I beta-tested this Product Growth Simulator and tell you how it was
During this summer I was asked by GoPractice to do beta testing of a new edtech solution that I found really interesting. It consists of a simulator for product growth deploying a use case which turns out very immersive: the case of Handy, a handicraft marketplace.
Basically during the chapters of Simulator you’ll be a key role helping the founder of Handy to solve their growth problems and challenges. And by doing this you will pass through the main aspects, both practical and theoretical, of product management growth.
Besides, and perhaps what truly makes a difference from other edtech formulae, you will able to query a real dim/fact SQL database from the very same LMS (learning management system) with optional hints to use proper code, but also you can go solo with its query interface in SQL.
During my beta testing process I found myself in very cozy moments -in front of the screens, with a coffee mug and LoFi girl as background music for ambience- reading nice stories and real business cases of product growth in industries like instant messaging, gameapps or dating apps.
Mostly focused in apps and digital marketplaces, it also refers to more classical frameworks like JTBD (jobs to be done) which have a lot of current application (i.e. growth loops and virality)
Perhaps, my favorite part of the simulator was the one related to assessing product-market fit (and you’ll get there very soon in the path). Before I heard about PMF but mostly in vague terms, more like something you sell to investors as soon as you have ‘a lot of users’. It is great how GoPractice team lectures on how to determine whether or not you have PMF in a given sector by analyzing customer retention curves (actually you will also be able to measure the strength of your PMF), so you have a quantitative approach for something that most folks are just talking about without a hard data-driven approach underneath.
It’s good that during the simulator experience you find yourself immersed in the story and feel very real when it turns out to find causes of growth problems and thinking about solutions. Let’s be honest: with a good storytelling learning is much more tasty and grateful.