David Pereira

How to Overcome the Top 5 Product Strategy Mistakes

Value Rebels

Virtual Identity

limango

Windeln

Evino

Product Coach, Keynote Speaker, Book Author

Often teams fall prey to common traps with product strategy. Let's uncover such traps and get you ready to overcome them

Clarity on what breaks product strategy

You will have real-world examples of product strategy and understand why they work well

Understanding of what a sound strategy looks like

You will learn how to assess how good your product strategy is

Product strategy assessment

A well-defined product strategy accelerates your career. It improves your odds of success. It inspires teams. In this highly interactive, case-based workshop, you'll learn six vital strategic frameworks, plus how to run a product strategy meeting as we simulate a modern-day Netflix Quarterly Product Strategy Meeting at the end of the session. THE CHALLENGES Today, product leaders are constantly challenged to act and think "more strategically." These tools frame their strategic thinking and accomplish work as metrics tied to each product strategy demonstrate. Another challenge is building alignment across an organization. Everyone in a company has a perspective on how a product can be better, even folks with no experience building products. These tools and frameworks enable product leaders to develop a common language and plan that resonates across the organization to build cross-functional alignment. Last, everyone within an organization has a point of view on how and where resources should be allocated. The simulated Quarterly Product Strategy Meeting enables students to participate in a meeting that will teach them to debate product strategy in open, more effective ways within their product organization and to allocate resources intelligently. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN You learn how to:1. Describe the positioning and "something bigger" of your product that helps to build a brand using language that appeals to your customers and is well-understood by your marketing partners.2. Craft a long-term product vision that provides clear direction. This vision also breaks down the plan into shorter, step-by-step "bite-size chews" that maintain flexibility as you encounter speedbumps and roadblocks.3. Define a succinct product strategy—a hypothesis on how you will move your key metrics—by developing hypotheses that will delight customers in hard-to-copy, margin-enhancing ways.4. Articulate metrics and tactics for each product strategy to effectively "align the wood behind the arrow."5. You'll learn to tease out how to prioritize Growth, Engagement, and Monetization, depending on the company's size and goals. You'll define a clear metric for each of these three factors.6. Communicate a quarterly plan using two roadmap formats: a "rolling four-quarter roadmap" and a "Now, Next, Later" approach.7. Debate 2-3 modern-day Netflix cases, demonstrating how these product strategy frameworks help to form a common language that enables better communication and more thoughtful debate. HOW THE COURSE WORKS The first session sets the table by articulating six product strategy frameworks illustrated through many examples and cases. The second session comprehensively applies the models, with applications to startups, B2B/enterprise companies, and consumer-focused companies. This course is very efficient. There are two 2.5-hour classes, and the last half-hour of each class is an optional Q&amp;A session. We'll open up the class fifteen minutes before the start time -- so you can ask questions and begin to get to know each other. Then, we'll review each framework with many juicy examples from Netflix's past and present. The session is sprinkled with many mini-cases where students are asked, "What would you do if you were the product leader at Netflix?" We'll use Slido to build engagement and draw all students into a fast-paced conversation. This is not a boring lecture. It's a lean-in experience, and you will be at the edge of your seat as you dive into the conversation—when you're up for it. At the end of the second session, we'll simulate a Netflix Quarterly Product Strategy meeting, allowing you to see how a world-class product organization thinks about and discusses product strategy. The two 2.5-hour sessions are a lot of fun. There will be plenty of "leave behind" materials. I will also provide pre-formatted Google Slides you can use to define your product strategy. AGENDA Cohort 4: April 1 and April 3 (9-11:30 am PT for both sessions)Cohort 5: October 28 and October 30 (9-11:30 am PT for both sessions) Pre-work- Executive summary of all strategy frameworks (reading)- Intro to Product Strategy video- Netflix strategy example + slides- Positioning and branding videos Session 1 (9:00-11:30 am PT)08:45 Welcome to join early to say "hello."09:00 Intro to Product Strategy09:10 GLEE product vision09:25 GEM prioritization09:50 DHM framework10:15 SMT lockup10:40 Roadmaps10:50 Conclusion11:00 Q&amp;A (optional)11:30 End Optional mid-course homework (B2B, startup, and B2C examples)Each product strategy example below includes a 10-minute video plus slides:- Stripe- Shopify- Square- Instagram- Spotify- Chegg (textbook rental startup, IPO 2013)- Pre-formatted Google Slides for you to build your strategy. Session 2: 9-11:30 am PT08:45 Available to say “hello” and do online polling to get to know you09:00 Intro09:05 Startup and B2B examples09:25 Netflix personalization swimlane09:50 Maven swimlane exercise10:20 Quarterly Product Strategy Meeting simulation10:50 Conclusion11:00 Q&amp;A (optional)11:30 End Post-workshop materialsMaven Product Strategy (startup example illustrated through both video and slides)

Become a "go-to" product leader as you learn to define a product strategy.

