Make things people want to buy
with Adam Alter
Available on demand
1-week sprint
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Welcome to the Product Principles Sprint
The world is full of promising but failed products – just look at Segway. In this sprint, we’ll teach you the strategy behind sticky, memorable, and winning products to help you build your own.
Module 1
What exactly do we mean when we say product? All products are made up of three levels — the actual, augmented, and core product. And successful products must include a core product that meets a customer need better than other products in the market. In this module, we unpack what defines a successful product and how you can create value for your customers.
Lesson 1: Levels of the product
Whether tangible or intangible, all products are made up of three levels — the actual, augmented, and core product. Sticky, memorable products are more than their actual product, which is the functional item customers buy. Products also include the augmented product — an added benefit that generates customer value, and a core product — the psychological reason behind your customers’ purchase.
Lesson 1 case study: Volvo
Volvo’s core product is safety — this need is not unmet, but Volvo does it better than any of its competitors. From an actual product that can’t go faster than 112 MPH to an augmented product that offers tech-enabled safety add-ons, every level of the Volvo product reinforces the core product. Volvo lives and breathes its core product, trickling a message of safety down to marketing and strategy decisions.
Lesson 1 case study: Pentagram
Pentagram doesn’t just sell design services — it gives the buyer status, exclusivity, and the ability to signal good taste. Reminding us that psychological needs are just as strong for B2B buyers. Pentagram reinforces the core product by hiring the best of the best, operating under a unique business model, and reinventing marketing collateral.
Lesson 2: Levels of competition
A strong product’s value proposition sits at the intersection of a core product and an unmet customer need. To defend this position, it’s essential to understand your competitive set. There are four types of competitors — narrow, form, need, and resource competitors. A winning strategy focuses beyond competitors with a similar actual product to fortifying against those who share a core product.
Lesson 2 case study: Netflix
When Netflix first launched, it had zero competitors. Today, while it doesn’t ignore its more obvious competitors, it puts a lot of focus on its broadest resource competitor — sleep. Netflix is a testament to linking competitive analysis to product development. By releasing features like auto-play, Netflix is aggressively chipping away at the threat of sleep pulling viewers away from the screen.
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Module 2
When Netflix first launched, it had zero competitors. Today, while it doesn’t ignore its more obvious competitors, it puts a lot of focus on its broadest resource competitor — sleep. Netflix is a testament to linking competitive analysis to product development. By releasing features like auto-play, Netflix is aggressively chipping away at the threat of sleep pulling viewers away from the screen.
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Module 3
Once you’ve acquired customers, how do you build a long-term relationship with them? Today’s best products do this in two ways: removing friction within the product experience or adding features that engage customers and keep them coming back to the product. This module unpacks the new tools that today’s most valuable firms have used to drive engagement including “friction audits” and “product loops.”
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Module 4
Strong products aren’t static. They’re imbued with value and change to meet customer needs. This module unpacks the psychology of value and how to imbue your products with a sense of value that will drive customer engagement, retention, and lifetime value. Finally, learn how to leverage your understanding of human psychology to create products customers want.
Sample 1-week Sprint Calendar
Section courses are built around the tight schedules of busy, full-time professionals.
Mon
Tues
Weds
Thurs - Pre Sprint
Meet your TA and cohort
Fri - Pre Sprint
Watch a welcome video from your professor
Mon - Sprint week
Watch your day 1 lesson content
Tues - Sprint week
Watch your day 2 lesson content
Weds - Sprint week
Thurs - Sprint week
Attend a project workshop hosted by your TA
Fri - Sprint week
Mon - Post Sprint
Submit your project
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Professor and TA interaction. Our world-class professors and teaching staff are here to help you make the most of the experience.
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Lifetime network. Connect with professionals from 60+ countries and across industries to gain fresh perspective from like-minded leaders.
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High-impact project. Apply the frameworks and strategies from the sprint to a real problem at work.
