a Product-Thinking delivery phase, development begins in earnest based on a tested and validated idea, while continuous discovery work is done to ensure that the final product speaks to user needs, desires, and jobs to be done.

• Resources aren’t wasted on hunches, and are instead spent on building out validated prototypes

• Building at pace and scale is easier as building efforts aren’t spread thin across multiple workstreams

• The final product speaks to user desires because constant discovery work alongside delivery means that user perspectives are embedded in the product

• The product can be delivered to market within a year and then evolved, rather than missing out on market opportunities

To learn more about how to Accelerate New Product Development, download the full white paper here, or explore more of our product thought leadership on our resources page.