Product Operations Glossary

The specific capabilities, functions, and characteristics that a product offers to users, delivering value and helping them achieve their goals.

A plan that outlines the features to be developed and released for a product over time, often aligned with user needs and business goals.

A feedback loop is a process where outputs are fed back as inputs, allowing a system to regulate itself based on the results it produces.

A system for collecting, analyzing, and acting on user feedback to improve products and services continuously.

The process of collecting, organizing, and acting on feedback from users, stakeholders, and team members to improve a product.

A system for collecting, analyzing, and acting on customer feedback across channels to drive continuous product and service improvements.

A technique used in Agile to estimate the relative size of user stories, using a sequence of Fibonacci numbers (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, etc.).

Coordinating local marketing efforts to build relationships and generate leads in specific regions.

A product manager specializing in financial products, requiring domain knowledge in finance, regulations, and user needs.

A key support metric measuring the percentage of customer issues completely resolved during their first interaction with support, indicating service efficiency.

The competitive edge gained by being the first company to enter a new market or launch a new product category, such as brand recognition or customer loyalty.

The potential drawbacks of being first to market, such as bearing higher costs for educating the market and facing copycat competition.

First-party data is information collected directly by a company from its customers and website visitors, such as purchase history and user behavior.

Advice or instructions provided by the original source of information, such as a product's creator or a subject matter expert.

A method for designing and optimizing new users' first product experience, including onboarding flows and early engagement touchpoints.

A method for attributing user conversions to their initial marketing touchpoint, helping measure channel effectiveness and optimize marketing spend.

A cause-and-effect diagram used to identify and organize the potential causes of a problem, resembling the skeleton of a fish.

A technique used to identify the gaps between a product's current capabilities and the desired or required capabilities.

Porter's Five Forces framework for analyzing the competitive intensity and attractiveness of an industry based on five key factors.

An iterative interrogative technique used to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying a problem by repeatedly asking "why".

A method for gathering user feedback through moderated group discussions to capture insights about preferences, needs, and pain points.

The essential principles, ideas, or building blocks that form the basis for a particular field, methodology, or practice.

Structured approaches for solving problems and making decisions in product development.

Strategies for offering product samples to prospects while maximizing conversion to paid users.

A freelance product manager works independently, offering their expertise to multiple clients for product strategy, development, and launch on a project basis.

A pricing model that offers a basic product or service for free, while charging for advanced features, increased usage, or premium services.

The user-facing part of a software application or website that users interact with directly, typically involving the design, layout, and user experience.

Functional requirements define what a system or product must do to fulfill its intended purpose, specifying the core features and capabilities it should have.

Testing that verifies a system performs the functions it is intended to perform, based on specified functional requirements, user stories, or use cases.

A comprehensive plan for systematically testing software functionality across different scenarios and use cases to ensure quality and requirement alignment.

A product that introduces a completely new concept, technology, or approach, often creating a new market or disrupting an existing one.

Methods to speed up prospect movement through the sales pipeline to faster conversion.

A metric tracking where users abandon the conversion process, helping identify friction points and opportunities for funnel optimization.

A data-driven methodology for identifying and optimizing conversion bottlenecks at each stage of the customer journey to improve overall conversion rates.

A planning tool that visualizes desired future states of processes, systems, and experiences while outlining steps for implementation.

A systematic framework ensuring products and services comply with European Union data protection regulations through appropriate controls and processes.

The GIST framework (Goals, Ideas, Step-by-step plan, and Time) helps with effective planning and execution of projects or tasks to achieve objectives.

A strategic plan for integrating AI language models into products and services to enhance user experience and drive functionality.

A game product manager oversees the development and launch of video games, ensuring they meet player expectations, business goals, and technical requirements.

A bar chart that illustrates a project schedule, showing the start and end dates of tasks, as well as dependencies between them.

A technique for comparing the current state of a product, process, or organization to the desired future state to identify areas for improvement.

The stage at which a product is released to all customers, after completing development, testing, and limited release phases.

The principle of directly interacting with and observing target users in their own environment to gain insights and validate assumptions.

A lightweight planning approach that focuses on capturing the essential goals, constraints, and assumptions of a project, rather than detailed plans.

A distributed version control system for tracking changes in source code, enabling collaboration and version management among developers.

A framework for creating and managing content across international markets, balancing global brand consistency with local market needs.

A comprehensive framework for delivering consistent, high-quality customer support across multiple geographic regions, time zones, and cultural contexts.

A comprehensive strategy for coordinating product launches across multiple international markets, considering local requirements and cultural nuances.

A strategic framework for executing marketing initiatives across global regions, balancing brand consistency with local market relevance.

A systematic methodology for determining and managing product pricing across international markets, considering local economic factors and competitive dynamics.

A global product manager oversees a product's strategy, development, and performance across international markets, adapting to local needs and regulations.

