From the outside, it might seem like a Product Manager has an easy workload and life. We get to a couple of meetings, decide a few small things and prioritize, with more or less efficiency, some issues, ask how everything is doing, answer some questions… Well, that couldn’t be further from the truth.
In fact, the reality of a Product Manager in the casino gaming industry is a bit bleaker than that. There are loads of steps that need to be followed in order to design a successful product. In this article, we tell you all about the different stages of our daily work routines at Fabamaq if you’re interested in working on a Product Team.
Just like any other job, Product Management has a demanding role inside any company, regardless of being a tech organization or not. We wanted to unravel a different perspective about the work of a Product Manager, shedding some light on the biggest challenges we daily face. Here are some of the steps:
This is a crucial phase in the casino game development process, where product managers and stakeholders gather information and insights about what we want to solve and for who. This is the time when we analyze the problem and opportunities, as well as brainstorm and evaluate possible solutions, always remaining flexible and open to feedback.
The goal is to develop a deep understanding so we can make informed decisions about a casino product roadmap, while ensuring the final product will be of value to the target audience and therefore more likely to succeed in the market.
Product definition involves identifying and defining product's features, functionality, and requirements. In this stage, we define the product vision and consider market research, customer feedback, and stakeholder inputs. This process also involves creating and defining the product backlog.
This step requires collaboration with cross-functional teams, including engineering, design, marketing, and sales, to ensure that the game is feasible, desirable, and viable. Ultimately, the product definition phase sets the foundation for the product development process, enabling the team to move forward with a clear understanding of the product's objectives and requirements.
Casino gaming development is all about the execution. Here, the aim is to bring the product to life through implementation of product backlog issues. This phase includes developing game features, designing user interface, reviewing the product, and ensuring that it meets the defined requirements and quality standards.
Such as the Product Definition phase, it requires coordination with cross-functional teams, including engineering, design, quality assurance, and project management.
As product managers, we are responsible for tracking the progress against the product roadmap, stakeholder alignment and clarification of doubts during this phase. On top of that, we also have to ensure that the game is delivered on time and with quality. Ultimately, the goal of product development is to create a high-quality, user-friendly product that meets the needs of the target audience and is ready for launch.
Market follow-up involves monitoring the performance of the casino game after its launch and gathering feedback from customers and stakeholders.
This includes tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) such as user engagement and casino customer satisfaction, and using this data to evaluate the success of the product and identify opportunities for improvement.
Market follow-up may also involve conducting market research to stay up-to-date with industry trends and competitors activity. Based on the insights gathered, the product manager can make data-driven decisions about the product roadmap, prioritizing new features and improvements to enhance the product's value to it target audience.
Ultimately, the goal of market follow-up is to ensure that the casino gaming product remains competitive and continues to meet the evolving needs of the target audience over time.
Whether you want to pursue this career path, one thing to consider is that nothing is 100% certain, thus the principle of Uncertainty.
It’s normal for a Product Team to have a Stakeholder give a “terminal opinion” on something and having the Game Development team change everything to accommodate that need. This happens especially when some stakeholders have power that influences the whole company, having the possibility to enact changes at ease and by choice without giving space for a discussion about the why and how.
Therefore, uncertainty pushes Product Managers to anticipate all possible changes, and to prepare backup plans. Any problem or alteration that might arise down the road, forcing projects to stop and be redone. As such, we could say that Product Managers are Uncertainty Maestros, preparing for everything that could go sideways while trying to follow the long-term product vision, guarantee short-term delivery and still maintain a good team spirit.
Juggling all that can be stressful at times, but there is nothing else we would rather be doing in our lives.
This article was written by our Product Managers Bruno Jourdan, Cátia Figueiredo and Lea Azeredo.