Innovation starts with a deep understanding of the problem before any attempt to solve it.

This usually comes from the observation on how users live & interact with the products (via various user research tools, e.g. user interview, focus group, field research, etc).

Once we understand the problem we are trying to solve, we can start explore all kinds of possibilities. Solutioning requires one to master the tools at its exposal.

  • Some problems can be solved with technology (new capabilities, better performance, etc),
  • Some can be solved with UX design (new ways of interactions, better user experience),
  • Some can be solved with business innovation (e.g. new business models, new channels to buy or sell, etc).

A product manager should be able to think in all these aspects to come up with truly innovative solutions.