Product Stack

What is a product stack? 

A product stack describes all the tools and software at a Product Manager’s disposal to help them bring their products to market. It encompasses all the tech used during the Product Management lifecycle. Simply put, your product stack is made up of all the software tools you use to perform your role. 

So, your product roadmap tool, that’s part of your product stack. 

Your product analytics software, that’s part of your product stack. 

And your customer feedback management platform, yep that’s in your product stack too. 

I like to think of your product stack as a pile of plates being collected off your table after a lovely meal, stacked up high by the waiter. Each plate in that pile is a different tool you use, a different menu item that contributes to your overall meal. They ideally complement each other and pair well together to create something tasty. 

The product stack has many other names. It can also be referred to as a development stack, a toolkit, or a tech stack. Whatever you christen it, it describes all the different software you dip into to perform your role and get your product out there. 

What types of tools are in a product stack? 

A Product Manager is going to use a boatload of different types of tools to help them get a product to market. We’ve already covered all the different tools you can possibly think of when it comes to your stack 👇:

But for a snapshot, here’s a look at all the different types of applications that can go into your product stack: 

Strategy & roadmapping tools 🗺️: These tools help create and share clear roadmaps that align your team and stakeholders, providing a high-level view of where the product is headed and the ability to adjust as needed. They allow you to visualize time horizons and communicate long-term goals without getting bogged down by specific dates, ensuring alignment across the board.

Idea capturing tools 💡: Centralizing and organizing ideas from different sources ensures you don’t miss out on valuable input. This helps you prioritize and evolve ideas into actionable plans. With integrations across tools and teams, these tools help you track and categorize ideas, ensuring nothing slips through the cracks and is ready for prioritization when needed.

Prioritization tools 🎯: A tool for prioritization helps you make data-driven decisions, focusing on the right features and improvements based on customer needs and business goals. It enables you to evaluate and rank ideas, initiatives, and feedback based on criteria like impact, feasibility, and alignment with strategic objectives.

Design & prototyping tools 🎨: Visualizing your product early with wireframes and prototypes keeps teams aligned and speeds up decision-making before development begins. These tools help Product Teams and Designers collaborate more efficiently by providing an interactive preview of what the final product will look like, making it easier to gather feedback and iterate early on.

Collaboration & messaging tools 💬: Communication tools foster teamwork, making it easier to share updates and keep everyone in the loop. They streamline discussions and ensure that Product Managers, Designers, Developers, and other stakeholders stay on the same page, improving productivity and reducing miscommunication.

Documentation tools 📑: A centralized tool for product docs, specs, and meeting notes ensures everything is organized, versioned, and easily shareable. This enables teams to refer back to crucial product information at any time, keeping all historical data, decisions, and technical specs in one place, making onboarding and knowledge sharing smoother.

Feature flagging tools 🚩: This tool allows you to test features with a subset of users, minimizing risks by controlling which features are live. It empowers Product Managers to gradually roll out new features, gather user feedback, and make real-time adjustments without affecting the entire user base, enhancing experimentation while reducing the risk of widespread issues.

A/B testing tools 🧪: Essential for optimizing features, A/B testing tools let you experiment with different variations and make informed decisions based on user response. These tools help you test hypotheses, analyze which version performs better, and apply those insights to improve user experience and feature adoption, driving data-backed decisions for product development.

Onboarding & adoption tools 👨‍🏫: Onboarding tools ensure users understand new features with interactive guides and product tours, driving adoption and engagement. By offering a seamless, code-free way to introduce new features, they help users get the most value from your product while reducing churn by providing ongoing support and guidance.

Customer feedback tools 📊: Tools that collect and analyze feedback help you understand customer needs, track recurring issues, and prioritize improvements, keeping the product aligned with user expectations. These tools centralize feedback from surveys, support tickets, and other channels, making it easier to identify patterns, track sentiment, and make customer-driven decisions.

Analytics & reporting tools 📈: Real-time dashboards and customizable reports provide insights into product performance, helping you make data-driven decisions and track progress. These tools let you monitor key performance indicators such as user behavior, feature usage, and more, offering a clear view of how the product is performing and where improvements are needed.

User tracking tools 🔍: Monitoring user behavior through heatmaps and session recordings helps identify friction points and opportunities for improvement, ultimately reducing customer churn. By tracking how users interact with your product, you can pinpoint areas that need attention, optimize user flows, and make informed decisions to improve the overall user experience and retention. 

And breath. 

Now that’s a lot of tools. As a Product Manager, the trick is to try and have a product stack with as little bloat as possible. You can do that by having a centralized hub, a platform that has the majority of this functionality, and then uses integrations to link in other auxiliary tools that you need. 

ProdPad is a multipurpose Product Management tool, perfect for slimming down your product stack. Yes, we’re a flagship product roadmap software, but we’re also ace with customer research, feedback management, OKR management, knowledge management, documentation, and loads more. In fact, we check off loads of different tasks from the common product stack, making life easier for you. 

Check out everything ProdPad can do by having a go in our sandbox environment. Explore our Now-Next-Later roadmap templates and see how every inch of our tool works for you.

Why is a good product stack important? 

As a Product Manager, you need the right set of resources to help you along every step of the Product Management lifecycle. The right tools and software will make your life a heck of a lot easier, especially when you’ve got well-optimized tools by your side.

It may sound like we’re stating the obvious, but far too many teams fail to build the right product stack for them. When you get it all right, the benefits are massive:

• Enhanced productivity 📈: With the right tools in place, you spend less time wrestling with technology and more time focused on strategy and execution. Your workflows become more streamlined, allowing you to move quickly from ideation to delivery without unnecessary friction.
  
