: “It’s a fine world, though rich in hardships at times.” -Gus McCrae (Larry McMurtry, Lonesome …
: “The middle of every successful project looks like a disaster.” -Rosabeth Moss Cantor #Quotes
: “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, …
: ”Invention, it must be humbly admitted, does not consist in creating out of void but out of chaos.” …
: “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow men. True nobility lies in being …
: ”The only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do …
: ”Darkness must fall before we are aware of the majesty of the stars above our heads.” —stefan zweig …
: “There are two parts to any failure: There is the event itself, with all its attendant …
: “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their …
: ”No poets celebrate the sewage treatment plants that prevent them from dying of dysentery. Like …
: “People connected across groups are more familiar with alternative ways of thinking and behaving,” …
: Credit is a lagging indicator of politics. Impact is a leading indicator of value. Choose …
: Top 9 Books that made me a better product manager in 2025 In which I share the books I read in 2025 that improved my product management acumen.
: On getting lost during a creative effort “People who take on complicated creative projects become lost at some point in the process. It is …
: ”Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life." –Steve Jobs …
: “We should always remember that beyond a certain point, hygiene factors such as money, status, …
: “It may seem like most organizations make rational choices based on deliberate decision making, but …
: ”Reading is an honor and a gift from a warrior or historian who—a decade or a thousand decades …
: The 30-60-90 Day plan is dead In which I lament the death of traditional onboarding timelines for product managers and suggest …
: “Bureaucracies form when people’s jobs are tied strictly to rules and procedures rather than …
: “Gray hair signals an enhanced ability to survive—conditional on having reached the gray hair stage, …
: “Negative feedback may be fun, but it is far less brave than endorsing something unproven and …
: Advice for new college students In which I offer the advice I wish I had received at the start of my freshman year of college
: “Place a monkey in a cage, and it is the same as a pig, not because it isn’t clever and …
: We must acknowledge the random events that went our way “We must acknowledge the random events that went our way, because acknowledging our good fortune—and …
: “Good listening, when it works, reveals new worlds beneath the surface of people’s words.“ -Charles …
: Good work. Real problems. In which I reflect on my father’s recent passing and the importance of doing meaningful work in your …
: ”Adopt this ruthless strategy toward the past: Burn all the books, and train yourself to react to …
: “Indefinite attitudes to the future explain what’s most dysfunctional in our world today.“ -Peter …
: ”We are cups, constantly and quietly being filled. The trick is, knowing how to tip ourselves over …
: “We delight in the beauty of the butterfly, but rarely admit the changes it has gone through to …
: I love Sapkowski’s writing. There are three separate interludes nestled between chapters 8 and 9 of …
: “If you don’t make mistakes, you’re not working on hard enough problems.” -Frank Wilczek #Quotes
: “As the economy changes, and our capacity to achieve creative insights becomes more important than …
: “Instead of seeing philosophy as an end to which one aspires, see it as something one applies. Not …
: “Time is a river, a violent current of events, glimpsed once and already carried past us, and …
: “Every individual is unavoidably an investor, too. When you choose a career, you act on your belief …
: Proprietary formats rot I keep returning to these two recent articles that extoll the virtues of using simple, open, …
: “If you want to kill creativity: Get five hours of sleep a night, fight traffic for two hours a day, …
: “The safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden …
: “Many who have learned from Hesiod the countless names of gods and monsters never understand that …
: “Leaders who stay ‘above the details’ may do well in stable times, but riding a wave of change …
: ”Myth and map became coincident.” -John Foley (linguistic anthropologist at the University of …
: “If you don’t look back at yourself and wonder how you could be so wrong, then you haven’t put much …
: “Bureaucracies form when people’s jobs are tied strictly to rules and procedures rather than …
: “Candor isn’t cruel. It does not destroy. On the contrary, any successful feedback system is built …
: Space to think “Thing is, not only is the news all the bloody same, all about the same country and the same handful …
: I quote my father to people almost every day. “I quote my father to people almost every day. Part of that is because if you dispense your …
: Enjoy yourself. It's later than you think. .embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; …
: “Some men have shrunk so far into dark corners that objects in bright daylight seem quite blurred to …
: “The moment you rigidly follow a plan set in your youth, you lock yourself into a position, and the …
: The young king from Gilgamesh is in my thoughts this morning: “He will face a battle he knows not, …
: “I was waiting for something extraordinary to happen but as the years wasted on nothing ever …
: “Being the richest man in the cemetery doesn’t matter to me. Going to bed at night …
: “If you were plowing a field, which would you rather use? Two strong oxen or 1024 …
: “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you …
: Good hybrid meetings are such a balancing act. You need to maximize the humans who are in immediate …
: “A cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.” -Oscar Wilde #Quotes
: “As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps …
: “Never tell people how to do things. Tell them what to do and they will surprise you with their …
: ”Humanity always reenacts the same bildungsroman. All the principles you learn through your …
: Top 10 Books that made me a better Product Manager in 2024 A recommended reading list culled from my recent bookshelf. Highlights include essential books on …
: Things I Learned in 2024 Various historical and cultural facts revealing surprising truths about notable figures, inventions, …