Course syllabus

You're a consumer or enterprise product leader, from entry-level to "Chief."

You're in a product management, project management, engineering, design, or data role, from APM to "Chief Product Officer."

You're a founder in a startup or Head of Product at any stage of a company.

Who is this course for

Apply proven tools, models, and frameworks to define a product strategy in a step-by-step way.

You'll define what your product or service is, the benefit you'll deliver to customers, along with the "personality" of your product and "brand promise."

Positioning

The GLE model (Get big, Lead, Expand) helps you outline steps for how your product will "dent the universe" in the long term.

Product Vision

You'll learn to outline product strategies using the DHM model to "Delight customers in Hard-to-copy, Margin-enhancing ways" to deliver both customer and shareholder value.

To build alignment across all company functions, you'll prioritize three factors—Growth, Engagement, and Monetization.

You'll align Strategies, Metrics, and Tactics. You'll identify proxy metrics for each product strategy and assign tactics to each.

You'll build a roadmap, demonstrating how your product strategies will come to life over time.

Rolling, Four-quarter Roadmap

We'll simulate a modern-day Quarterly Product Strategy Meeting, demonstrating how Netflix defines and debates product strategy on an ongoing basis.

Quarterly Product Strategy Meeting

I provide videos and slides illustrating the product strategy for multiple consumer and enterprise companies, including startups.

B2B, B2C & startup examples

Use the step-by-step approach I developed at Netflix to craft a product vision, align around strategy, and hold product teams accountable.

Gibson Biddle

Former VP/CPO  at both Netflix & Chegg

Cohort 4

Cohort 5

This workshop is great to do solo but also can have more impact in your company if you do it with multiple people from your product team - e.g. if a founder brings their CTO and head of product. Product is, after all, a team sport. So if you are multiple people from one organization, the additional people are half price. Contact me at janet@janetbumpas.com. It's easy to build a product. But building the right product is more important. And building a strong product always starts with the product vision. We'll combine the power of a Google Design Sprint with product management know-how and storytelling skills.&nbsp;And then condense that down into four hours (including a break!) to make a fast-paced impactful workshop where we hone your product vision. You will walk away with a vision storyboard: The vision storyboard is a visual narrative based on the customer experience you are driving towards. It is a cartoon storyboard that conveys a memorable narrative that you can use to quickly share and communicate your product vision.​This is a four hour version of my highly successful week long Product Vision Sprint. You can find out more about the week long version at janetbumpas.com/product-vision.

Create your own vision storyboard today!


Monday


November 4, 2024


Course schedule

Product Managers and Leaders who want to take their game to the next level. A strong Product Vision is at the heart of any great product.

Scale-up founders who have grown to the stage where they need to align their team around a strong product vision.

Startup founders&nbsp;who need a strong pitch. The product vision will hone and craft what you want to bring to life.

Benefits of a Strong Product Vision Storyboard


A strong Product Vision provides the Product Trio (design, engineering and product managers) healthy constraints around how to define value from a customer and business perspective.

Build better product decisions


It’s easier to scale with people rather than with process.&nbsp;When there is a strong product vision, people are more likely to be on the same page - they can understand what you are trying to do and why.&nbsp;

Scale Without Too Much Process​


A strong Product Vision inspires your team, stakeholders, investors, and customers. We want to work with 'missionaries not mercenaries' (because when the going gets tough, the mercenaries are out while the missionaries double down).&nbsp;

Motivate and Inspire


​Your strategy is a plan to achieve your vision while including the business impacts you need to get there. The product vision is a benchmark against which you can evaluate your strategy - ask yourself, “Are we getting closer or further away from our Product Vision?"

