Requirement Gathering: The Right Questions to Ask Teams based on your PLC

Hi there 👋 

Talking to and closely working with new product managers has helped me identify certain challenges they face. And this post is just one of those that addresses such identified challenges.

I often notice junior PMs, associates, and even interns in product management find this one task (with some others too), challenging — asking the right requirement-gathering questions.

This one’s going to be smaller than our usual posts, and will mostly comprise of the right requirement-gathering questions PMs should ask at each stage of the PLC to each cross-functional team.

Let’s dive in!

What on Earth is Product Requirement Gathering? 🚚 

Imagine building a house without knowing what the homeowner needs or wants. It wouldn't be very functional, would it? Nor would the owner be too happy about it - AAAAAAHHHHH 🤯🤯!!!

That's why product requirement gathering is crucial in the world of product development. It's like laying the foundation for your digital house, ensuring you build something people will actually use and enjoy.

So, what exactly is it?

Product requirement gathering is the process of collecting information about what features and functionalities a product needs to have to be successful. This involves a variety of activities, such as:

• Identifying customer needs and pain points: What problems are people trying to solve? What are their frustrations?

• Analyzing market trends and competitor offerings: What's already out there? What are the gaps that your product can fill?

• Defining the target audience: Who are you building the product for? What are their unique characteristics?

• Setting product goals and objectives: What do you want the product to achieve? How will you measure success?

• Prioritizing requirements: Which features are most important? What can be added later?

This information is then used to create a set of requirements that will guide the development process. These requirements should be clear, concise, and measurable. They should also be prioritized based on their importance and feasibility.

How is it done?

There are many different approaches to product requirement gathering. Some common methods include:

• Surveys and questionnaires: These are a great way to gather quantitative data from a large number of people.

• Interviews: This allows you to get in-depth feedback from individual users and stakeholders.

• User testing: This involves observing users as they interact with a product prototype, which can provide valuable insights into their behavior and needs.

• Focus groups: These bring together a small group of users to discuss their thoughts and feelings about a product or concept.

No matter what method you choose, the most important thing is to make sure that you are gathering information from a representative sample of your target audience. This will ensure that the requirements you gather are truly representative of the needs of your users.

In conclusion, product requirement gathering is a vital part of the product development process. By taking the time to understand your users, you can build a product that is successful, valuable, and meets the needs of the market.

Requirement Gathering and PLC: A Powerful Partnership

Requirement gathering and the product lifecycle (PLC) are intertwined like two strands of DNA. Accurate requirements gathered at each stage - introduction, growth, maturity, and decline - are the lifeblood of successful product development.

Why are they important together?

• Solid foundation: In the introduction stage, gathering requirements on customer needs and market trends builds a strong foundation for the product.

• Continuous improvement: As the product matures, user feedback and usage data inform new requirements, ensuring ongoing evolution and user satisfaction.

• Strategic decisions: Requirements gathered at each stage fuel informed decisions about features, functionality, and monetization strategies.

• Reduced risk: Thoroughly understanding user needs before development reduces the risk of creating a product that misses the mark.

Why should product managers care?

• Product success: Effective requirement gathering is the cornerstone of a successful product. It ensures features and functionality address real user needs, driving adoption and engagement.

• Market competitiveness: Understanding user needs and market trends allows you to develop a product that stands out from the competition.

• Reduced development costs: Gathering accurate requirements upfront minimizes the need for costly rework and revisions during development.

• Enhanced user experience: Products built on strong requirements provide a positive and satisfying user experience, leading to loyalty and advocacy.

Requirement Gathering Questions for Different Product Lifecycle Stages and Cross-Functional Teams

Well, well, well now that we understand the basics, it’s time to focus on the main part!

As a product manager, you need to effectively gather requirements from various stakeholders across different stages of the product lifecycle. Here's a breakdown of the key stages, their corresponding questions for cross-functional teams, and tips for effective requirement gathering:

1. Introduction Stage:

Questions for Cross-Functional Teams:

• Sales & Marketing:

  • What are the key customer segments and their pain points?

  • What are the messaging and positioning strategies?

  • What are the marketing channels and budgets?

• Engineering & Design:

  • What are the technical feasibility and constraints?

  • What existing technologies can be leveraged?

  • What is the estimated timeline and cost for development?

• Customer Support:

  • What are the potential customer support needs?

  • How can we ensure a smooth user experience?

  • What are the potential onboarding and training requirements?

2. Growth Stage:

Questions for Cross-Functional Teams:

• Sales & Marketing:

  • How are we acquiring new customers?

  • What are the key conversion points and drop-off points?

  • How can we optimize the sales funnel?

• Engineering & Design:

  • What are the most common user feedback and bug reports?

  • What are the opportunities for feature improvements and new functionalities?

  • What are the scalability and performance considerations?

• Customer Support:

  • What are the most frequent customer support issues?

  • How can we improve our knowledge base and documentation?

  • What are the opportunities for self-service and automation?

3. Maturity Stage:

Questions for Cross-Functional Teams:

• Sales & Marketing:

  • How can we increase customer lifetime value?

  • What are the upsell and cross-sell opportunities?

  • How can we expand into new markets?

• Engineering & Design:

  • How can we improve product performance and reliability?

  • How can we ensure security and compliance?

  • What are the long-term maintenance and support plans?

• Customer Support:

  • How can we improve customer satisfaction and loyalty?

  • What are the opportunities for proactive customer outreach?

  • How can we leverage customer data to personalize the experience?

4. Decline Stage:

Questions for Cross-Functional Teams:

• Sales & Marketing:

  • How can we communicate the end-of-life strategy to customers?

  • What are the opportunities for migration to other products or services?

  • How can we mitigate the impact on revenue and brand reputation?

• Engineering & Design:

  • How can we minimize the cost of maintaining the product?

  • Can we sunset or deprecate non-essential features?

  • How can we migrate data and functionality to other platforms or services?

• Customer Support:

  • How can we ensure continued support for existing customers?

  • What are the opportunities for self-service and automation?

  • How can we manage customer expectations and avoid churn?

Tips for Effective Requirement Gathering

• Focus on the "why" behind the requirements.

• Use a variety of requirement-gathering techniques (e.g., interviews, surveys, workshops).

• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and buy-in.

• Prioritize requirements based on their importance, feasibility, and impact.

• Document requirements clearly and concisely.

• Communicate requirements effectively to all stakeholders.

• Review and update requirements regularly.

Additional Tips for Cross-Functional Teams

• Use a shared language and terminology to avoid misunderstandings.

• Break down complex requirements into smaller, more manageable tasks.

• Be open to feedback and suggestions from other teams.

• Work together to find solutions that meet the needs of all stakeholders.