How to Make Product Launches Work at Scale


Hi Product people,

Have you ever considered how storytelling can be a game-changer in product management?

This week on Product Thinking, I sat down with Michael Dodsworth, the founder and CEO of Fanfare, to discuss how turning product launches into immersive experiences can captivate audiences and drive real-time insights.

"You don't just launch the product and expect people to find it and understand it. It's on you to educate them, to show them the value and to sell them on the product. Even if you have the best product, without the right narrative, it won't be successful."

Michael shared how critical storytelling is in product development and how it helps in rallying people towards a cause. We explored the power of creating a community feel through product launches and why it's essential to keep the customer's experience at the forefront.

I found Michael's thoughts on leveraging AI and staying nimble particularly insightful. It's a reminder of the importance of flexibility and continuous learning in our fast-paced industry.

Have you integrated storytelling into your product strategies? I'd love to hear your experiences. Reply to this email or join the conversation on LinkedIn!

🎧 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

You'll hear us talk about:

  • 07:36 - The Power of Storytelling in Product Management

Michael Dodsworth explains the essential components of storytelling for product managers. He highlights the importance of simplifying stories to resonate with audiences and making them personal to leave a lasting impression.

  • 23:39 - Turning Product Launches into Immersive Experiences

Melissa and Michael discuss how brands can create engaging and immersive experiences during product launches. Michael shares strategies to avoid negative aspects of product drops and ensure a memorable customer journey.

  • 29:28 - Applying Launch Lessons to Software Products

Melissa asks Michael about translating product launch principles to software companies. Michael emphasizes the necessity of educating customers and having a clear narrative to drive the success of product launches in the tech industry.

Episode resources:

Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-dodsworth/

Fanfare: https://fanfare.io/

Other Resources:

THE PRODUCT THINKING PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY

Product Management training at scale for teams and individuals, created by Melissa Perri.

LEARN MORE

Do you have a product dilemma you just can’t solve? Are you in need of some pointed career guidance? We’ve got a direct line to Melissa, so now’s your chance to ask her anything you’d like. You can record a voice message here, or you can submit a question via form below. Melissa just might answer it in a future Dear Melissa segment of the podcast.

The CPO Accelerator is a members-only live virtual course for product leaders taught by Melissa Perri. The move from product leader to VP or CPO can be challenging. It takes a whole new set of skills to succeed at the next level, and you may be the first person at your company to hold this seat at the executive table.

You are subscribed to this email because you chose to opt in to emails from Product Institute, Produx Labs, or Melissa Perri.

Want to receive this email less frequently?

Change Your Email Preferences Here

Product Thinking is the newsletter of Product Institute, Inc. and Melissa Perri.

Product Thinking Newsletter by Melissa Perri

Subscribe to this newsletter if you are a product manager or product leader interested in leveling up your strategy, process, and insights into technology. I send out emails once a week on Wednesdays.

Read more from Product Thinking Newsletter by Melissa Perri

Hi Product people, How do you balance the need for large, high-impact features with the flexibility of smaller, incremental updates? This week on Product Thinking, I explored this common dilemma with you all, diving into the pros and cons of each approach. We discussed how to determine the best path forward based on user value, stakeholder needs, and risk management. "If we can achieve the goal and achieve value for the user through smaller, discrete features that launch value faster, that's...

Hi Product people, Ever felt overwhelmed by the scope of your responsibilities as a product manager? You're not alone. In this week's episode of the Product Thinking Podcast, I dove into a question from a senior IC product manager who's juggling five engineering teams, an enormous task usually spread across multiple PMs. It's crucial to communicate the need for change to your leadership when you find yourself in such a position. The key is presenting them with a clear picture of what's...

Hello Reader, Over the past decade, I’ve worked with dozens of enterprise organizations on their product transformations. Despite different industries, sizes, and starting points, I keep seeing the same pattern: we get buy-in to start the transformation and rally people around the end goal. But when we actually begin the work, we expect to reach that final state quickly, forgetting there are many critical steps in between. We can’t just leapfrog into the advanced state. The Maturity Curve...