Whitney Coggeshall, the Director of Product Management at CFA Institute, utilizes low-lift, low-risk methods to gauge genuine product interest from users and drive decisions informed by data.
She emphasizes evidence-based iteration, focusing on validating crucial assumptions efficiently to either fail fast or succeed quickly.
Whitney's process includes identifying core information needs, utilizing existing data sources within the organization, conducting lightweight data collection methods like A/B tests and smoke tests, and leveraging AI for analysis.
She stresses the importance of staying connected with various divisions within the organization, such as the call center and sales, to gather valuable insights.
For decision-making, Whitney suggests determining the required data based on the scenario and balancing the pros and cons of sample sizes for effective risk management.
In applying low-lift methods like smoke tests for new product development, Whitney uses branded emails to gauge genuine interest based on email open rates and form sign-up rates.
She highlights the significance of analyzing email metrics together for actionable insights and setting benchmarks against industry standards.
Whitney also emphasizes the value of qualitative end-user interviews in understanding customer feedback, recommending targeted tweaks over major changes based on insights.
She advocates for continuous discovery through regular customer interviews to stay aligned with market needs and suggests a repeatable approach for scheduling interview calls.
Overall, Whitney's approach combines data-driven decision-making, customer-centric thinking, and streamlined research methods to guide product development effectively.