“Computers fail, checklists fail, everything can fail. But people can’t. We have to make decisions, and that includes deciding what deserves our attention. The key is forcing yourself to think. As long as you’re thinking, you’re halfway home.”
-Richard Champion de Crespigny
#Quotes
“By far the dominant reason for not releasing sooner was a reluctance to trade the dream of success for the reality of feedback.”
-Kent Beck
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There are no silver bullets
“Every tool you use impacts your abilities while using that tool. It increases some capabilities while decreasing others.
For example, a chimp fishing for ants with a stick can’t use her hand for another purpose while holding that stick.”
-David Kadavy
Tools perform specific functions, ideally useful ones.
Good tools perform their functions efficiently and are often cheaper, faster, simpler, and/or better than alternatives.
Great tools are transformative. Notable examples include sharpened stones, metal lathes, maps, and alphabets.
The proverbial hammer is great for driving steel nails into wood. But even the best hammer can’t help if the blueprints are wrong.
You say you want your product managers to write better user stories? Changing your word processor won’t help much.
Tools don’t magically fix broken processes, dysfunctional leadership, misaligned incentives, or training gaps.
See also:
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life.”
-Mary Oliver
#Quotes
“It is what you read when you dont have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.”
-Oscar Wilde
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“An enviroment that is not safe to disagree in is not an environment focused on growth - it’s an environment focused on control.”
-Wendi Jade
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The first step with anything new is always voracious learning - which may cause some discomfort.
Remember to push through this.
Jot down a list of open questions. Keep it updated as you discover answers in order to document the progression of your understanding.
Concisely sharing what you know about a given topic, including the relevant context, and why it’s valuable information is an exceptionally important skill.
You should constantly practice this.
Remember what Heraclitus wrote:
“No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the same man.”
- There are no true do-overs.
- The world is in constant change. And so are you.
- Don’t ever be afraid to try again.
“Motherhood: all love begins and ends there.”
-Robert Browning
#Quotes
“Do not internalize the industrial model. You are not one of the myriad of interchangeable pieces, but a unique human being, and if you’ve got something to say, say it, and think well of yourself while you’re learning to say it better.”
-David Mamet
#Quotes
There will be special moments in your career as a product manager.
You will meet and collaborate with remarkable people.
Working together, you will somehow manage to make the world just a little bit better than the way you found it.
Cherish these times.
“Praise each other: Find something nice to say, even if it’s a stretch. The worst ideas can have silver linings if you look hard enough.”
-Randy Pausch
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Your career journey as a product manager is yours to shape.
(One might argue it’s really your most important product!)
Knowing when it might be time to pursue new avenues is crucial for your continued growth and learning.
Stagnation benefits no one.
Maya Angelou said it best:
“People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
Remember to share your knowledge, mentorship, and support whenever you can.
Authentic, meaningful relationships are the goal.
“Professionals don’t have to justify spending time training or practicing their work. It’s what they do, and practice is how they get good at it… the one constant is the working of those materials, the gradual improvements and proficiency.”
-Ryan Holiday & Stephen Hanselman
#Quotes
“There is no easy way from the earth to the stars.”
-Seneca
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Children learn to walk by falling over and over again.
Experiments fail more often than not.
This is how we expand the scope of our understanding and knowledge.
Remind yourself to be bold.
“Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so."
-Douglas Adams
#Quotes
“I have yet to see any problem, however complicated, which, when you looked at it in the right way, did not become still more complicated.”
-Poul Anderson
#Quotes