“Product” just means creating an outcome
In my way of thinking, the word "product" is defined as, simply, a means to create an outcome.
Uber has a product that means I get across town with little/no preplanning and without pulling out a credit card. Outcome: convenient, reliable, on-the-spot transportation
My dry cleaner has a product that means I drop off my shirt and get it back clean and pressed. Outcome: clean, professional looking shirt for my next business trip
My Apple watch is a product that means I get to feel even more tethered to the internet and belong to a group of humans that like gadgets. Outcome: I feel guilty if I go for a walk without wearing my watch to capture my steps
A musician has a “product” that means the listener is taken on an inspiring journey inside the artist's mind. Outcome: I’m feeling transported and inspired while on the treadmill at the gym
A pastor has a “product” that means the person in the nursing home feels cared for after a visit. Outcome: that person feels cared for by a member of the community
Like Seth Godin's brilliant distinction that Marketing is either "understanding the customer’s desires so we can connect with them" (the good kind of marketing) or "pressuring the buyer" (the not good kind of marketing), product can be similarly defined.
Good product means creating a positive and useful outcome for the person on the receiving end. Bad product means putting more stuff in the world that is not useful.
