We see product management as a craft and a lifelong calling. But practicing it requires inspiration, the courage to do things differently, and a special level of commitment to your work. 

It’s not the easiest calling, and not least because we’re shaping an entirely new category. We are expanding the horizons of product development, day to day, and learning along with our customers.

 
And that is a group effort – learning from each other, working together, sharing experience and best practices to formalize the processes that don’t yet exist. We save product managers from messy excel sheets and ad hoc solutions with our all-in-one platform and community, for all things product related. Our goal is to empower organizations and individuals to do their thing; whatever that thing may be. 

A big part of that is guidance and education, weaving in our knowledge and experience around product management and its best practices – to build a community of excellent product makers around the world.

Voice guidelines

If you’re writing for us for the first time, here are some guiding principles that you can reference to help you get started.

Inspire.

We’re pioneers shaping a category.

Vision — Excellent products can truly change the world. Always provide an optimistic vision, whether writing an error message or a new feature description. Visionaries see potential, not limitations. Be bold.

✅ While the Covid crisis is a whole different kind of challenge than we are used to, we believe in the creativity and resilience of this community. Our mission at Productboard is to make products that matter, together. And together we will overcome the obstacles of today to continue making excellent products tomorrow… Like the conclusion to Hubert's COVID customer email.

Leadership — We’re at the forefront of our industry, thought leadership included, and our users are too. Offer fresh insights, approach weighty concepts, and provide useful resources.

✅  We’re defining a category. And so are you. Like a blog article or web HL reminding product makers that we’re creating something together, that until a few years ago, didn’t exist. 

Inclusivity — Togetherness is in our DNA. Write so that anyone who dreams of making excellent products will feel empowered to do so with your help. Be warm, approachable, and witty when context allows.

✅  Imagine working in a place where everything matters. Most importantly, you. On a careers page headline too, where we aspire to communicate as leaders who know that the success of a company is determined by its talent.

Guide.
We’re experts at this. Make lives easier. 

Celebrate — Practicing product excellence is a life-long journey, and users are faced with tough challenges. Spark pride and celebrate when an important milestone’s been reached.

✅ Your product, your legacy. Like a web HL that reinforces the idea that product leaders want to make something that matters, will be loved, and remembered.

Empower — Put the user first, supporting them so they can confidently do their work. Like Yoda to Luke, we encourage rather than handhold or prescribe; we are confident in our user’ abilities. 
✅  Be the star of your own roadmap show. Just click export. Like web copy showing how easy it is to present roadmaps with Productboard.

Clarify — Say it like it is. Product management is complex enough. Practice clarity, putting in the extra work to ensure ideas are simply stated, concise, specific, and actionable.

✅ Like a web page headline: Earn the buy-in your product plans deserve, where we clearly emphasize a key benefit of using Productboard.

Delight.
Anticipate and empathize. We’ve been there—and continue to be—daily. 

Anticipate — What is the user trying to do? What will the next part of the flow communicate? What did they just read? Consider the whole of the user’s experience and their current state of mind.

✅ Like a loading message that reads: Hello again. Fancy seeing you here on the path toward Product Excellence. ;) And makes waiting time seem shorter. 

Be empathetic — Adjust tone depending on context. How is the user feeling when they receive an error? Probably not in the mood for jokes. But for a blank state, or an achievement ticked off the list, a touch of humor could work. Then again, consider that it might be seen multiple times a day.

✅ Like using positive messages to celebrate achievements and notifications that reinforce good habits, such as a blank state when a user reaches inbox zero: You've done it! Inbox: 0. You: 1.

Be humble — Be humble and positive, but do nod to the challenges of product management. This makes us trustworthy. As product makers ourselves, we have faced or face, many of the same challenges as our customers. It’s ok to show we understand.

✅ Like an e-book that opens with a genuine admission: Although we strive for excellence, we’re learning too. Some of our best practices were learned the hard way.