Alright, team – we’re approaching the end of our requirements phase for Spice Sage, and I know everyone’s eager to move this forward to the Product Council. But before we rush ahead, I want to talk about a critical final step that often gets overlooked: thorough product analysis.

Why Product Analysis Now?

You might be wondering, “Haven’t we done enough analysis already?” We’ve gathered user stories, documented requirements, created specifications, and mapped out workflows. But here’s the thing – what we’ve created so far isn’t the final answer. It’s a collection of steps toward solving our customer’s problem.

Think about it this way: the Pragmatic Marketing Framework reminds us that successful products solve real market problems in ways that align with our business goals. We need to ensure that the requirements we’ve crafted truly address the problems we identified for our target personas, Curious Carla and Adventurous Alex.

Product Analysis as a Reality Check

Product analysis at this stage serves as our reality check. It helps us step back and evaluate what we’ve built with fresh eyes. Are we truly addressing the core issues that 73% of home cooks face with expired spices? Have we created a solution that will drive the subscription revenue we’re projecting?

Here’s how I suggest we approach our product analysis before that Product Council meeting:

1. Revisit Our Market Problems

Let’s revisit the three key problems we identified:

• 73% of home cooks have expired spices
• 62% feel overwhelmed by bulk spice purchasing
• 84% want to explore global cuisines but lack authentic ingredients

For each requirement we’ve documented, we should ask: “How does this specifically address one of these problems?” If we can’t make a clear connection, we might need to reconsider that requirement.

2. Review Through the Pragmatic Marketing Lens

The Pragmatic Marketing Framework gives us some excellent questions to consider:

Market: Have we clearly defined our target market segments (our urban professionals and food enthusiasts)? Do our requirements reflect their specific needs?

Focus: Are we staying true to our core value proposition of connecting home cooks with authentic, ethically-sourced spices through technology?

Business & Planning: Do our requirements support the business model and financial projections we’ve outlined? Will our subscription model and pricing structure work with the features we’ve defined?

Empathy: Have we truly captured the emotional aspects of the customer experience? Are we addressing not just the functional need for fresh spices but also the desire for connection to global food traditions?

Activities: Have we mapped out how our product will fit into our customers’ cooking routines and daily lives?

3. Competitive Analysis Check

We’ve done some competitive analysis earlier, but now’s the time to revisit it with our specific requirements in mind:

• How does our NFC-enabled packaging solution compare to what competitors are offering?
• Is our blockchain-based supply chain tracking truly differentiated, or has the market moved during our requirements phase?
• How do our subscription options stack up against similar services in adjacent markets?

This isn’t just about features – it’s about positioning. We need to ensure our requirements support a product that has a distinct place in the market.

4. Technical Feasibility Assessment

Let’s be honest – we’ve documented some ambitious technical requirements around the NFC packaging, AR experiences, and blockchain-based supply chain tracking. Now’s the time to have our technical team do a deep dive on feasibility:

• Can we realistically implement these features within our timeline and budget?
• What technical risks might we face in development?
• Do we have the right resources and expertise to execute on these requirements?

5. ROI Analysis for Key Features

Not all features are created equal. For each major feature set, we should be asking:

• What’s the expected impact on customer acquisition, retention, and lifetime value?
• What’s the development cost and complexity?
• How does this feature contribute to our core value proposition?

This analysis might lead us to reprioritize or even remove certain requirements before we present to the Product Council.

Creating a Compelling Story

The Product Council won’t just be evaluating a list of requirements – they’ll be deciding whether our product vision deserves investment and support. We need to weave our analysis into a compelling story that connects our requirements to real market needs and business opportunities.

Our narrative should flow something like this:

1. Here’s the market problem we’ve identified (with data to back it up)
2. Here’s our target customer and their specific pain points (with user research to validate)
3. Here’s our solution (the requirements we’ve defined)
4. Here’s why our solution is uniquely positioned to succeed (competitive analysis)
5. Here’s how our solution translates to business value (ROI projections)
6. Here’s what we need to make it happen (resource requirements)

A Collaborative Approach

This final product analysis shouldn’t happen in isolation. I’d like to bring together team members from product, engineering, marketing, and sales to contribute their perspectives. The more diverse the input, the more robust our analysis will be.

Let’s plan a two-day workshop where we can:

• Day 1: Critically evaluate our requirements against the frameworks I’ve outlined
• Day 2: Refine our requirements and build our presentation narrative

Remember, It’s Iterative

One last thing to keep in mind – even after all this analysis and our presentation to the Product Council, our requirements will continue to evolve. That’s the nature of product development. What we’re doing now is ensuring we have the strongest possible foundation for that evolution.

The Pragmatic Marketing Framework reminds us that product development is about continuous learning and adaptation. Our job isn’t to create perfect requirements; it’s to create requirements that address real market problems, align with business goals, and provide a solid foundation for development.

Next Steps

1. Let’s schedule that two-day workshop for next week
2. Each team should come prepared with their specific concerns and questions
3. We’ll emerge with a refined set of requirements and a compelling presentation for the Product Council

I’m confident that this final product analysis will not only improve our requirements but also significantly increase our chances of getting enthusiastic support from the Product Council. It’s the difference between presenting requirements and presenting a well-thought-out product strategy.

What questions do you have about this approach?