Inspired: Summary Review
This is a summary review of Inspired containing key details about the book.
What is Inspired About?
"Inspired: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love" by Marty Cagan is a book that provides practical guidance for designing and creating successful technology products.
Inspired is filled with the author’s own personal stories—and profiles of some of today’s most-successful product managers and technology-powered product companies, including Adobe, Apple, BBC, Google, Microsoft, and Netflix. This book will show you how to turn up the dial of your own product efforts, creating technology products your customers love.
Summary Points & Takeaways from Inspired
Some key summary points and takeaways from the book include:
* The importance of a product vision: The author emphasizes the importance of having a clear and compelling product vision that guides the development process. A strong product vision helps teams stay focused and make decisions that align with the overall goals of the product.
* The role of cross-functional teams: The book explains why it is essential to have cross-functional teams that include experts from different areas such as engineering, design, and marketing. Cross-functional teams are better equipped to handle the complex challenges of product development.
* The benefits of iterative development: The author advocates for an iterative approach to product development, where teams build and test small parts of the product, then use the feedback to make improvements. This approach allows teams to move quickly and respond to changing market conditions.
* The importance of customer research: The book highlights the critical role that customer research plays in the product development process. Understanding customer needs and preferences is essential for creating products that people will love and use.
* The benefits of a product-focused culture: The author argues that companies that prioritize product development and focus on creating great products are more likely to succeed in the long run. A product-focused culture helps teams stay motivated and aligned with the goals of the company.
* Overall, "Inspired" is a comprehensive and accessible guide to product development that is filled with practical advice and real-world examples.
Who is the author of Inspired?
Marty Cagan is widely recognized as the primary thought leader for technology product management, and is the founder of the Silicon Valley Product Group (SVPG). He served as an executive responsible for defining and building products for some of the most successful companies in the world, including Hewlett-Packard, Netscape Communications, and eBay.
Book details
- Print length: 349 pages
- Genre: Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help
What are the chapters in Inspired?
Chapter 1 Behind Every Great Product
Chapter 2 Technology-Powered Products and Services
Chapter 3 Startups: Getting to Product/Market Fit
Chapter 4 Growth-Stage Companies: Scaling to Success
Chapter 5 Enterprise Companies: Consistent Product Innovation
Chapter 6 The Root Causes of Failed Product Efforts
Chapter 7 Beyond Lean and Agile
Chapter 8 Key Concepts
Chapter 9 Principles of Strong Product Teams
Chapter 10 The Product Manager
Chapter 11 The Product Designer
Chapter 12 The Engineers
Chapter 13 Product Marketing Managers
Chapter 14 The Supporting Roles
Chapter 15 Profile: Jane Manning of Google
Chapter 16 The Role of Leadership
Chapter 17 The Head of Product Role
Chapter 18 The Head of Technology Role
Chapter 19 The Delivery Manager Role
Chapter 20 Principles of Structuring Product Teams
Chapter 21 Profile: Lea Hickman of Adobe
Chapter 22 The Problems with Product Roadmaps
Chapter 23 The Alternative to Roadmaps
Chapter 24 Product Vision and Product Strategy
Chapter 25 Principles of Product Vision
Chapter 26 Principles of Product Strategy
Chapter 27 Product Principles
Chapter 28 The OKR Technique
Chapter 29 Product Team Objectives
Chapter 30 Product Objectives @ Scale
Chapter 31 Product Evangelism
Chapter 32 Profile: Alex Pressland of the BBC
Chapter 33 Principles of Product Discovery
Chapter 34 Discovery Techniques Overview
Chapter 35 Opportunity Assessment Technique
Chapter 36 Customer Letter Technique
Chapter 37 Startup Canvas Technique
Chapter 38 Story Map Technique
Chapter 39 Customer Discovery Program Technique
Chapter 40 Profile: Martina Lauchengco of Microsoft
Chapter 41 Customer Interviews
Chapter 42 Concierge Test Technique
Chapter 43 The Power of Customer Misbehavior
Chapter 44 Hack Days
Chapter 45 Principles of Prototypes
Chapter 46 Feasibility Prototype Technique
Chapter 47 User Prototype Technique
Chapter 48 Live-Data Prototype Technique
Chapter 49 Hybrid Prototype Technique
Chapter 50 Testing Usability
Chapter 51 Testing Value
Chapter 52 Demand Testing Techniques
Chapter 53 Qualitative Value Testing Techniques
Chapter 54 Quantitative Value Testing Techniques
Chapter 55 Testing Feasibility
Chapter 56 Testing Business Viability
Chapter 57 Profile: Kate Arnold of Netflix
Chapter 58 Discovery Sprint Technique
Chapter 59 Pilot Team Technique
Chapter 60 Weaning an Organization Off Roadmaps
Chapter 61 Managing Stakeholders
Chapter 62 Communicating Product Learnings
Chapter 63 Profile: Camille Hearst of Apple
Chapter 64 Good Product Team/Bad Product Team
Chapter 65 Top Reasons for Loss of Innovation
Chapter 66 Top Reasons for Loss of Velocity
Chapter 67 Establishing a Strong Product Culture
* The editor of this summary review made every effort to maintain information accuracy, including any published quotes, chapters, or takeaways. If you're interested in furthering your personal growth, you may want to explore my list of favorite self-improvement books. These books, which have had a significant impact on my life, are carefully curated and come with summaries and key lessons.
Chief Editor
Tal Gur is an author, founder, and impact-driven entrepreneur at heart. After trading his daily grind for a life of his own daring design, he spent a decade pursuing 100 major life goals around the globe. His journey and most recent book, The Art of Fully Living, has led him to found Elevate Society.
