Product Management Lessons from Kids Television
What kind of kids TV show has the tagline?
Problems are our specialty!
Helpsters, created by Apple of course!
During the COVID lockdown in 2020, I signed up to a trial of Apple+ and stumbled across a great kids TV show called Helpsters.
Helpsters, created exclusively for Apple+ by the Sesame Workshop (the brains behind Sesame Street), revolves around a team of monsters helping customers solve problems.
Episode structure
Every episode the team of monsters (aka the “Helpsters”) greets a new customer, sets about understanding their problem and devising a plan to help them solve that problem. Just like the real world, not everything always goes to plan so the monsters must adapt to changing circumstances. Communication is paramount, particularly in moments of frustration, so the Helpsters have to remain committed to the solving the customer’s problem despite the hurdles they face.
Does it sound familiar yet…?
Subliminal product management messaging
At first I I didn’t know if I was over thinking it and/or I’m just hyper aware of work stuff but I couldn’t help (pardon the pun) to draw comparisons between the Helpsters and real life product management. Starting at the top with the Helpsters tagline: Problems are our specialty!
I found myself wondering if there was a Product Manager at Apple with kids that thought it’d be fun to sneak some foundational product management lessons into a kids TV show and see if anyone noticed…? 🤔
Product lessons from the Helpsters
The Helpsters, just like good product management;
- Seek out customers and interview them to better understand their problem(s)
- Work together as a team to devise a plan to solve their customer’s problems
- Tell a story through effective communication that is adapted to suit the audience
- Problem solve through iterative experimentation until a solution sticks
- Validate that the customer’s problem has been addressed
- Embrace change and persist through adversity no matter what challenges are encountered
- Celebrate success with high fives and handshakes (or equivalent 🍷)
Subliminal corporate messaging
As it turns out, and unbeknownst to me at the time, Helpsters was designed by Apple to get pre-school aged kids interested in learning to write code. The main character’s name is even Cody (aka Cody the Coder).
I must admit that I find the notion that Apple are deliberately targeting young kids quite conflicting.
The positives
- Should I be thankful that at least it’s educational and is teaching my kids something positive? I mean there are far worse things in the world that they could be learning about.
- If Apple is trying to secretly to brainwash my kids to get them to learn to code, do I mind? Engineering is a great profession!
The not so positives
- Has Apple manipulated me, or even worse my kids? If so, am I angry (or even embarrassed) for not noticing straight away?
- Was the message was aimed at me, the parent? If so, I probably didn’t catch on. Is this because I didn’t actually sit down and watch it? If the TV is on then I’m probably trying to get dinner ready or do some housework, so I only catch bits and pieces in the background.
Other big corporate comparisons
- Is it better or worse than banks setting up ‘free’ bank accounts for school kids? Growing up in Australia in the 80s/90s everyone had a Dollarmite account.
- There’s plenty of other big companies out there with far more sinister advertising intentions to get young people hooked on sugary food or drinks amongst other things. I think we all know who these companies are and there’s no need to name them.
The kicker
A few days after watching Helpsters my 3 year old daughter asked for “customer, customer” and it took me a moment to work it out but I eventually made the connection that she was asking to watch the Helpsters 😆
“customers, customers, customers, customers, customers”
The opening song is brilliant and goes like this:
“If there’s a way to find it, just have to monster mind it. How can we help you…? Cause all we want to do is help you. We really really want to help you.”
“I believe there’s an idea inside each and every one of you…”
“For problems big or small they’re here to help solve them all!”
In closing
Indirectly is Helpsters really just teaching kids lifelong lessons about helping other people, working as a team and solving problems? If so, hats off to Apple and perhaps parents around the world should be seeking more educational programs like this and less Peppa Pig? Sorry Peppa…
The parent in me likes the teamwork aspect of Helpsters and the message to little kids (and big ones) watching is that it’s good to help people solve problems. The music is great, my kids like the show and it’s educational with positive messaging so as far as kids TV goes it gets 👍👍 from me.
If I had to pick a team song to rally my product team and get them in the right groove it’d be the opening song to Helpsters.
“customers, customers, customers, customers, customers”
Do you have a better product management theme song?
If so, I’d love to hear it in the comments below.
Alternatively, if you’re just a little bit curious, check out Helpsters for yourself and let me know what you think.
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#KidsOfLTP
