Hi Product people,

This week on the Product Thinking Podcast, I had the pleasure of speaking with Jake Knapp, creator of the Design Sprint and author of the seminal book “Sprint”.

Jake, renowned for his work with incredible teams like Gmail, Chrome, Slack, and Uber, has a new book, "Click," that dives deep into the importance of differentiation in products.

One of the key takeaways from our conversation was when Jake emphasized the importance of differentiation:

"Differentiation is huge. It's the only thing that matters. Every product person, every founder, should think about it from the moment they start the project. Define what you believe will matter to your customers and prove that to yourself as fast as you can before you commit to building."

We explored how starting with a clear differentiation strategy can set products up for success, and how the Foundation Sprint can help. It's not just about building; it's about creating something that stands out and resonates with your audience.

If you're eager to learn more about how to make your product unique and successful, be sure to tune in to this insightful episode.

🎧 Listen to the full episode here: Apple | Spotify

Looking forward to hearing from you!

See you soon,

Melissa Perri

Founder Product Institute, Board Member, and Teacher

Key Moments on the Podcast to Check Out:

5:53 - The Power of Differentiation

Jake explains why thinking about differentiation should be the starting point of any product project, and how it connects to finding product-market fit.

16:48 - Foundation Sprint to Design Sprint

Jake walks through how a two-day foundation sprint can set the perfect stage for design sprints, helping teams define their hypotheses and move quickly from ideas to testable prototypes.

35:53 - Lean Startup vs. Design Sprint

Explore the similarities and differences between Lean Startup and Design Sprint methodologies, and why rapid iteration and experimentation are key to product success.

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