Story + PD: Takeaways so far

Part of a series at the intersection of Storytelling and Product Development.

This series has allowed me to begin exploring and synthesizing learning around this topic, and now that I’ve started, I don’t see an end in sight. Despite presenting a sketch of a grand framework encompassing many scenarios in which stories are used, I know this is a deep and wide space. But for now, I’d like to pause and take stock. Some takeaways:

Be open to stories that are around you all the time. 

Stories show up all through the PD process, beginning middle, and end

It’s easy to recognize that pitching a product (or a company) can benefit from a good story. But maybe you and your team came in after that strong beginning. And your concerns stop when the product ships. Or at some wall between Engineering and Marketing and Sales, where they have to dream up advertising and pitches to customers.  

The middle is where most product managers and teams spend their time. And there’s dozens of situations where a good story is helpul. 

Mind the story. Don’t just leave stories to chance. 

Engage the story cycle: Finding. Creating. Telling. Living.  

You’re always living a story, or crafting a story, or conveying a story. But if you don’t take time to find what that story is, you may find the story you’re conveying isn’t the one you wanted to tell. 

So ask yourself: what type of story am I in right now? 

Use your goals help you find, craft ,and tell effective stories. 

Ask: How does your story help you…

…be customer centric?

…be future-focused?

… be purpose-driven?

…instill confidence?

…build resilience in your team?

Your words and deeds resonate more when they’re part of good story. It’s true in life and it’s true in the world of product. 

Keep learning about story. 

It’s almost overwhelming how deep and rich this discipline is. Within the domain of screenwriting alone there as so many teachers and methods, examples, and aids… and lifelong learners. Then a world of storytellers in business, talking to marketers and advertisers; entrepreneurs and investors. 

But for people in the Product context, we are special! I’m discovering others who have been helping in this domain and resources we can all learn from. Curating them would be a real challenge, and maybe it’s been done already… but in the meantime, I’ll try to share some highlights along my journey of continuous learning and improvement.