Product Management
- psychological safety
- hope for a better tomorrow
- Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel
- Good Strategy Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters by Richard P. Rumelt
- A tie between Make Something Wonderful by Steve Jobs and [Small Fry: A Memoir] (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39218044-small-fry) by Lisa Brennan-Jobs - which I was lucky enough to read back to back
- The Practice: Shipping Creative Work by Seth Godin
- Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t by Simon Sinek
Lace up your clients’ shoes and walk the proverbial mile. Then go for a jog in them. Then do the training and run a marathon.
Empathy is the key to effective client discovery as a product manager.
Remember that you’re building for actual people who have problems to be solved.
A quote to remember when listening to clients about your product:
“The real secret to listening I’ve learned is that it’s not about me. I’m holding my cup out in front of me. I want them to fill my cup and not pour anything in their cup."
-Naomi Henderson
Remember:
Communicate clearly. Communicate clearly. Communicate clearly.
I asked Google Bard to tell me how to be the best possible product manager in a single sentence:
“Master the art of empathy, the science of data, and the power of collaboration, all with a relentless drive for making people’s lives better.”
I asked CoPilot: tell me how to be the best possible product manager in a single sentence:
“To be the best possible product manager, you need to prioritize ruthlessly, know the lay of the land, empower your team, influence without authority, and develop a thick skin.”
It cited 3 references.
I asked ChatGPT (3.5) to tell me how to be the best possible product manager in a single sentence:
“Anticipate user needs, communicate effectively, and prioritize features to deliver a successful product.”
You review your roadmap with clients to refine and renew the shared vision for your product.
Their perspectives may validate your hypotheses or serve as a catalyst for further adaptation and improvement.
User stories are more than just a list of tasks. - they’re the voice of your clients.
Product managers are wise to remember that good requirements bring this voice to the forefront of every decision.
“Lost time is never found again.” -Ben Franklin
Remember: being frenetically busy isn’t the goal - being impactful is. Time is a non-renewable resource in product management (and life!)
Use it wisely.
“Do you not adapt because you cannot conceptualize faster than the enemy’s adaptation?” -General James Mattis
Remember: chaotic situations in product management can lead to opportunities for improvement, innovation, and growth.
Stay calm. Stay focused. Lead by example.
If every day is spent pingponging back and forth between raging fires as a product manager, something is broken.
It’s your job to fix that.
If that sounds overwhelming, start by looking for the (tiny) incremental improvements that will persist over time.
#ProductMamagement
Each and every quarterly release plan should have clearly defined goals and success metrics.
Know what success looks like for your product and how you’ll measure it once you arrive at the end of the interval.
Just reaching the end isn’t nearly enough.
#ProductManagement
Remember: plans are not chiseled into stone.
Expect challenges during planning. It’s part of the process.
Stay agile and ready to adapt. Face challenges head-on, learn, and use those lessons to refine your processes.
#ProductManagement
Today is the ideal time to review your product’s performance last year.
What were the successes and challenges? Remember to include things like sales performance, client feedback, and any market changes.
Now define what success looks like for the coming year and realign your roadmap as needed.
#ProductManagement
New year, new (and old) challenges in Product Management.
Stay ahead of the curve by continuously learning and adapting. This takes deliberate, focused effort.
Remember: the best products solve real problems for real people.
#ProductManagement
If you lead a team of product managers, remember that these are the two most important things you provide for them each day:
#ProductManagement
Product management is a rapidly evolving role within a competitive market environment.
Stay educated. Read industry reports. Attend workshops. Take courses.
Your learning never stops.
#ProductManagement
Top 5 Books that made made me a better Product Manager in 2023
As a product manager, you sometimes connect dots from entirely different worlds.
Never underestimate the power of learning from unrelated industries. The best ideas can come from where you least expect them.
Insights from different fields can transform your product’s direction in amazing ways.
Holiday breaks are crucial for recharging.
But the real relaxation starts when you know everything is in place at work.
A little extra effort can make a huge difference here.
Remember to finalize those pending tasks. A clear to-do list means a clear mind, enabling a fresh start at your return.