Mila Suankulova

Are you letting the pursuit of perfection stall your product discovery? 🌐 Discovery is a team sport – Involve product managers, UXers, and engineers together to ensure diverse perspectives. 🔍 Start small – Don’t wait to implement all discovery habits at once. Take the tiniest first step and iterate. ✅ Something is better than nothing – Focus on what works in your specific context instead of aiming for industry-wide perfection. 📅 Continuous discovery – Maintain weekly customer touchpoints with the entire team to stay aligned and informed. 🌳 Use opportunity solution trees – Guide your discovery process by mapping out opportunities and solutions systematically. 👥 Conduct regular customer interviews – Uncover genuine needs and refine your product outcomes through consistent engagement. 🔧 Build habits incrementally – Integrate discovery practices into your workflow step-by-step for sustainable improvement. 🤝 Embrace cross-functional collaboration – Ensure everyone on the team is involved in the discovery process to build shared understanding and align on goals. 📈 Iterate and improve – Adopt a continuous improvement mindset, making small, consistent changes that compound over time. Remember, progress is made through consistent, small actions rather than waiting to do everything perfectly. Start today by taking that first tiny step towards better discovery practices. Read more about Teresa Torres' insights from Y Oslo 2024 here: https://lnkd.in/gRNZ_MuV #productmanagement #productdiscovery ---- Need help breaking into Product Management or accelerating your PM career? Schedule a free 1-on-1 session with me and let's chat about your goals. Link on my profile. If you enjoyed this post: 1. Follow me for more PM & career content 2. Repost to share with your network

1

😮 How bad is the current PM job market? What we've observed at Product People in the last few months is that the current market is like the Schrödinger's cat - it's both dead and alive at the same time 💀 - there are open positions and some companies are hiring as actively as ever - there are people who struggle to get anything going for them even with the big names on their CVs - there are people taking positions 1-2 levels lower than what they've had in the previous company I'll be discussing these insights and more at the TopProds Q3 Product Management Talent Forecast together with Ross Webb, Nick Charalambous and Chris Mason. Join us you if it's relevant for you! Link in the comments!

47

4 kommentarer

If you've been implementing CRO and are still struggling to see results, here's the REAL reason why. Spoiler: it’s not rocket science. Conversion Rate Optimization should increase sales and engagement. Bottom line. But many businesses invest heavily in CRO yet see little return. They follow all the best practices, but conversions remain stagnant. It can feel like banging your head against the wall… (we do not recommend doing this). If this sounds familiar, there’s likely one critical factor you’re overlooking. 🔑 Personalized User Experience - Most websites treat traffic the same. They optimize for generic users and buyer journeys. - But people have diverse needs, behaviors and problems, so a one-size fits all approach misses your ideal customer. - Personalization dynamically tailors experiences to each visitor - content, design and CTAs need to reflect those looking. 🔑 Gather Meaningful Data - There is no end to analytics in the modern world. You can easily get lost and overwhelmed in the volumes available. To personalize at scale you need deeper insights - Behavioral data - Survey responses - Heat maps - Session replays - This type of data creates opportunities and unlocks more conversion potential than generic optimizations. So prioritize gathering and making decisions based on this data. 🔑 Test, Test and Test - We can’t emphasize this enough! Test relentlessly, but strategically. That means don’t test everything under the sun. - But have a systematic plan focused on variations designed for your key segments: - Hypothesize - Prioritize - Test - Analyze - Iterate. - This unlocks rapid learning. Implement these 3 pillars and your conversion rates will skyrocket. Personalized, data-driven and strategic experimentation will identify the highest-impact optimizations. You see, it’s not that difficult. - PS - We've helped our clients unlock over $1 BILLION dollars from their websites with conversion rate optimization. No additional ad spent. If you want us to help boost your conversion rates by 25% in the next 3-6 months, click the link under my name or in my bio.

