Five Tips for Dealing With the Hippo in Product Management (Video)
Lately, the UXCam team has been talking about HiPPOs (the highest-paid person’s opinion) around the coffee machine. Presenting or rejecting a well-researched product or design change to the HiPPO is a common pain point for product managers.
A HiPPO situation is when you present your idea to executives or a board member and they shoot down your idea based on their gut. Maybe they saw a competitor do something they wanted to try out instead, or they really aren’t seeing the vision of your product change.
Hot off our water cooler discussion, our social media manager asked product managers on Reddit about their personal experiences and we instantly saw a thin veil of frustration in the conversations.
Reddit thread: What is the HiPPO effect?
In the mobile app industry, the best way to create a successful dialogue with the HiPPO is to enter the room with data that’s presented clearly and clearly represents the user perspective and ties the solution back to the business objective. But there’s more to it.
As someone with a leadership role in a mobile app experience solution, I know a thing or two about using analytics to prove your point to management. In this video, I chat with UXCam director of content, Jane, about how to prepare for your meeting with the HiPPO.
Not just how to prepare the data, but the soft skills you’ll need for this meeting: How to prepare yourself, your team, and your idea in a way that shows you’re serious about speaking up for the customer.
Enjoy the video. Tell me about your experiences with the HiPPO in the comments.