A strategic framework for developing, maintaining, and evolving products across diverse global markets while ensuring consistent quality and market fit.

A coordinated system for planning, executing, and managing software releases across multiple geographic regions while maintaining consistency and quality.

A comprehensive framework for effectively managing and coordinating distributed teams across different time zones, cultures, and organizational contexts.

Comprehensive strategies for launching and selling products successfully in target markets.

The process of bringing a new product to market, including planning, execution, and post-launch activities, often involving cross-functional teams.

A plan that outlines the key activities, milestones, and deliverables for launching a new product or feature in the market, aligning cross-functional teams.

A comprehensive plan that outlines how a company will reach and engage its target customers to drive sales and adoption.

The Goal Question Metric (GQM) approach defines goals, derives questions to assess goal achievement, and identifies metrics to answer those questions.

The process of transitioning from a traditional, waterfall approach to an Agile methodology that focuses on iterative delivery and collaboration.

A strategically designed optimal user journey that guides users through core product value propositions while maximizing engagement and satisfaction.

A comprehensive framework defining organizational decision-making processes, roles, responsibilities, and accountability structures.

A project that starts from scratch, without legacy constraints or dependencies, allowing for more flexibility and innovation in the solution design.

A product management role responsible for overseeing multiple products or a product line, often managing a team of product managers.

Techniques for expanding product adoption, market share, and revenue systematically.

A systematic methodology for measuring, analyzing, and optimizing different components of user growth, including acquisition, activation, and retention metrics.

A structured methodology for identifying, implementing, and measuring growth initiatives across product, marketing, and business operations.

Growth hacking is a data-driven approach to rapidly grow a business by creatively experimenting with marketing, product, and distribution strategies.

Self-reinforcing systems and processes designed to drive continuous user or product growth through automated and scalable mechanisms.

A comprehensive framework for identifying, executing, and measuring marketing initiatives that drive sustainable user and revenue growth.

A growth mindset is the belief that one's abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work, rather than being fixed traits.

A data-driven approach to product management that focuses on driving sustainable growth through experimentation and optimization.

A product manager who specializes in using data, experimentation, and rapid iteration to drive product growth and user acquisition.

A cross-functional team focused on driving rapid, sustainable growth for a product or business through experimentation and data-driven decision making.

Unconventional, low-cost marketing tactics that aim to generate buzz and awareness through creative, surprising, or interactive campaigns.

An organizational structure where cross-functional teams share knowledge, best practices, and expertise to improve overall product development efficiency.

A framework for evaluating user experience based on five dimensions: Happiness, Engagement, Adoption, Retention, and Task success.

A plan that outlines the key initiatives, milestones, and deliverables for an organization's human resources function over a specific time period.

Specific, teachable abilities that can be defined and measured, such as programming languages, design tools, or analytical techniques.

A comprehensive visual analysis tool for understanding user behavior patterns and interaction hotspots across digital interfaces and experiences.

A strategic approach to providing comprehensive self-service support resources, including documentation, tutorials, and troubleshooting guides.

Highest Paid Person's Opinion, a term used to describe decision making based on hierarchy rather than data or expertise.

A hierarchical structure is an organizational model where entities are ranked and arranged in a pyramid-like structure based on authority and responsibility.

A four-phase model for building habit-forming products, including a trigger, action, variable reward, and investment, to drive user engagement and retention.

Human-centered design (HCD) is an approach that prioritizes understanding and fulfilling user needs, preferences, and behaviors throughout the design process.

Creating products that solve real user problems through deep understanding of human needs.

Hypercompetition is a fast-paced, intense business environment where competitive advantages are quickly eroded, forcing continuous innovation and adaptation.

The ICE Scoring Model is a prioritization framework that evaluates potential projects or features based on Impact, Confidence, and Ease (ICE).

Information Technology, the use of computers, storage, networking, and other devices to create, process, store, secure, and exchange electronic data.

The process of allocating financial resources to various IT initiatives, projects, and operational expenses based on business needs and priorities.

Ensuring that an organization's IT strategy, investments, and initiatives support and enable its overall business goals and objectives.

The strategic and economic benefits an organization derives from its IT investments, such as increased efficiency, agility, or competitive advantage.

The hardware, software, and network assets that make up an organization's IT infrastructure, supporting its operations and services.

The process of releasing, installing, and configuring software, hardware, or system updates into a live environment, following a defined plan and schedule.

A reference guide defining key IT terms, acronyms, and concepts to facilitate clear communication and understanding within an organization.

A tool for evaluating the current state of an organization's IT infrastructure, identifying strengths, weaknesses, and areas for improvement.

Questions asked during job interviews to assess a candidate's technical knowledge, problem-solving skills, and fit for an IT role.

The various roles and positions within an IT organization, such as network administrator, software developer, or IT manager.

The process of overseeing and directing an organization's IT resources, ensuring alignment with business goals and delivering value.