Weekly Product Report

A weekly product report is a structured document that summarises the key product and business metrics providing a snapshot of its current state.

Purpose

The purpose of a weekly product report is to keep all stakeholders informed about the operational performance of the product.

Format

A weekly product report includes all of the relevant product metrics as well as the core business metrics. In order to be able to view the information quickly each metric should have a consistent format and be presented in a clear and easy to understand way.

• Multiple timelines
  • Trailing 6 weeks: enables a zoomed in focus on the most recent performance.
  • Trailing 12 months: enables a zoomed out focus on the long term performance.
• Multiple timeframes per timeline
  • Current Period
  • Period last year
• Multiple data points for current period
  • Actual
  • Target
• YoY Growth trend: Enables a quick identification if the product is growing or shrinking which is harder to do when comparing two time periods.
• Core values summary: A list of the core values for the metric.

Source: Working Backward, Colin Bryar and Bill Carr

Anti-patterns

• Activity Focussed: Reporting on activities rather than outcomes, which dilutes attention from operational focus.
• Avoiding Finance: All metrics need to be certified by finance to have an impartial view of the product.
• Lack of Consistency: Failing to follow a consistent format, which can confuse readers and obscure important information.
• Delay in Distribution: Sending the report late, reducing its relevance and usefulness.