I’ve shared this on Twitter before, but I’m archiving it here on the blog as a reminder. This is something I’ve been practicing consistently.

A product person must first understand the balance between business value and user value — that is, what do we gain through the product, and what does the user gain? This is the innermost core of user experience. From there, you peel back the layers one by one. Unfortunately, most products on the market are fixated on the surface layer — the flashy, eye-catching design and interaction. I’ve always felt this is the lingering poison of the book “Everyone Is a Product Manager.”

A good product, beyond having a thorough grasp of the five layers of experience, must also have foresight. A big, comprehensive product is easy to copy, but at the cost of time — and your strategy, tactics, and resource allocation may not even be aligned. What’s truly impressive is your product sequencing: each move serves as the setup for the next. Simplicity doesn’t mean you haven’t thought things through — quite the opposite. See far, step close, think more, do less. Validate, then iterate fast.

And a truly outstanding product? It finds the critical mission within a red ocean and strikes with dimensional advantage.