Drive Strategy


​A strong vision is a starting point for leadership. Leadership is about taking people somewhere.&nbsp;A strong Product Vision also helps leaders avoid the trap of self-aggrandizement.&nbsp;The leader becomes a servant of an important vision, not an important leader who needs to be served

Build Your Own Leadership


A strong Product Vision becomes an invisible guide helping people make every day decisions. Without it, your team is either asking you about everything or making decisions in a vacuum.

Align People


As Marty Cagan says in his book Inspired, "When done well, the product vision is one of our most effective recruiting tools, and it serves to motivate the people on your teams to come to

Help Recruit


Many people struggling to choose between two great ideas don't think that the root cause of this inability to choose is a weak product vision. But having a strong Product Vision provides a&nbsp;rubric.&nbsp;

Easier time prioritizing ​


A strong product vision is at the heart of any great product. We will take four hours (including a break!) to strengthen your product vision


Janet Bumpas

Cesc Vilanova

Baptiste Jacquemet

Cohort 2

Cohort 3

Stuck executing other people’s ideas? Wondering how to move beyond the work and into product strategy? Not sure how to take the next step in your design career? This course is your blueprint for transitioning from executor to strategic partner: someone who influences product direction, not just UI. ———— What You’ll Gain: • A path to promotion: Build the skills that get you noticed and promoted. Learn how to align your work with business goals, influence decisions, and lead with clarity. • Practical tools for immediate impact: Get real-world frameworks and templates you can apply right away to make better decisions, communicate value, and influence direction. • Confidence to lead: Whether it’s running discovery, presenting to stakeholders, or shaping strategy, you’ll build the confidence to lead with impact. ———— This course is for ambitious designers who want to: Communicate the value of their work:• Learn how to explain the impact of your designs in terms stakeholders care about.• Use practical templates to link your work to business goals.• Get strategies for advocating effectively and gaining recognition. Lead product discovery sessions:• See how leading discovery can accelerate your growth.• Use a clear framework to uncover insights and shape product direction.• Get tips for running lightweight but effective discovery sessions. Present their work with conviction:• Follow a practical structure to tell clear, compelling stories.• Focus on the “what, why, and impact” without the fluff.• Use my proven slides and feedback techniques to improve both your work and your reputation. Shape the future of their product:• Use stakeholder management frameworks to build alignment.• Learn how to lead workshops and define a shared product vision.• Apply a three-step process to become a trusted strategic partner. ———— Why this course is worth it You won’t just watch content, you’ll apply it to your real work. Each week, you’ll complete a focused project using the templates and frameworks provided, then get direct, personalised feedback from a design director. You’ll leave with:• Tangible outputs you can use at work to drive alignment and influence decisions• Confidence to speak the language of the business and lead conversations• A strategic mindset that sets you apart from execution-focused designers This is not a theory-only course. You’ll be doing real work, with real guidance, and building skills you can use immediately. ———— Perfect for:Product designers who want to take control of their careers, get promoted, and make a bigger impact. Not right if:• You’re looking for tutorials for tools like Figma.• You’ve never worked in a product design role.• You’re outside the tech industry. This course focuses on digital product teams. ———— Ready to grow your impact and confidence? Enrol now and take the first step toward becoming a trusted design leader.

From pixel pusher to design leader

You have at least 1–2 years working as a product or UX designer in a tech company or startup.

Experience in product design

This course isn’t for those new to UX or still learning the basics; it’s for designers ready to take their skills to the next level.

Not for beginners

You want to move beyond execution and learn how to influence product direction and business outcomes.

Looking to grow your strategic impact

Each project gives you hands-on practice applying a core concept to your real work. These are not just exercises; you’ll leave with assets you can reuse, share, and build on to demonstrate impact and move your career forward.

Weekly projects

Each Q&amp;A is a live working session where you’ll get direct feedback, unpack tough challenges, and apply course lessons to your actual context. It’s personalised support, not just theory.

Every Wednesday

Aspiring design leaders: For designers aiming to transition into leadership roles, seeking to increase their influence.

Ambitious designers: Junior to mid-level designers aspiring to senior and beyond roles, eager to be seen as strategic partners.

Overlooked design teams: Where advocacy is critical to elevate the role of design within product and engineering-led organisations.