12

10 kommentarer

Recently I’ve been part of meetings where we decided on important new product names, and came to agreements on website structure, style guides, templates, and more. How did we avoid discussions going round and round and nothing getting decided? How did we actually come to conclusions and get sh!t done? It involved knowing when to listen and when to act. It involved navigating team dynamics and various strong opinions with the need to simply make a decision. Some insights: 👂 Listen actively: Ensure everyone's voice is heard. Their insights might be good! 🙏 Acknowledge contributions: Show respect for everyone’s input and opinions. Everyone should feel heard and valued. ✅ Know when to decide: The time comes when a decision must be made. Strive for consensus and have a vote, or be prepared to lead decisively if needed. Balancing these elements fosters a respectful and productive team culture - and gets shi!t done. Agree? #Teamwork #DecisionMaking #Collaboration #ConsensusBuilding

20

We 2X'd our visitor-to-demo conversion rate in 30 days at Amplemarket. Here's exactly how we did it: 1. Laser-focused ICP and personas We got crystal clear on who we're targeting. This clarity allowed us to tailor everything else. 2. Problem-centric messaging We stopped talking about features and started addressing pain points. Buyers don't care about your product; they care about their problems. 3. Features → Benefits We translated every feature into a tangible benefit. "What's in it for me?" became our mantra. 4. Streamlined demo request flow We simplified our process, using default as our scheduling tool. Less friction = more conversions. 5. Reworked pricing page We're still iterating, but being more upfront about each of our plans has helped qualify leads better. 6. Distraction-free demo page We stripped away everything except the demo request CTA. No nav bar, no competing offers. 7. Social proof overload Testimonials, case studies, G2 ratings, Gartner mentions - we plastered them everywhere. 8. Product demo video front and center We embedded our demo video right at the top. Seeing is believing, and it's working. 9. Design and UX improvement We invested heavily in making our site look and feel premium. First impressions matter. Our full rebrand had major impact here. TAKEAWAY: This took months of building, testing and iterating. But the results speak for themselves. If you're struggling with demo conversions, start with these areas. Test, test, test. What works for us might not work for you, but the process of constant improvement will yield results. Remember, doubling conversions means doubling your pipeline without spending an extra dime on ads or outbound. —— If you're a founder or growth leader, follow for updates on my journey and weekly insights on scaling from $1M to $10M with organic & low CAC growth strategies.

164

39 kommentarer

Time for a regularly scheduled hot take: I don’t usually post negative content on linked in but I have to this one time… For all my customer experience, user experience, product design, and marketing professionals please tag your CMO who still believes in asking NPS survey related questions. I’m looking at you Adobe 🫢 (Stop asking me if I would recommend Adobe Illustrator to a friend when I open the app, my one friend already uses Illustrator) What’s the hot fix: Try asking utility and value extraction based questions in the precious 3 seconds a user will ask when they Pendo.io I love your product, but please delete your NPS survey widget survey feature, UX designers the world over will love you, at this point your enabling “bad” marketing behavior. 😝 PS I’m being sarcastic, but in 2025 it’s time to focus on more sophisticated and accurate product value metrics going forward.

5

Always challenge your existing tools. When it comes to setting up workflows, Zapier is often the go-to solution - so we used it too. But recently, we tried n8n and ended up moving everything over. Why? Zapier is great, but n8n offers the flexibility we need. It’s open-source, giving us full control over automations without paywalls. Plus, it’s far more customizable for complex workflows. It’s a bit more technical—but with ChatGPT helping where some JavaScript is needed, you don’t need deep engineering skills to make it work.

7

6 kommentarer

2 quick insights about innovation at Niimblr We Take the Leap:  Got a weird idea? We prototype it! (Prototypes show commitment from the creator, and potential to the receiver in a heartbeat). But check in with your peers early so we can kill it if it is 💩 Bye-bye comfort zone:  “But I haven’t taken a class in (insert subject matter)”... said no one in a startup ever. There's internet, a laptop and zero excuses to get started. Whatever we need done, we get done. It is not always pretty, I get that. But it gets done-done ✔ #NiimblrLife #Innovation #Teamwork #StartupVibes

24

1 kommentar

🧡 Would you like to help your team fix their product and UX pains? Between now and 15th July I'm looking for 2 tech focused start-ups to help get their product and UX pains fixed. Just FYI, we recently helped one start-up refocus their team around an undervalued existing product, that they didn’t realise clients were actually clamouring to buy. If this sounds like you, drop me a Direct Message. #product #ux #startups

21

I don't buy into Klarna's AI transformation story. It feels a bit too, say, fairy-tale-like. Klarna, recently made the news again for ending their fancy SaaS subscriptions in favor of AI-accelerated software development. I've had the "pleasure" of dealing with Klarna AI, and while it's pretty grounded, it's no Robochat-007 they make it sound. AI-generated code, more often than not, slows down the releases rather than accelerating it. Then there is a whole lot of compliance, security, and other mumbo jumbo. I wonder what mystical OpenAI models they have that other lesser mortals don't! Klarna has an IPO on the horizon, and this whole thing feels like a carefully staged PR stunt. By playing the AI card, they look like tech pioneers to future investors. Suddenly, they can justify what really seems like an after-effect of a massive drop in valuation due to overspending, interest rates, and competition. Meanwhile, the customers! Huh, what about them? They should be happy that Klarna AI Bot can tackle their Python questions. Jeez, some people just can’t be pleased, can they? --------------------- Hi, I am Maheep. Follow me for a candid, fun, and cynical perspective on tech and business. #klarna #ai

