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Tirrell Payton explains the difference between a project mindset and a product mindset and which one may be the better strategy during market shifts and disruptions.

Digital” continues to grow in importance as a first class business discipline, just as important as marketing, finance, or strategy. Therefore, product management has become more important as the primary lever to bring digital products and services to life. Given that, more organizations have begun to shift their thinking from a ‘project’ mindset to a ‘product’ mindset.

While the difference may seem semantic in nature, the implications can be substantial. A project mindset precludes a beginning, middle, and end of a project with a defined scope. A product mindset precludes orientation around the customer, and continuously evolving the offering to stay aligned with customer wants, needs, and opportunities to delight. The organizations that can best align themselves with customers are the organizations that win in the digital economy. 

According to Gartner, “Digital product management is a blend of art and science, an emerging discipline that expands the scope of the product manager’s role. Organizations that embrace and invest in this discipline are better-equipped to capitalize on market shifts and changes in business dynamics, including disruptions.

Key points include:

• Think in problems, not solutions
• Think in experiments, not analysis
• Deliver value, not features

Read the full article, Seven Tips to Accelerate Product Mindset Shifts, on LinkedIn.