A big part of your job is to learn how to focus on the most important thing and ignore the noise.
Don’t underestimate the value of sharing how you plan to solve your customer’s problems with your fellow product managers.
Divergent opinions and unexplored alternatives only serve to hone the final product.
“Every act of creation is first of all an act of destruction.”
-Pablo Picasso
#Quotes
“The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool.”
-Richard Feynman
#Quotes
Validating your hypotheses as a product manager isn’t about being right - it’s about learning.
It moves you out of chaotic uncertainty and into confident execution.
Discovery isn’t a checklist; it’s a conversation.
You listen actively, try to ask the best questions, and generally let curiosity be your guide.
As a product manager, you relish understanding the nuances of your clients’ needs.
“Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.”
-Albert Einstein
#Quotes
“Never let the guy with the broom decide how many elephants can be in the parade.”
-Merlin Mann
#Quotes
- Collaboration.
- Experimentation.
- Small chunks of work.
Agility.
“Technique alone is never enough. You have to have passion. Technique alone is just an embroidered pot holder.”
-Raymond Chandler
#Quotes
Draw out the product planning calendar as far into the future as you can.
Dates will move and shift about as you continue to iterate but the calendar itself serves as the scaffolding upon which everyone can organize their work.
#ProductManagement
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.
“Whether we think we can or think we can’t, we’re right.”
-Henry Ford
#Quotes
“To hell with circumstances; I create opportunities.”
-Bruce Lee
#Quotes
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.”
“We will all experience one pain or the other - the pain of discipline or the pain of regret - but the difference is that the pain of discipline weighs only ounces while the pain of regret weighs tons.”
-Jim Rohn
#Quotes