Software and Online Services for PMs
UI Mockups & Wire-framing Tools
OK, there’s some debate as to whether Product Managers should be using these tools, since they are really the territory of a User Experience designer, specifically interaction design.
The Cranky Product Manager’s view is that mockups can be a powerful tool for eliciting customer requirements and getting market feedback. Plus, sometimes – especially at startups – you gotta be willing to roll up your sleeves and do some things that are not necessarily on your sweet spot.
Balsamiq Mockups - www.balsamiq.com. Installed software, less than $100. Produces mockups that have a “hand-drawn,” black and white look to them – the intent is to keep customers and others for mistaking the mockups for working product or final UI. And it works. Keeps PMs focused on the right stuff and not effing around with fonts, etc. They have legendary customer service.
Mockingbird – www.gomockingbird.com. A SaaS wireframing / mockup tool. Has less of a “hand-drawn” appearance than Balsamiq.
Flairbuilder - www.flairbuilder.com. The Cranky Product Manager hasn’t used this one, but one of her readers raves about it.
Requirements Management
One day, the Cranky Product Manager will write some more about these, but for now she’s just going to list some.
- Accept Software
- FeaturePlan
- Greenhopper – A JIRA plug-in for agile project management.
- Innovation Games
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
In your spare time (as a mother you have none), please take a look at LiteRM. It is a powerful, easy-to-use (and inexpensive) requirements manager that can record any aspect of a product that you care about.
Thanks
We have just launched a new Software Analytics and BI SaaS solution for Software Product Managers – http://www.trackerbird.com
We believe this solution solves a major pain point for PMs; accurate real-time data that will allow us Product Managers to take proper and informed decisions. In a nutshell, it’s the equivalent of Google Analytics but for Desktop software.
Would you be interested in reviewing this new service?
Thanks and keep up the good work!
Another one you might want to take a look at:
As product managers we’re always looking for ways to make better informed decisions on the course of our products. Pipe Rocket https://www.piperocket.com allows you to make data-driven prioritization decisions based on revenue potential per issue. Pipe Rocket allows you to align your sales and development pipelines by developing what your customers not only want, but will pay for.