• Mid- to senior-level executives and individual contributors who contribute to product strategy.
• Executives with strategy functions, but also those from marketing, sales, finance, operations; consultants
• Business managers and leaders who are materially involved at any point in a product's lifecycle
• Those who may be directly responsible for product or portfolio strategy, or who play a more indirect role such as in sales, marketing, operations, finance, or R&D
• Professionals at companies who are focused on using technology as a competitive differentiator, even if your vertical market isn't 'tech'
• Professionals wanting to take on a more formal product management role

• Develop a strategic mindset that anchors product strategy as the pathway to growth
• Manage partner ecosystems and learn how to create win-win partnerships
• Analyze new product opportunities to arrive at ‘go’ or ‘no-go’ conclusions efficiently
• Develop a go-to-market strategy using the 7-Elements Framework
• Create buyer personas, positioning, and messaging based on proprietary tools from the Kellogg School of Management
• Learn from real-world custom case studies and examples based on the faculty’s own consulting experience with top tech firms such as Microsoft, AT&T, Salesforce.com and Facebook

Module 1 – Understanding Product Strategy

Learn why it’s critical to have a product strategy, and how it may vary in different types of organizations.

• Managing products as a business
• Product strategy in startups
• Product strategy in professional services companies

Module 2 – Analyzing Product Opportunities

Evaluate new opportunities based on the ‘jobs-to-be-done’ framework.

• Defining the opportunity and hypothesis
• Analyze the 'jobs-to-be-done' approach
• Evaluating the opportunity

Module 3 – Discovery and Requirements Definition

Apply the discovery hypothesis framework, create user stories, and build a wireframe to outline an opportunity to deliver an urban mobility solution for school kids

• Discovery as product and consumer
• Creating the discovery hypothesis
• Minimum viable product (MVP) framework

Module 4 – Designing the Business Model

Learn which situations are appropriate for each type of business model and analyze the economics of a SaaS pricing model.

• Business model taxonomy
• Freemium, Marketplace, and SaaS models
• Choosing the model and when to pivot

Module 5 – Agile Product Development

Learn the principles of agile development and use these principles to influence a team over whom you have no direct authority, such as an engineering team.

• Principles of agile development and scrum
• Transitioning to agile
• Managing remote teams
• Influence without authority

Module 6 – Taking Products to Market

Learn how to define and understand your key audiences and choose the most appropriate route(s) to market.

• Understanding personas, positioning, and messaging
• Develop and execute the go-to-market plan
• Best practices for product launches

Week 7 – Managing the Partner Ecosystem

Learn to define the elements of the ‘whole offer’ and how to design and manage partnerships effectively

• Defining, evolving, and creating the 'whole offer'
• Diagnosing the capabilities gap
• Designing partnerships for different company sizes

Module 8 – Managing Product Evolution and Growth

Build on the strengths of your existing strategies and tactics to drive new growth. Conduct a road-mapping exercise for an innovative new product in the medical supplies industry that promotes medication adherence.

• Increasing share of wallet, share of market, and size of market
• Growth through partnerships
• Growth hacking strategies

Mohanbir Sawhney - Associate Dean for Digital Innovation; McCormick Foundation Chair of Technology; Clinical Professor of Marketing; Director of the Center for Research in Technology and Innovation

What is the program about?

Product Strategy offers a cradle-to-grave approach for managing and optimizing the life of a product or service. This program will equip you to think like the CEO of your product or service, all in a flexible, online format. Learn to develop a strategic mindset that anchors product strategy as the pathway to growth.

What is the learning experience?

Your learning experience will consist of frameworks delivered via video lectures, live webinars, real world examples and case studies, application of frameworks through weekly activities, customized assignments and quizzes, discussion boards, and faculty engagement. The program culminates with a capstone project, bringing together all of the key concepts from the program.

What is the program format?

The program consists of 8 modules delivered over 2 months online. Learners can expect to dedicate 4-6 hours per week to watch videos, complete assignments and participate in discussions. Modules are opened at the beginning of each week and have quizzes/assessments at the module’s conclusion. Learners may choose to engage with the program module all in one sitting or in smaller segments of time throughout the week. While the modules do not close, access to assignments is closed each week.

Could a learner choose to opt out of some topics?

No. This is an online program in which a topic module is introduced each week and the learner is expected to watch the video lectures, participate in the live webinars, complete the exercises/activities and take the mastery quiz at the end of each week to progress to the subsequent week’s topic.

Are any of the sessions delivered in real time (live)?

There will be 2-3 live sessions, led by faculty and/or subject matter experts, delivered during the course of the program via a video conferencing platform. These sessions provide learners an opportunity to listen and ask questions, and while they are valuable in enhancing the overall experience, attendance is not mandatory. All live sessions are recorded for later viewing.

What methods will be used for grading and evaluation?

Kellogg program leaders will review assignments, discussions and exercises to determine participants’ understanding of the material.

How much time is allocated to complete assignments?

The due date for submitting assignments is typically within 7 days of the module opening, but can be as long as 14 days, depending on the scope of the assignment. However, learners may request deadline extensions to accommodate for business and personal conflicts that may arise during the program timeframe. Reach out to the program leader to discuss any challenges you may have in completing assignments.

Can participation in this program be counted as credit toward a degree, either at Kellogg, Northwestern University or another academic institution?

No. Executive Education offers only non-degree programs and each participant receives a certificate of completion at the end of the program. This certificate does not count as credit toward a degree. In addition, at this time, our online programs do not count as credit toward a Kellogg Executive Scholar Certificate.

Does the program offer community engagement for learners?

Yes, participants can create a profile, connect and collaborate with peers, and interact with academic/industry experts such as program leaders and teaching assistants. Office hours will be held during the program and all participants are welcome to join in with questions or to discuss assignments.

What are the requirements for accessing the program?

Participants will need the following to access the Product Strategy program:

• Valid email address
• Computing device connected to the internet (Mac/PC/laptop, tablet or smartphone)
• The latest version of your preferred browser to access our learning platform (Chrome and Firefox are preferred for accessing Canvas)
• Microsoft Office and PDF viewer to access content such as documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDF files, and transcripts
• Additional software and resources may be required for certain programs – this will be communicated upon registration and/or at the beginning of the program
• PLEASE NOTE: Google, Vimeo and YouTube may be utilized in the program delivery

Does the program offer a certificate?

Yes. Participants will receive a digital certificate of completion from Kellogg following a successful conclusion to the program. Since this program is graded as a pass or fail, participants must receive an 80% to pass and obtain the certificate. This digital certificate can be shared with colleagues and posted on LinkedIn. (PLEASE NOTE: We do not provide reports of assessments, or “transcripts,” since this is a non-degree program.)

Who is Emeritus and what is their relationship with Kellogg Executive Education?

Kellogg Executive Education is partnering with Emeritus Institute of Management, an online education provider, to develop and deliver this program. By working with Emeritus, we are able to provide broader access to Executive Education, beyond our on-campus offerings, in a collaborative and engaging format that is consistent with Kellogg’s standard of quality.

Additional questions?

Please contact us by calling 847-467-6018 or email us at execedonline@kellogg.northwestern.edu.