• Better collaboration 🤝: A well-integrated product stack brings together different teams – Designers, Engineers, Marketers, and other stakeholders – into one cohesive ecosystem. This seamless flow of information ensures everyone is on the same page and that your product is built with input from all the right places.
  
• Faster decision-making ⚡: The right tools provide you with real-time data and insights, empowering you to make informed decisions quickly. Whether it’s understanding user behavior, tracking feature adoption rate, or analyzing business performance, having the right data at your fingertips ensures you never miss an opportunity.
  
• Customer-centric development 👥: A good product stack enables you to listen to and engage with your customers more effectively. From user tracking and feedback tools to user testing and surveys, you can gather actionable insights that help you design products that meet real user needs.
  
• Improved efficiency 🕒: Automation and integrations between tools reduce manual tasks, letting you focus on more strategic, high-value work. Whether it’s automatically populating product roadmaps or syncing customer feedback with your backlog, a solid product stack eliminates repetitive chores.
  
• Clearer communication 📣: With the right tools, everyone from the dev team to the C-suite has access to the same up-to-date product information. This transparency leads to clearer communication and fewer misunderstandings, keeping everyone aligned and focused on the same goals.
  

How do you choose the right tools for a product stack?

Picking the right tools for your product stack can really make or break your workflow. The right tool can make your life a lot easier, while the wrong one will have you tearing your hair out. So, here’s a simple playbook to help you find the perfect match:

Know what you need

Before you start diving into all the options out there, take a step back and figure out exactly what gaps you’re trying to fill. Do you need a better way to prioritize features? Or maybe you’re looking for a smoother way to collaborate with your team? Understanding your specific needs will help you avoid getting distracted by tools that look shiny but don’t really fit.

Think about who’s using it

Is this tool just for your Product Team, or will other departments be using it too? Knowing this will help you manage costs and ensure that the tool is easy for everyone to use. A complex tool that’s hard to figure out will just end up wasting your time.

Check for integrations

No one wants to switch everything up just to make one new tool work. So, make sure the tool you’re considering integrates smoothly with your current setup. The last thing you need is a tool that forces you to change how you work, especially if it means extra headaches down the line.

Try before you buy

Most tools offer a free trial or a demo, so take advantage of that! Dive in, explore all the features, and really get a feel for whether the tool fits your needs before you commit. You don’t want to end up stuck with something that doesn’t work for your team.

How do you improve your product stack? 

Unless you’re a Startup Product Manager building your product stack from scratch, you’ll already have your suite of tools that you use. You may be really used to them, but it’s always worth asking the question from time to time: can these be improved upon? 

There are always plenty of alternatives out there. Don’t get too comfortable just because you’re in a “steady” relationship with a tool. You’re allowed to flirt with other options – no harm in seeing what else is out there! You might just find a better match.

If you think your product stack can be improved upon, here are our tips to help you improve your tech stack. 

1. Keep your tools up-to-date

It’s easy to get comfortable with the tools you’ve been using for years, but keeping your tools updated is crucial. Software companies are constantly releasing updates with new features, security patches, and bug fixes. 

You should also have an eye on all the new tools and options hitting the market, and not be scared about being an early adopter. By staying up-to-date, you’re ensuring that you’re making the most of what’s available – both in terms of functionality and performance. Plus, it helps you avoid falling behind the competition.

2. Be flexible

How many businesses out there locked themselves into a legacy system ecosystem and now feel stuck, watching all the shiny, more capable tools come to market while they feel tied to outdated systems? 

The landscape of Product Management tools changes constantly. Today’s big names might not be the best tomorrow. You need to build a stack that’s flexible, where you can switch out tools as better options arise. This approach lets you stay competitive and leverage the latest and greatest tools your competitors might be using.

3. Don’t have too many tools

It’s tempting to add a new tool for every new problem, but this can lead to tool overload. Too many tools can create complexity and confusion, not to mention potential redundancies. Aim for a streamlined stack where each tool serves a clear purpose, and you’re not doubling up on functionality. This will help your team stay focused, minimize distractions, and improve collaboration.

4. Prioritize integration

A great product stack is one that works together seamlessly. Choose tools that play nice with each other, so you’re not constantly juggling between multiple systems or wasting time on manual data entry. The more your tools communicate with each other, the more efficient your processes will be.

ProdPad seamlessly integrates with over 1000 apps, including all the tools you likely use already, making it easy to add to your current stack.

5. Keep it futureproof

Your product stack should grow with you. Whether you’re expanding your team or introducing new features, your stack needs to be able to scale. Look for tools that can handle your current needs and will continue to support your growth in the future. This prevents you from having to swap out tools down the line and ensures that your stack can keep up with evolving business demands.

Product stack: all your tools in one place

Building and maintaining a well-rounded product stack is essential for Product Managers to streamline workflows, enhance collaboration, and make data-driven decisions. By choosing the right set of tools – whether for roadmapping, prioritization, customer feedback, or analytics – you can optimize your Product Management processes and keep your team aligned. 

However, it’s important to regularly assess and refine your stack to ensure it evolves with your needs. With the right tools and integrations, you can build a futureproof, efficient, and productive product stack that supports both current and future growth.

If you’re evaluating your product stack, now is a great time to consider ProdPad. We’re a tool custom-made for Product Managers, designed to make you better while complementing and working seamlessly with your entire tool stack. 

If you’re unsure how ProdPad can fit, book a demo and we’ll talk you through where ProdPad can help and what features can improve your capabilities.