This is the kind of story I really like: he has a Porsche! Hopefully everyone knows who Porsche is. They are the German automaker that makes ridiculously fast sports cars and then sells them for a heck of a lot of money. It’s the way they do the selling that could provide some lessons for product managers…
Lo and behold: the Porsche 911!!

What kind of car do you drive today? I’m willing to bet it’s nothing like the new Porsche that was recently unveiled. This car is a beast. It has 394 horsepower under the hood and can go from 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds. Oh, who needs that kind of power? Wouldn’t we all like to be able to add that type of product to our product manager resume?

It doesn’t really matter who needs that kind of power, because we all just want it! Unfortunately, as with all things in life, car power comes at a price. In this case, the price of a well-equipped Porsche 911 is approximately $132,360.

Although the product, the 911, is highly desirable, Porsche product managers realize that the people who make up their market segment have other options when it comes to high-end sports cars. This means that they must take measures so that people choose a Porsche when they go to buy an expensive car.

Too often, we product managers try to find different ways to talk about our products so that it seems like they have a little bit of everything for everyone. The most important thing Porsche product managers have realized is that it is simply not possible to make a product that meets the needs of all potential customers.

What Porsche product managers know about the product lines

Porsche product managers clearly started in the right place. Knowing that they can’t capture all customers with a single product, they decided to create multiple variations of a single popular product. The idea is that if you like the base product, once they create a variant that exactly matches what you’re looking for, you’ll almost be forced to buy one.

How could Porsche product managers make the seemingly perfect 911 even better than it is today? What if they made several models? The latest version of the Porsche 911 featured 18 configurations that were grouped into four main categories:

• Turbo: This setup allowed the 911 to accelerate faster.
• GT3: This was a setup that improved the 911’s handling at high speeds.
• GT3RS: This was a configuration of the 911 that was created to compete in events like Sebring and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
• GT2: A street-legal setup that accelerates faster and brakes even faster.

The latest version of the 911 clearly shows that Porsche knows all about the definition of product development. This means that Porsche product managers have a product roadmap and are in the process of executing it. The newly introduced model has engineered clearance around the engine that will allow a larger engine to be added to future models. Also, since this version of the 911 is longer and has a wider wheelbase, it is anticipated that there will be a hybrid version in the not too distant future.

Rather than having to scramble to adapt the current product design to handle some last-minute “must-have” feature, it’s pretty clear Porsche product managers have a long-term product roadmap and are executing on it. This kind of planning and execution is something every product manager could learn a thing or two from.

What all this means to you

I want a Porsche 911. Of course, everyone else does too, so that’s not saying much. However, Porsche product managers know that we all love your car and have taken steps to ensure that every last person who might buy your car does. This is the kind of product management skill that should be in every product manager job description.

The Porsche 911 is a fantastic piece of machinery. It looks great and drives like a bat from hell. However, it’s only going to get better. Porsche product managers have pre-engineered this beast so it can morph into multiple future models: bigger, faster, and maybe even hybrids. What this means is that they have already thought about their product development roadmap and even as you read this, they are working on the future.

Taking the time to plan for not only the next version of your product, but the next, and even the next, can reap great rewards for a product manager. Let the success of the Porsche 911 show you the way to ensure your next product launch accelerates your product so you can put petal to metal…!