Part 2 - Pro Tips and Techniques Product Managers Need to Know

I recently contributed a guest post for The Frictionless Experience team, inspired by my insightful conversation with Chuck and Nick during my appearance on The Frictionless Experience. We delved into the topic of inevitable change, exploring how we can excel at creating predictable and reliable change that adds value for both the organization and customers—in a truly frictionless way!

During the episode, I provided my E3 frictionless product management framework, which all product managers can use to improve the way they create their digital products and experiences.

But going even deeper, mastering advanced strategies can make all the difference between good and exceptional outcomes.

I’d like to introduce you to a method called Dark Launching. Get the 60 second highlight video below or read on below for examples, tips, and definition.

"Dark launching" is a technique where new features are released to a small, hidden segment of users before a full rollout. This allows you to test functionality and gather feedback without impacting the broader user base. It's a stealthy way to mitigate risks and refine features based on real user interactions. Imagine being able to launch to only 5% or 10% of your audience to get feedback and monitor performance before making it available for all of your customers. 

Here are a few examples

Example 1: Facebook often uses dark launching to test new features with a subset of users before making them available globally, ensuring they are optimized and bug-free.

Example 2: LinkedIn employs dark launching to trial new interface changes and feature updates with a small group of users, allowing them to gather feedback and make improvements before a full release.

Example 3: Spotify uses dark launches to introduce new algorithms and user experience changes to a limited audience, ensuring that any issues can be addressed without affecting the entire user base.

Example 4: Amazon frequently uses dark launches to test new functionalities and UI adjustments on their platform, minimizing disruptions while optimizing the user experience based on early feedback.

Here are a few tips

Tip 1: Implement dark launching by using feature flags and toggles. Monitor user interactions closely and gather qualitative and quantitative feedback to make necessary adjustments.

Tip 2: Use analytics tools to track user behavior and identify any issues that may arise during the dark launch. This data will be invaluable in refining the feature before a wider release.

Tip 3: Communicate clearly with the small group of users involved in the dark launch. Let them know they are part of a special test group and encourage them to provide feedback.

Tip 4: Gradually increase the percentage of users who have access to the new feature as confidence in its stability and effectiveness grows. This phased approach can help ensure a smoother rollout.

Until next week

Product Protégé