7

10 kommentarer

Emulating Klarna Had a chance to speak with Jens Dressler - founder of graphapi® on this last night (interview to be published soon) In a bold move, Klarna recently announced a significant shift in their operational strategy by parting ways with several major SaaS providers like #Salesforce and #Workday. Instead of relying on traditional software solutions, they're embracing #AI to reimagine their workflows. Jens has seen 3 tech bubbles (starting with the Y2K!) and yet believes this is the “greatest technology shift he will see in his lifetime” He believes that for companies looking to stay ahead of the curve, now is the time to consider how to emulate Klarna's innovative approach. Klarna developed AI tools and workflows internally but majority of businesses can’t afford to do so as they do not possess these tech capabilities in-house - presenting a gold rush for new age SaaS vendors / AI native tools and channel partners who specialise in this area It’s the dawn of a new era ☀️ #6am #thoughts #morning😄

31

2 kommentarer

🔍 Don't talk to the wrong crowd with your product and landing page, talk to the ICP instead. Picture this: 100 people visit your site, but only 3 are your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). The other 97? Close, but not quite. If your message is too broad, no one gets it, and all 100 leave without a second thought. 💡 Here’s the switch-up: Broad Communication: ❌ Low engagement, high bounce rate. ICP-Focused Communication: ✅ Higher engagement, more conversions. When you speak directly to your ICP about solving their specific problems: 1️⃣ Clarity: They know your product is "made" for them. 2️⃣ Engagement: More likely to engage, even beyond your ICP. 3️⃣ Conversion: Higher chances of turning trials into paid users by addressing their specific needs. Let’s focus on what our ICP truly needs to see better results!

6

Ready to supercharge your business with Product Operations but unsure about adding new headcount? Good news! The journey can start with your existing team. Take inspiration from Christine Itwaru, former Head of Product Operations at Pendo.io, who initiated the transformation while still serving as a Director of Product. Christine identified information challenges between sales and product teams and took the initiative to bridge the gap. Recognizing the potential, Pendo's CPO invited her to establish Product Operations. Starting small, Pendo gradually expanded, becoming an industry leader under Christine's advocacy. Christine's focus on internal pain points, like roadmap conflicts, showcased the impact of Product Operations. From bidirectional communications to governance and analytics, Pendo's Product Operations grew from one member to a team of 11 in less than two years. The team now aids product managers and cross-functional partners in effective execution and task completion. Starting as a team of one is a powerful approach, as seen with Christine and many other practitioners like Hugo Froes from OLX Motors Europe. Even a solo operator can make a significant difference, setting the standard for the entire organization. Learn to say no, embrace new opportunities, and map out a growth plan if you decide to expand your Product Operations team. It’s important to note that smaller companies won’t need as many of these roles especially in the maturing phase, but for large corporations with a centralized team (think your banks of 20K+ people) they start to become more important. Discover the transformative potential of Product Operations, whether you're a team of one or planning to scale. Solve core problems, optimize tech investments, and propel your organization to new heights! #ProductOperations #BusinessTransformation #TeamBuilding #ProductManagement #OptimizePerformance

305

28 kommentarer

How many major changes are made in product concept before actually coding it? As usual - it depends. If the market's nailed and the concept's solid, we usually hit success on the first try! If we dive into research together with client, it might be 2-3 and more rounds up to infinity. Just kidding, infinite loops are for coders, not concepts! 😄 Usually it takes 1-3 concepts to fit in. #software_development #user_experience #product_building #research_and_development

3

🐨 The easiest AI-assisted product quality hack: 🤔 We don't have any dedicated QA engineers. Instead, engineers and product managers are responsible for the product's quality, and it actually works well. 👉 When features are almost ready for release (automation tests developed and passing, feature manually checked), the entire feature team meets to do a bug bash. In this bug bash, we do scripted manual testing and go freestyle. We find bugs, fix them, add tests, and repeat. 🤖 A big time-saver is to prepare the testing script with your favorite AI bot. Upload your PRD and a spreadsheet template with one or two test scenarios, then ask the bot to complete the rest. Columns could include: 'Setup situation', 'Action to test', 'Desired Results'. Go over the results your AI provides. You *will* find issues for sure, but overall this is a super net-positive investment. Enjoy! #productmanagement #productquality #productivty

