productsfor

Productsfor is a term that appears in discussions of product development to describe an approach that foregrounds the intended user and use case of a product. The exact definition is not standardized, and audiences may encounter it in industry blogs, case studies, or internal company glossaries.

The term blends 'products' and 'for' to signal a mapping from a product to its intended context of use, rather than a pure feature list. In practice, it invites teams to articulate who the product is for, what problem it solves, and under what conditions it will be used.

Core concepts include defining user personas and use cases, aligning features with those scenarios, and measuring success by outcomes experienced by the target users. Decision making is guided by how well proposed changes improve performance in specified contexts.

Applications span product roadmaps, pricing strategies, and marketing messages. For example, a productivity software might prioritize workflows used by a particular industry, while an industrial appliance emphasizes reliability for remote installations.

Relation to other ideas: it overlaps with user-centered design, design thinking, and product-market fit, but focuses more explicitly on the 'for whom and for what use' dimension.

Limitations include a lack of formal standardization and potential ambiguity in what constitutes an adequate 'for' mapping. Successful use of the concept typically requires governance to maintain clear use cases and data to track outcomes.

As a flexible framing, productsfor can complement traditional product management by keeping emphasis on end users and real-world application.