As a Product Manager, you need to realize the importance of testing throughout the product development process. While you are unlikely to do the testing yourself, you have the power to commission testing and push your team to do more tests. But why is testing so important? Well, it comes from the place of better being safe than sorry. Testing early on minimizes risk and increases chances of the product’s success. Which is ultimately what every PM wants. Alright, so what should you be testing?

  1. Two Key Principles Of Product Management
  2. How To Make The Best Project Decisions As A Product Manager
  3. How To Be A Great Product Management Leader?
  4. Why Is UX So Important For Product Managers?
  5. Using UX Techniques To Make Better Product Decisions
  6. The Best Mental Models For Product Managers
  7. Testing From The Product Manager’s Perspective
  8. How To Use Deadlines Effectively In Product Management?
  9. 6 Biggest Myths About Product Development
  10. A Day In Life Of A Product Manager

What Every Product Manager Should Test?

First, let’s focus on what you should be testing. Because it’s much easier to decide on the testing method once you already know what you want to achieve. Here’s five things you should absolutely be testing:

1. Test What You’ve Already Tested

Testing tends to be a one and done kind of a thing in most companies. But the thing is that truths and opinions change overtime. If there is something you tested and threw out a few years ago, the results might be different today.

2. Test Your Successes

If we succeed, we tend not to ask ourselves “why?”. But actually, testing why you achieved success, what is working and achieving goals is a very powerful source of information for you and your entire team.

3. Test The Sales Process

Similarly to testing your successes, you should always be tracking and testing your sales process. Especially if they are working great. Because it might turn out that your sales are high because you have one good salesperson on the team. What happens if they leave? Test multiple sale strategies and channels to constantly improve and optimize your product’s sales.

4. Test Your Data

As we tend to do with success, we also tend not to challenge data. But your data might be flawed. Relying on incomplete data or on bad analysis tools and methods can be a very big problem. So, test your data collection and analysis.

5. Test Your Assumptions

Lastly, test your assumptions. In one of the previous episodes of the Product Manager’s Handbook we said that you are not the user. And that’s why your assumptions can be really far from the truth sometimes, even if you’re a very experienced PM. So always challenge your way of thinking and test your assumptions.

What is the most important is that you empower your team to test. Always support their initiative to challenge assumptions, features and ideas. As a PM you need to work through your team instead of over their heads. The same thing goes for testing. To watch the Product Manager’s Handbook Series, click here to visit our YouTube channel. If you’re looking for a product development team to work with to deliver excellent products and results, contact us!