4 Parameters Product Managers Should Consider

Product Managers are tasked to juggle 4 parameters when setting a product's direction.

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These are mentioned in Marty Cagan's "Inspired":

• Desirability: whether the customer sees it worthy enough to buy
• Feasibility: whether if we can build it with the resources & time in hand

Note: This is the part where a tech background can help a PM.

• Usability: whether users will be able to figure out how to operate it
• Viability: whether it works for sustainability of the business (revenue, profits etc.)

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See more: 5 Parameters to Consider for Building Product-Market Fit

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Let's assume the product is a skateboard.

• A cardboard skateboard might be feasible to build & viable to manufacture at scale but the desirability will be questionable due to poor durability
• A flight-enabled skateboard might be highly desirable due to it's novelty factor but may be dangerous to use & technically infeasible
• A skateboard fitted with a GoPro on the tail might be usable, desirable & even feasible but will catapult costs to offset viability
• An edible skateboard probably violates all 4 factors

Notes:

• The evaluation of each factor changes with the org & audience
• The value for each factor isn't always binary
• Teams proceed often entertaining some risk on each factor. All the stars rarely align