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Justin Harris

Do you often wonder who actually uses your product and why? This course will teach you how to identify who your customer is and the most important problems your product needs to solve for them.

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Do you often wonder who actually uses your product and why? This course will teach you how to identify who your customer is and the most important problems your product needs to solve for them.

In this course, Product Management: Customer Development, you’ll learn to prioritize solving the most important problems for your customers. First, you’ll explore how to define who your customer is. Next, you’ll discover how to create requirements that solve compelling problems. Finally, you’ll learn how to prioritize solving problems based on a scoring system. When you’re finished with this course, you’ll have the skills and knowledge of Product Management needed to identify your customer and the most important problems that your product needs to solve for them.

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What's inside

Syllabus

Course Overview
Define Who Your Customers Are
Creating Requirements
Prioritizing Compelling Customer Problems
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Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Explores customer development techniques, which are fundamental for product managers and similar roles in industry
Taught by Justin Harris, who is recognized for their work in product management
Examines customer development, which is essential for improving products and deliverables
Provides a practical, industry-relevant course that helps students improve current skills
Develops customer development skills and knowledge, which are in demand across industries
Covers the course topics of problem definition, requirements, and customer prioritization

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Product Management: Customer Development with these activities:
Review the book 'The Innovator's Dilemma' by Clayton Christensen
Gain insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by companies when disrupting existing markets with innovative products.
Show steps
  • Purchase or borrow the book 'The Innovator's Dilemma'
  • Read the book
  • Summarize the key concepts of the book
Review a PM story template
Review the PM story template and how it is used to identify the problem, the desired solution, and the expected outcome.
Show steps
  • Identify the problem statement
  • Review the PM story template
  • Describe the desired solution
  • Explain the expected outcome
Attend a workshop on customer discovery techniques
Gain practical insights into different customer discovery techniques and how to apply them to your product development process.
Browse courses on Customer Discovery
Show steps
  • Find a workshop on customer discovery techniques
  • Register for the workshop
  • Attend the workshop
Five other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all eight activities
Follow a tutorial on customer journey mapping
Understand the steps involved in creating a customer journey map, including identifying touchpoints and pain points.
Browse courses on Customer Journey Mapping
Show steps
  • Find a tutorial on customer journey mapping
  • Follow the steps in the tutorial to create a customer journey map
  • Identify the key touchpoints and pain points in the customer journey
Participate in a peer review session on product requirements
Collaborate with peers to review and provide feedback on product requirements, ensuring they are clear, concise, and complete.
Show steps
  • Find a peer review session
  • Prepare your product requirements for review
  • Participate in the peer review session
  • Provide feedback on other participants' product requirements
Solve practice problems on customer segmentation
Practice identifying different customer segments based on their needs and characteristics.
Browse courses on Customer Segmentation
Show steps
  • Find practice problems on customer segmentation
  • Solve the practice problems
  • Evaluate your answers
Develop a customer persona for your target audience
Create a detailed description of your target customer, including their demographics, psychographics, and motivations.
Browse courses on Customer Persona
Show steps
  • Gather data on your target audience
  • Create a customer persona template
  • Fill out the customer persona template
Participate in a hackathon focused on product development
Apply your skills in a team environment to design, develop, and pitch a product that addresses a specific customer problem.
Browse courses on Product Development
Show steps
  • Find a hackathon focused on product development
  • Form a team
  • Develop a product idea
  • Design and develop the product
  • Pitch the product to a panel of judges

