Nintendo Hotline – What can Product Managers learn?

Nintendo had a hotline where gamers could, at the time, call and speak with 'Game Counsellors' who provided them with tips and walkthroughs. It operated for quite sometime before Nintendo sunset it. There are a few (Product) lessons from this that I am sure will be of value to Product Leaders. 1- Necessity (Invention's mother) : The necessity of a situation usually births the creation of something that stands out from the rest. While Nintendo was not the first to use a phone as a 'business' function, it proved it can be used in the context of a video gaming community. That was their ‘necessity’. "We need a way to accomplish ‘xyz’ " usually turns to creating something specific to that situation. The ‘xyz’ in Nintendo’s case was supporting gamers instantly. It could also be something to support a Product or make it easier for the customer. It could be a feature or it could even be the Product itself. All we need to do is pay attention to our necessities, needs and allow it to guide us. Most people are not paying attention to their needs that’s why innovation and improvements appear difficult. Others know what their necessities are but prioritise wrongly – well that’s story for another day. The point here is simply to build for a necessary problem that exists and not out of assumptions. 2- Know what is available immediately : If necessity is calling, we cannot keep it waiting. We need to look around to know what’s available immediately. In most cases we do not need to go far for solution, we just need to pick what is close by then structure it to align with current needs. Sometimes the necessity demands using/importing an idea from some other place into your own specific area. In retrospect, Nintendo had other options it could have considered at that era in time. During that period, it was common to use print media to relate with the computer (and also gaming) community. There was also postal mail, bulleting boards. I do not know for sure but I am guessing the team at