A Product Stack is the array of options - or tools - a Product Manager can bring to bear in order to get the product to the marketplace. This is also referred to as a ‘development stack’, ‘toolkit’, or ‘tech stack’. The tools within the stack may also be divided up in a variety of ways. Many tend to be classified exclusively as software applications and might be used widely across an organization, or, are bespoke and used exclusively by the development team alone.
Furthermore, some are abstract - applying business philosophies for example - and involve actions being carried out by stakeholders. Others still are policy guided mechanisms that will have been established through best practice and also be standards within the market.
For the effective Product Manager using the Product Stack, there are a variety of tools available: analytical software that is designed to track user activity, applications for roadmapping project progression, programming languages, consumer surveys, recording software (or even hardware) that capture consumer interviews, market research papers written by specialists, messaging applications for working in concert, office-based programs that facilitate communication and presenting, project management software, organizational mechanisms for concept-capture and collaboration, visualization tools and process flowcharting, and design applications for prototyping.
It is important to be aware that each Product Stack can be unique to each business and may be composed of any number of different resources (although consideration should always be given over to elements such as product analytics, progress tracking, and roadmapping). The components of the stack too will be influenced by the nature of the product itself, the scope of the project including its boundaries and limitations, and even the overarching strategic objectives of the organization.