Category: Product Management
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The craft
My first job out of college was as an apprentice to a picture framer. It was 25 years ago and in many ways, it has shaped who I am as a professional to this day. When I got my bachelor’s degree in fine arts in 1996 I wanted to frame a few of my works.…
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Recalculate route
We all want a sense of confidence that we know exactly where we’re going. But if there is one thing I painfully learned in more than 20 years of PMing is that we product people don’t really know 🙁 This need for a sence of confidence in our direction birthed the concept of roadmaps. The…
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“Data-driven” isn’t about the “data” it’s about the “driven”
When we talk about being “data-driven” what we usually focus on is the “data” part. The focus is on ensuring data drives our decisions. By doing so we are missing the whole point which is the “driving” part of being data-driven. What DRIVES us? In his book Drive Daniel Pink discusses what truly drives people in our…
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“We tried it it doesn’t work!”
How would the world look if babies would decide walking wasn’t worth it after trying once or twice and failing? There is a silent vision killer I have seen in action more times than I can count. It is true for personal vision and for company/product visions alike. It is called the “We tried it…
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What’s your Person Market Fit?
Many of the founders I coach come from product or engineering backgrounds. I found that product/dev analogies work really well when it comes to working to their personal growth and goals. The question that works best of all, and gets them to identify their gaps and pinpoint where they want to grow was: Imagine you…
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Speed vs. Velocity
When I saw this screen capture by the man who ran a full marathon in his balcony during COVID-19 I was reminded about how easy it is for us humans to confuse movement with progress. It made me think about the times, during the past 20 years as an entrepreneur and product person when I found myself…
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The ultimate job to be done
Clayton M. Christensen passed away this week… He left behind him an incredible body of work and books that helped countless companies and individuals find the balance between the short term business pressures and the longer-term, survival, need to always innovate. I don’t think there is a single concept that impacted me, in my 20 years as…
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Why an orange is an orange even when it’s a lemon (and the secret power of the words “I think”)
2 years ago we built a garden on our roof. From that day on, I woke up every morning, took a deep breath of garden scents, and went to talk to my trees (I do that 😊). Each morning, I thanked my trees for making my day and for bringing the bees and the hummingbirds…
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The power of a simple undeniable truth
The first time I heard Johan Cruyff’s quote it blew my mind in its simplicity: There is only one ball, so you need to have it. Johan Cruyff discovered Total Football (the real football 😏) playing for the amazing Netherlands national team and Ajax during the 70s, and with it came the simple realization: if your team is…
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Seriously, a saber-tooth attack at 2 a.m. (again)?
It’s 2 a.m. and you’re lying in bed. Everything around is quiet and calm yet here you are awake staring at the ceiling. Your heart is beating fast, your mouth feels dry, your pupils are so dilated you can literally see in the dark, your skin feels cool and a bit sweaty and your body…