DDD

Back in the 80's, as the Compact Disc was emerging, we were all obsessed with the Recording/Mixing/Mastering process being done in the analog or digital domain, as denoted on the back of our CD covers in three letters. DDD ensured an all digital process and none of that annoying digitized hiss.

That is all very interesting, but this post is about Data Driven Decisions.

High quality decisions require high quality data. When you face a hard decision, your first question should be "do I have the data I need to make the right decision here". You are not measured by your ability to wring all the right moves out of thin air through your Product Manager Superpowers (although I have faced that approach!), rather you are expected to take the right decisions because you are as familiar with the fine technical details just as well as you are with the epic product goals. Collecting the right data will shed light on the right path, often after I have asked enough questions it turns out that there is only one valid path... or less.

In this age of information, there is endless data to collect, and numerous methods to collect it. I will don my Captain Obvious cap and list some of them out:

- Analytics - your apps should be calling home with user data. I'm sure they are, this is 2021

- User testing - get direct Q&A with your users, roll out A/B versions on your production website

- Google it... - if you have a great idea, or face a problem, somebody might have solved it already

- Ask questions - if your engineers can't explain it to you, Houston we have a problem...

- Seek professional help - maybe you & your team just do not posses the experience & expertise. Someone out there does, though.

- Google it some more, and don't stop asking questions until your absolutely certain you got it. I can't stress this enough, it's important stuff.

A great doctor (and person) I look up to once told me while discussing my son's health "I am certain that he is fine, but something has changed, which I still do not understand. And I don't like not understanding things".

This line will stay with me forever, as I deeply sympathize with it. Be like the doctor. Don't stop gathering data until you are sure you understand.

PS - your instincts are great, trust them!

Now, get the data to corroborate them.