What you’ll get out of this course

Learn to tie your design decisions to business outcomes and speak in terms stakeholders care about.<ul><li>Use frameworks to unpack how your company works and where design fits in.</li><li>Communicate clearly with practical templates.</li><li>Tips for building influence and advocating effectively.</li></ul>

Showing value and connecting your work to business goals

Become the expert your team turns to for clarity and direction.<ul><li>Use discovery to connect design work to business goals.</li><li>Run lightweight, effective sessions that help your team make smarter decisions.</li><li>Use frameworks and templates to turn messy ideas into meaningful insight.</li></ul>

Drive product discovery

Present your work in a way that builds trust and drives decision-making.<ul><li>Use a flexible structure to frame the problem, solution, and impact.</li><li>Adapt storytelling techniques to clarify your thinking.</li><li>Request structured feedback that improves your work and reputation.</li></ul>

Showcase your work

Shift from task executor to strategic partner.<ul><li>Use stakeholder frameworks to build alignment and drive product direction.</li><li>Apply a structured approach to shaping vision and influencing outcomes at a higher level.</li></ul>

Position yourself as a key strategic player 

Build confidence, drive business impact, and become a strategic partner, not just a design executor.
 

Dan Winer

Transform your career with insights from a seasoned design leader

Spring 2025

Fall 2025

The reality facing every senior product leader: shipping features isn't enough anymore. Your roadmap is packed, your team is executing, you've implemented AI enablement but revenue growth is stalling. The gap between building products and driving business is widening. I've seen this pattern repeat across fintech, healthcare, real estate, 4 marketplaces, social, mobile, web3 and AI. The result is that you end up building features that launch but are not enough or your sales/marketing teams don’t know how to position and sell, and your career gets stuck. Instead of business results there is finger pointing and stress. The most successful product leaders solve customer problems and move the business differently. After scaling products to $285M at Braintrust, owning 0-30% of IPO revenue at Nextdoor, and building risk reporting platforms at Blackrock (that 3 teams before failed at), I've developed a system to help senior product leaders: -Transform product roadmaps into revenue engines-Build GTM strategies that drive sales-Create alignment between product, sales, marketing, finance and exec-Turn technical capabilities into market advantages-Design market adoption accelerants-Get noticed by execs and advance their careers How You'll LearnPM to G(T)M strategies is a live, hands on intensive where you'll learn to combine product execution with business strategy. Learn proven GTM frameworks through real case studies. Immediately apply the learnings to your work in boutique peer cohorts which combine group coaching with the power of collective learning and ongoing community. Through my courses and coaching, I've helped product leaders make this shift, and advance the business. Let me show you how to THRIVE in the gap between shipping and impact and unlock your career growth. Each of the four hands on sessions combines frameworks, real world business cases, templates, AMA and AI enablement to help coach you today and build a system for growth going forward.

Make quality business decisions and elevate your career.


Tuesdays & Thursdays

1.5 hours of lecture, optional AMA and course work.

May 20,22, 27,29


2 projects each week to apply course learnings to your immediate work.

Growth-Stage PM You're trusted to ship features and lead projects, but you're hitting a ceiling in your career growth.

New Product Leader Your first management role is exciting, but no one taught you how to speak business and influence executives.

Product Director driving growth in mature markets: Transform your established product lines into new revenue streams.

You'll master proven frameworks to transform features into market opportunities and revenue. By the end of this module, you'll have a GTM strategy for your product, critiqued by peers and refined through my experience scaling and positioning products.

GTM Strategy Design


You’ll learn to build compelling business cases and revenue models that get executive buy-in through real case studies and frameworks. Then you'll create a financial strategy and experiments for your product, with feedback from leaders who've faced similar challenges.

Speak the Language of Finance

Develop skills to align executives, R&amp;D and GTM teams around a unified GTM vision. You'll build and present an executive GTM plan, practice board-level Q&amp;A with me, your peers and build your AI Board negotiation coach.

Executive Presence


Master launching products that drive immediate revenue impact through applicable templates and real-world case studies. Your final project combines your learnings into a complete launch framework, incorporating peer insights and my direct feedback.

Growth Execution Engine


Go-to-market, financial acumen, executive presence and influence  - master business skills that transform great PMs into business leaders.


Lightning Lessons

How to Overcome the Top 5 Product Strategy Mistakes