Product teams used to aim for the best closed box solution – a single, great app. These days, most products are open. They’re not just tools; they’re platforms where developers can build.
This shift towards an ecosystem approach is a step up for product leaders. Now, product managers connect, enable, and guide.
This shift is what senior product leaders execute. They know that the value is in existence.
They see their product as a central point. Inimfon Bassey, a senior product manager, excels in ecosystem thinking and platform-focused product design. She builds APIs and marketplaces that create a community around her product.
Inimfon focuses on products as part of a bigger ecosystem. She designs products prioritizing API integration, so others can access the essential functionalities. This enables third parties to build upon her product by means that her team are unable to.
She also cultivates marketplaces where creators can interact with customers, thereby generating value and making the platform more effective.
Inimfon also uses strategies to expand network effects. She understands a platform increases in value as more people join. For a multi-sided marketplace, like a ride-sharing app, she prioritizes features which empower all parties as it grows.
For example, a feature that helps drivers find more efficient routes also leads to faster service and better prices for riders. Her strategy is to find these win-win opportunities that create a self-reinforcing cycle of growth.
An essential aspect of value chain orchestration is central to her role. A platform is a living value chain with different actors, including suppliers, developers, partners, and customers.
Inimfon manages this chain by handling the flow of value between participants, ensuring everyone is motivated to contribute.
Her product plan serves as a blueprint for these endeavours, focusing on maintaining a good balance between all use groups.
Finally, Inimfon understands that a platform needs a clear set of rules to do well, so she designs effective governance models. These models are a set of policies and tools that ensure standards and trust are maintained in the ecosystem.
This might include inspecting APIs to ensure reliability or a well-defined policy governing the manner in which partner data is used. Employing a good governance model, she ensures her platform remains secure and accessible to all.
Inimfon Bassey’s work shows how product management is evolving. She’s building an ecosystem that offers opportunities for everyone.
She operates at a systems level and builds for network effects, which positions her as a visionary.