What are some ways to develop and demonstrate product development skills?

Reading all time and knows what’s going around in different markets and in different fields will assist a lot in that Must know all the journey from being just an idea till the product is up and running

Product development skill can be demonstrated by implementing your own product idea through the classical methodology of Product development/ management…. But then you will be a Founder of your Company 😄 Else … accumulate your experiences in your current roles where skill like - - Problem solving - Critical thinking - Multi-disciplinary team working - Analytics - Back your proposal thro’ hard fact and numbers. - Learn the art of Why?What?How? - 5Why principle… yes, even for your own ideas

I will add a few operating principles to the basics of product management. First, differentiating between user ‘wants’ and ‘needs’. The art of product management is to identify the common ‘needs’ among seemingly disparate ‘wants’ to prevent feature bloat. To identify a need, ask the user why, then ask the why again, sometimes 3-5 times. Secondly, applying the 80/20 rule. That is, identify the changes that would take 20% of the effort but satisfy 80% of customers. Finally, ruthless prioritization. There will always be a deep backlog of feature requests but your team would be able to deliver only a small fraction at a time. Such a constraint is good because it forces you to pick items that would maximize ROI.

Continuous Learning and Improvement: Stay updated with the latest trends, tools, and technologies in product development through continuous learning. Attend workshops, conferences, and seminars, and actively seek opportunities to expand your knowledge and expertise. Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Collaborate with individuals from different disciplines, such as design, engineering, and marketing, to gain a holistic understanding of product development processes. Effective collaboration demonstrates your ability to work across teams and integrate diverse perspectives into product development.

...it is a very delicate balance between consumer needs, wants...all that good stuff, and ultimately "you"... you cannot take the "you" out of the equation. We are not computers without feelings as we like and dislike things, how they look, how they operate...knowing "you" puts your ideas and the interpretation of data and/or insights in a better position to help you create the ultimate product. Don't take "you" out of the equation embrace it!

Be a “ need spotter” Product development starts with a real problem or need. Only then can you start to develop actionable solutions that will serve a true need. Otherwise you are making a product that is looking for a problem, and it will die on the vine. Evaluation of needs is also an art form. Some needs are bigger than others. Those are the ones that usually help to bring forth more appropriate and sellable solutions.Some needs are minor and don’t really require a “fix”. The best way to evaluate the needs is through research and user centered feedback. Once you have that information properly qualified, and it points to a real market need, you have gold on your hands. Then you can act with conviction and bring your product to market.

1. Hands-on Projects:Engage in real product development projects. 2. Internships:Gain practical experience in a professional setting. 3. Online Courses:Enroll in courses focused on product development. 4. Networking:Connect with professionals in the industry. 5. Attend Workshops:Participate in workshops and seminars. 6.Create a Portfolio:Showcase your projects and achievements. 7.Problem-Solving:Demonstrate your ability to solve real-world challenges.

Whether you are new to product development, or a battle hardened veteran, my only real advise to remain effective is to remain teachable, and avoid presumptions and assumptions. On occasion, regardless if people are fresh out of school, or have worked in the field for decades, we unknowingly shut ourselves off from new information, valuable lessons, and new methods of discovery, because we inadvertently link memory to fact, instead of knowledge to fact, which creates a bias in our perception on how to innovate, or how to solve a problem. I have found that by relying on memory less often, and confirming my path forward through peer reviews and colleague insight, my success rates have steadily improved over the years.

Great, you’ve developed your portfolio. But that’s only half the problem solved. You need an effective way to distribute it so that more people can review and access it. This is why having an online version always helps. Some ideas that I’ve seen people testing out: - Linking out the portfolio from the LinkedIn cover section or description. - Adding the portfolio link in email signatures. - Sharing the portfolio as an attachment along with their resume & cover letters or linking it out from the cover letter itself. - Creating a QR code for the portfolio and placing it on a business card or resume. Then, handing these cards out during career fairs or networking meetups. Good luck!

Something else to consider and monitor is how you’re better documenting your processes and how you can hand over work to be implemented. Good documentation cuts down time and the conversation shift from why this is being done to how to better implement it .