Career center

Learners who complete Product Management: Customer Development will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
User Experience (UX) Researcher
This course, Product Management: Customer Development, is highly relevant to aspiring User Experience (UX) Researchers. UX Researchers are responsible for studying how users interact with a company's products or services. Part of this involves figuring out who the customers are and what problems they face. This course is a great foundation to excel at that.
Product Manager
If you are interested in a career as a Product Manager, this course may be useful. Product Management: Customer Development will teach you how to identify who your customer is and the most important problems your product needs to solve for them. Product Managers must be able to work closely with customers to understand their needs. The skills you will learn in this course will help you to do just that.
Business Development Manager
This course is a great fit for those seeking a career as a Business Development Manager. Business Development Managers are responsible for identifying and developing new business opportunities for their company. To do this effectively, they must be able to understand the needs of their customers. This course will teach you the skills you need to do just that.
Sales Engineer
This course may be useful if you are interested in a career as a Sales Engineer. Sales Engineers are responsible for working with customers to understand their needs and recommend solutions. By taking this course, you will learn how to do just that. You will also learn how to prioritize the most important needs of your customers. This is critical knowledge for a Sales Engineer to have.
Entrepreneur
If you are an Entrepreneur, this course may be useful. Entrepreneurs are responsible for starting and running their own businesses. To be successful, they need to understand the needs of their customers. This course will teach you how to do just that. You will also learn how to prioritize the most important needs of your customers.
Market Researcher
This course may be useful for individuals considering a career as a Market Researcher. Market Researchers are responsible for collecting and analyzing data about the market for a company's products or services. Part of this involves identifying and understanding the needs of customers. This course will teach you how to do just that.
Marketing Manager
This course will help you build a foundation for success if you wish to become a Marketing Manager. Marketing Managers are responsible for developing and executing marketing campaigns for their company's products or services. Part of this role involves understanding customer needs. By taking this course, you will learn how to do just that.
Project Manager
Product Management: Customer Development is a great course for those seeking to become Project Managers. Project Managers are responsible for planning and executing complex projects. One important skill that Project Managers must have is being able to identify and prioritize the most important needs of their customers. This course will introduce you to a scoring system that will help you do this.
Sales Manager
Sales Managers are responsible for leading and motivating sales teams. To do this effectively, they need to understand the needs of their customers. This course, Product Management: Customer Development, can help you to develop this understanding. By learning how to identify who your customer is and the most important problems your product needs to solve for them, you can gain valuable insights that will help you to succeed as a Sales Manager.
Account Manager
Account Managers are responsible for managing relationships with key customers. This involves understanding the needs of the customer and ensuring that they are satisfied with their company's products or services. This course can help build a foundation for this role.
Technical Writer
If you wish to become a Technical Writer, this course may be useful. Technical Writers are responsible for creating and maintaining documentation for a company's products or services. Part of this may involve explaining how to use the product to solve customer problems. Hence, having a solid understanding of customer needs is essential. You will gain insights on how to identify and prioritize these needs by taking this course.
Business Analyst
This course may help you to build a strong foundation if you wish to work as a Business Analyst. Business Analysts are responsible for gathering and analyzing data about a company's business processes. This information can then be used to improve the company's operations. This course will teach you how to define who your customer is and the most important problems that need to be solved for them. This is critical information for a Business Analyst to know.
Consultant
This course may be useful if you are interested in a career as a Consultant. Consultants are responsible for providing advice and recommendations to businesses on a variety of topics. Part of this may involve helping businesses to understand the needs of their customers. By taking this course, you will learn how to do just that.
Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst
This course, Product Management: Customer Development, may be useful for those seeking a career as a Quality Assurance (QA) Analyst. QA Analysts are responsible for testing and ensuring that a company's products or services meet quality standards. One important skill that QA Analysts must have is being able to understand the needs of their customers. By taking this course, you will learn how to effectively communicate with customers and understand their requirements.
Customer Success Manager
This course, Product Management: Customer Development, may be useful if you are interested in becoming a Customer Success Manager. This course will teach you the skills needed to identify who your customer is and the most important problems your product needs to solve for them. This is valuable knowledge for a Customer Success Manager, as they are responsible for ensuring that customers are successful with a company's product or service. By taking this course, you will gain insights into how to effectively communicate with customers, understand their needs, and develop solutions that meet their requirements.

Reading list

We've selected 13 books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Product Management: Customer Development.
Walks the reader through identifying the right product to build, choosing metrics to measure, and forming hypotheses that can be validated. The Lean Product Playbook is particularly useful for those new to product development.
Will teach you how to discover the needs of your customers, validate your solution, and build a successful product. Inspired must-read for anyone new to product management.
Provides a step-by-step guide to building a successful startup. Traction valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn how to gain traction and grow a business.
Crossing the Chasm presents a model for understanding the different stages of a product's life cycle and the challenges that companies face at each stage.
Provides a framework for developing a good strategy. It valuable resource for anyone who wants to learn how to think strategically.
Provides a behind-the-scenes look at the challenges faced by startup founders. The Hard Thing About Hard Things will make you think differently about the challenges of building a business.

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