A good product strategy requires long-term objectives and thinking. But news organizations are often rooted, out of necessity, in the here and now. Too often, journalism’s culture of immediacy puts product teams into a reactive position: focusing on launching a new subscription banner, adjusting the ad map to help advertising teams meet quarterly goals, or launching a new story page feature for an upcoming editorial project. Bigger changes to audience and product strategy — shifts that reach new audiences or radically increase subscription conversion — can fall to the wayside. Memos and decks collect dust as many news organizations pursue short-term optimizations that feel tangible or shiny objects that signal an “innovative” position.
My partner Jessica Gilbert and I started The Composition Collective (in part!) because we wanted to do product strategy differently, partnering with the talented people already working for news organizations. Our approach helps our clients — mission-driven organizations in and outside of news — go beyond optimizations or shiny objects. Here are five tips you can steal to get off the hamster wheel and turn your strategy into reality.
