When Trump tariff announcements in early 2025 created widespread uncertainty, TEC Canada’s CEO and business leader members needed a way to connect with peers, share insights, and navigate the rapidly changing landscape together.
🔎 Overview
The request came directly from executive leadership and member feedback: CEOs were facing unprecedented tariff uncertainty and wanted to discuss implications with peers outside their immediate peer groups. The organization needed to respond quickly to provide value during a critical moment.
Leadership initially wanted an even faster turnaround, but I established a 5-week timeline that balanced speed with quality. The challenge was building something members would actually use— not just shipping quickly for optics.
📋 Approach
Build vs. Buy Analysis
I evaluated multiple platform options, including leveraging our existing Learning Management System. The LMS proved not viable for real-time discussion. After assessing trade-offs, I recommended deploying established forum software with custom add-ons we would build and manage as the ‘internal product.’
Prioritization Framework
Working solo as Product Manager with a shared UX/Solution Designer, I used MoSCoW prioritization (Must Have, Should Have, Could Have, Won’t Have) to drive rapid decision-making. I reverse-engineered success metrics from the business ask and published them as product requirements, giving the team clear targets.
Product Vision
I created internal artifacts articulating the product vision: enable peer-to-peer connection around time-sensitive business challenges, starting with tariffs but extensible to other topics. This framing helped stakeholders see beyond the immediate ask to longer-term value.
📊 Results
Launch & Adoption
- Shipped functional discussion board in 5 weeks
- Strong initial engagement from members navigating tariff uncertainty
- Featured in quarterly member surveys as “something new TEC offered that increased membership value”
Evolution
As tariff uncertainty declined, member usage naturally evolved. Rather than fading, the platform became a general-purpose discussion board where members network and connect with peers outside their immediate groups or regions. It’s now a core membership offering.
Strategic Impact
The rapid launch demonstrated organizational responsiveness during a critical moment. More importantly, it validated a new product capability—peer-to-peer async networking—that complemented our existing synchronous peer group model. This informed future roadmap decisions about community features.
The project proved that speed doesn’t require cutting corners when you have clear prioritization, smart build-vs-buy decisions, and focus on genuine user need over feature bloat.