Product thinking vs. Process thinking
What actually is the difference between process thinking and product thinking? I recently faced this question. The task was to work out the differences between the two methods in a short …
What actually is the difference between process thinking and product thinking? I recently faced this question. The task was to work out the differences between the two methods in a short talk.
Classic project management mostly sits in the realm of process thinking. We put a lot of thought into process flows and responsibilities. The successful process takes center stage. In contrast, there is so-called product thinking. Here, the focus is on the end product – that is, the actual added value for the customer. The process is highly iterative. I illustrated this approach with a simple visualization.
Since the talk was not supposed to last longer than 15 minutes, I limited myself to the most important steps of the two models. By the way, useful links on this topic were:
With ever faster cycles in which new ideas have to be developed, tested and implemented, you need methods that support these steps. That is why product thinking will keep gaining importance in the future.
“It’s not the customer’s job to know what they want.”
— Steve Jobs, Apple
Steve Jobs "hit the nail on the head" with the focus of product thinking: the customer has a problem or need that they want solved as simply as possible. The process does not matter at all – in the end, the finished product has to convince. After all, they pay for a product, not a process.
Of course, there will still be solutions where the process takes center stage and is part of the product. But the importance of user centricity will continue to grow.