Chapter 1: The Rise of Online Gig Services

In today's digital era, the rise of online gig services has transformed how consumers interact with service providers. These platforms facilitate connections between workers and clients, enabling various tasks to be managed digitally through applications or websites.

During one of my routine transactions on a service platform, I engaged in a brief conversation with a service provider. He revealed that he had previously been employed by a larger competitor, which had ultimately shut down its service. This left him without a job for some time until he secured his current position in the gig economy.

He shared that he had left his previous employment to embrace the gig lifestyle, attracted by the allure of flexible working hours. However, he expressed that the period of unemployment had been particularly challenging for him. Out of curiosity, I asked if he understood why his former employer had discontinued that service. He was uncertain about the specifics but indicated that it had not performed as well as other, more established services, prompting the company to concentrate on its core offerings.

As someone immersed in product management, I found this scenario quite relatable. In the tech sector, launching new products or services is a common practice, and while we strive for success in each endeavor, the outcomes do not always meet our expectations. Consequently, we sometimes have to phase out a product or service.

From a business standpoint, discontinuing a service that does not perform well is a rational decision — it’s about preserving the larger enterprise. However, his experience prompted me to reflect more deeply on the ramifications of our product experiments. It raised critical questions: Are we sufficiently mindful when conducting these trials? Do we consider not only the perspectives of businesses and users but also those of our partners and other stakeholders involved?

This consideration extends beyond just business impacts. We must also account for our partners and all parties associated with our products. Internally, we may recognize that a new service is merely in an experimental phase, but do our partners share that understanding?

In the case of the service provider I spoke with, he transitioned from his previous role without knowing that the service could be terminated swiftly if it did not meet performance benchmarks.

Product experimentation is undoubtedly a powerful tool for growth and innovation. Significant efforts are typically invested to guarantee the success of a new product before any decision to discontinue it is made. However, this brings us to another vital question: Are we ensuring that our partners are equally informed about the risks involved?

Saint Francis de Sales once stated, "We may be excused for not always being bright, but we are not excused for not being gracious, yielding, and considerate." While product experimentation is crucial for innovation, it is essential that we guarantee all parties involved have a mutual understanding and awareness of potential risks. This might require us to take a step back, ensuring our partners are aligned with us, sharing insights into the possible ups and downs of the process. By doing so, we not only uphold the integrity of our experiments but also ensure that all stakeholders are engaged, aware of the possibilities, and prepared for any outcome.

Section 1.1: The Importance of Stakeholder Awareness

Understanding the dynamics of product experimentation involves recognizing the role of all stakeholders.

This passage serves as an important reminder of the collective responsibility we share in the experimentation process.

Subsection 1.1.1: Aligning Expectations

Chapter 2: Insights from the Gig Economy

In the context of the gig economy, the implications of product experimentation can be profound. It's essential to evaluate how these experiments affect those who depend on gig work for their livelihood.

The first video titled "A Product Manager's Guide to Experimentation" delves into the intricacies of product management and the value of experimentation in driving success.

The second video, "How to Develop a NEW PRODUCT (From Concept To Market)", provides a step-by-step guide on navigating the product development process, emphasizing the importance of stakeholder engagement.