32

3 kommentarer

Next week Funnelytics is doing a big product release and I can't wait! In anticipation of next week's major Funnelytics product release, I decided to create a short guide on how to accurately predict funnel performance, before spending time or money building anything.    (Can you guess what the product release is going to be? 👀 🕵️)   Here’s a concise step-by-step guide to help you get started: #1) Outline Your Funnel Structure Map out each step of the funnel. Use the 6 essential funnel templates as a guide to get started, since 99% of high converting funnels will be one (or a combination) of these 6 funnels. (comment below "Funnel Templates" if you want me to send them to you) #2) Specify Your Targets What's your marketing budget? What are your revenue or KPI targets? What is the frequency or timeline you have to hit those KPIs (per day, per week, per month - or is it for a set time range)? If you don't know what you are trying to achieve, then having a forecast isn't very useful.   #3) Set Your Product Prices, Marketing Spend and Estimated Traffic Volumes Your customer journey/funnel should always be mapped all the way to a purchase, because let's face it - nothing else matters! In order to properly calculate ROI, you'll need to establish the average purchase value and the marketing spend. #4) Research Industry Benchmarks For Conversion Rates Look up conversion rate benchmarks for your industry and similar funnels. More details on this next week - we've got something prepared that will make this very easy for you.   #5) Set Your Conversion Rates Set realistic conversion rates across each step of the funnel based on benchmarks and historical data.    #6) Run Different Scenarios Play with different conversion rates to see how it will impact the ROI of your funnel. Establish a Best, Worst and Likely case scenarios to see the possible outcomes   #7) Compare to Real Data Of course, a forecast is just that - a forecast! You need to compare your forecast to your real numbers to see what's Red, Yellow and Green! Where did you crush it, and where did you fall short?   #8) Adjust the Forecast Based on Real Data Your actual data will guide how you adjust your forecast and where you focus your efforts to make more money from the same marketing spend. By following these steps, you'll be able to create a solid funnel forecast that guides your efforts and helps you make the most of your marketing budget.   Typically this would take HOURS to build in a spreadsheet. Next week, I'm going to show you how you can do it in minutes.

17

4 kommentarer

To all the founders and VCs out there who still focus on good ol' traffic as a measure of success: 🙈 🙉 🙊Traffic without conversion is just noise. I can't believe that in 2024 we still need to talk about this. 🙈 🙉 🙊 Your north star shouldn't be traffic-related. Not even when it comes to your SEO strategy. Here’s why you might want to rethink focusing solely on traffic Quality Over Quantity: Not all traffic is created equal. A high volume of visitors who bounce quickly or don't engage with your content doesn't contribute to your growth. Period. Instead, focus on attracting and retaining the right audience who find value in your content and convert into loyal customers. Engagement Is Key: Google and other search engines are smart. They understand when users engage with a site and when they don't. Just blindly driving traffic to a page that users will bounce from won’t do you any good. Organic growth thrives on engagement. Focus on user metrics. Did they read the article? Did they engage with it? What areas worked best on my product page? Is my content easily understood? Conversion Rates Matter: Traffic without conversions is pure noise. Prioritize metrics that reflect your business goals. Don't let the internet mess with your head. NO, you do not need 1M unique users a month to be successful. You need enough users that convert to paying customers. That might be 10, 50, 100, or 1,000. It depends on your product. SEO Performance: While traffic can indicate SEO success, take some time for your product's sake and look deeper. Right keywords, right intent, right pages, organic conversions—so many things make more sense than tons of traffic. Content Relevance: Organic growth is fueled by relevant content. Analyze which topics, formats, and channels drive the most engagement and conversions. This helps you tailor your strategy to meet your audience’s needs and preferences. User Experience: High traffic with poor user experience can harm your brand. Focus on user experience more than anything. I've been doing SEO for the past 15 years. If anyone asks me what we should focus on between A & B, my answer always has and forever will be "whatever improves user experience." Everyone wants to be Canva nowadays, but no one wants to do the work. They all want to copy the "SEO Strategy."

4

AI revolution impacts lots of industries & business activities, and user research is not an exception. Want to know how exactly? Check out the Survicate & Amplitude report. I highly recommend it, and not just because I had the pleasure of contributing to it! https://lnkd.in/d3CtQfdB

8

2 kommentarer