Applying Product Management to Manifest Desires

Manifesting Desires

 

Do you realize that there is a connection between the manifestation of desires and product management? As I was writing a guide about the major phases of product management, I realized that each of the phases is relevant when I want to manifest a desire. Here are product management phases in terms of manifestation.

  • Discovery: 
    • In product management, the discovery phase is all about understanding what the end users truly want. Several ways to research and determine this are having interviews, surveys and observations. Afterwards, a product roadmap, success criteria and its benefits to the end users can be formulated. 
    • A similar concept can be applied when manifesting a desire. The first step is to take the time to ask oneself what the soul truly desires. It is important to reflect on these desires and see if they will truly bring bliss to one's journey. In this discovery phase, ponder on your purpose in life and how you can reach your full potential. You can consider the activities that provide divine joy and why they are important to shift into a lifestyle that allows you to be your authentic self. Once you have several ideas that you would like to pursue in your life, build a 'life roadmap' that contains these high level ideas along with their benefits to your life. This road mapping process helps you have a plan for manifesting your desires.
  • Design: 
    • Once the product team discovers the user's needs, then it can define the requirements and design a prototype to support them. The prototype provides an opportunity to visually see the requirements and how they will interact with each other. The product team can evaluate the prototype in a usability session to validate if the product actually solves the user problem and adds value to the user's journey. The prototype will be further refined based on the user's feedback and will be used as the foundation for the development phase.
    • For this phase, it is time to start to think of ways (e.g. requirements) to manifest your desires. For example, if you desire to make meaningful impacts in the lives of children, then write down all the different ways that you can do this (e.g. write a children's book, volunteer at an orphanage, etc). Then, you will need to visualize your 'requirements'. One way to achieve this visualization is to create a vision board that illustrates your desires which you can see regularly to inspire you. Another technique that can be considered for this phase is to start putting in place all the things that are needed to make the desires happen. Plan all the 'set-up' tasks that need to be as part of the preparation. For example, if you participate in a marathon, then you will need to sign up for a local marathon, buy the right clothing and shoes, and find the best trail to run. 
  • Development: 
    • The development phase for a product is translating the product vision into a real solution. This phase includes prioritizing the product backlog, implementing its requirements and prototype, and validating its final solution. 
    • In the 'development' stage of your desires, you will execute the necessary steps in their manifestation. For example, if you want to travel to 10 countries in 1 year, you will be visiting your first country and sightseeing it. You may need to validate if these steps actually support your ultimate desire - if they don't, then you will need to make some adjustments, such as trying another cooking school to learn how to make Indian dishes.   
  • Delivery: 
    • When the product is released to the end users, the product team will evaluate its performance through the bugs found, analytical tools and feedback ideas. Based on these results, you can determine the next steps for a future iteration of this product.
    • You will deliver your desire to the universe in this phase! For example, you have received your master's degree in architecture, which has always been your dream! You can reflect on the impacts that your desire has on others and yourself - did it truly bring you the joy and other benefits that you first identified? Have you become a better version of yourself because of this desire? Based on this reflection, you can ponder on the next steps, such as improving this current desire (e.g. learning the advanced levels of guitar) or pursuing a new desire. Lastly, make sure that you celebrate these steps towards the completion of your desire!
Manifesting our desires requires a step-by-step process that is very similar to product management. Just remember to be clear about your desires and believe in them (just like you would believe in the product vision and be clear about its requirement). With noble efforts at manifesting your desire, you will then be able to make meaningful impacts in society while becoming a better version of yourself!
Reference: https://anjusharma.ca/products/phases-of-product-management
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