I really enjoy using my own products, and make it a point to use or test my product at the end of each sprint. It is great to see the incremental progress the team is making, in addition to this:
- I am a great believer in eating your own dog food. I like to put myself in the primary persona’s shoes and imagine what it would be like for him/her to use the product. Empathy for the target user is really important. We often tend to think about our target users as ourselves and our colleagues, and this is often not the case. Very often, target users have different values, cultures, perceptions, tolerances, experiences, and a completely different view of the world. This is also why it is important to have a deep understanding of your target persona, and use the product from his/her perspective.
- I have a keen interest in technology and have an affinity for it. Every time I use it, I learn a little bit more about the underlying technology. If I understand the technology, I can see its potential applications and this is invaluable. I have also realized that the my communications with the development teams are smoother if I am knowledgable about the technology.
- It is my way of keeping my product passion alive. Great product owners ‘live, eat and breathe products’. I like to get in touch with my product by using it, it also re-enforces the big picture, especially the high level user flows. During the sprint we are so immersed in the nitty-gritty details and forget about how everything fits together.
The Product Mantra 