: “If there are no words for certain concepts, we tend to not think of them.” -Robert Greene #Quotes
: “The business should always be outrunning the processes, so chaos is right where you want to be.” …
: The dearth of any meaningful innovation (or competition) in the ebook market generally makes me sad. …
: Is “A Muppet Family Christmas” - uniting Muppets, Sesame Street, and Fraggle Rock - the perfect …
: And just like that, a copy of Sagan’s “Demon Haunted World” drops into my lap at what appears to be …
: “If I knew where I was going, I wouldn’t go there.” -Frank Gehry #Quotes
: “A tendency to get married to positions. There is a saying that bad traders divorce their spouse …
: (Last working day of the year today.) No loose ends, no ambiguity. Pickup and put away all your …
: It’s like Grandpa probably used to say, “It’s worth taking a few extra minutes to get clear on …
: I asked ChatGPT to always remember Asimov’s 3 Laws of Robotics and apply them to any responses …
: After noticing the whole VUCA world has gone sideways out from underneath you, it’s a bit too late …
: The thing is, with any new products or services, you’re going to experiment. This is an unavoidable …
: “Everything in nature has a structure, a way that the parts relate to one another, which is …
: Learning from others’ mistakes… “War is fraught with random dangers and careless missteps. Clear orders and relentless rehearsals …
: Recognizing someone’s talent costs nothing. Don’t underestimate the power of a simple, sincere …
: “Envision the ideal end to any project before you begin. Even the best gigs don’t last …
: The year is wrapping up. After a string of successful releases, my latest work is gracefully winding …
: I cannot stress how easy it is for very smart, very successful people to forget this: Your …
: “The brick walls are there for a reason. They’re not there to keep us out. The brick walls are …
: “It’s amazing the degree to which children treat their own lives as normal.” -Douglas Adams #Quotes
: During planning sessions, we sometimes talk about all the problems we are presently - deliberately - …
: In product management (like everything else), miscommunications can derail forward momentum. And …
: This podcast about how Will Guidara made his restaurant best in the world using “unreasonable …
: “For natural ability without training is blind: and training without natural ability is defective, …
: This was nothing like Tokyo “This was nothing like Tokyo, where the past, all that remained of it, was nurtured with a nervous …
: BlueSky’s Starter Packs are pretty nifty as far as features go. They’re immediately useful for users …
: Kevin Kelly writes: “Gratitude will unlock all other virtues and is something you can get better …
: The best single sentence (so far) from “Nexus” by Yuval Noah Harari : ”As Marshall McLuhan might …
: Time is your clients’ most valuable currency. It’s yours too.
: My first insight into AI’s genuine utility came when I asked ChatGPT to tell me how an …
: “Nobody will open a book and wish it contains more types of letters or be disappointed because it …
: “Truth is the daughter of time, not of authority.” -Francis Bacon #Quotes
: Instead of asking “what went well / what needs improving” during your next …
: I find myself talking a lot more about how products adapt to unexpected changes in their operating …
: “You must be harsher on yourself and on others: failure to communicate is the fault not of the …
: “The future is like weather: a thousand thunderheads on the horizon, a haze of weird thunder-sleet …
: I’ve worked in an industry that prides itself on dramatic upheaval and reinvention my entire …
: “When asked how he would order his thoughts if he had one hour to save the world, Einstein sagely …
: “The future is unwritten.” -Joe Strummer #Quotes
: Wordle and Edison I really enjoy playing Wordle each day. It’s now become a standard part of my morning routine. With …
: What builds loyalty and trust? Consistently delivering on your product’s core promise again …
: I’ve been learning how to setup neovim as a modern writing environment, an interface into my …
: “The easiest way to learn directly is to simply spend a lot of time doing the thing you want …
: Always have a well-understood rubric for determining the difference between urgent and important …
: I’m pretty sure that asking an AI to create complex regular expressions based upon your …
: “Without gratitude what is the point of seeing, and without seeing what is the object of gratitude?” …
: Are your clients repeatedly working outside of normal hours? Are they regularly adopting new …
: The platonic ideal for your product’s user interface is that it’s so intuitive that it …
: Consider how the Apple Watch’s focus shifted from fashion accessory into a heavy emphasis on …
: Remember to consider the cost of NOT building something whenever you’re prioritizing features …
: We’re raised on fables of lazy grasshoppers, industrious ants, and the harsh winter that’s looming …
: “People who offer bad advice are trying to relive their old glories.” -Mike Maples Jr. …
: “The most useful piece of learning for the uses of life is to unlearn what is untrue.” -Antisthenes …
: Your product is not for everyone. This is a totally acceptable state of affairs. Define your …
: You focus on building understanding first and foremost. Then go build your new features.
: Your product’s biggest cheerleader should be you. If you’re not excited about it, why …
: I’m constantly impressed whenever a product introduces changes that address the …
: Your product’s growth is often limited by your ability to scale your customer support and …
: “The disease of our time is that we live on the surface.” -Steven Pressfield #Quotes
: ”The greatest discovery of all time is that a person can change their future by merely changing …
: What’s a sign of an effective product managers? Someone who consistently turns constraints …
: Your product’s user experience can spark joy and create emotional connections while also …
: One of the highly science fictional bits of “When Gravity Fails” (Effinger’s early …
: Sometimes you receive the most valuable feedback when you lose a client. Great features can be born …
: “The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” -Winston Churchill …
: ”The mind is not a vessel that needs filling but wood that needs igniting." -Plutarch #Quotes
: “But we’ve always done it this way!” Some of the most frightening words to …
: Think about it like this: Every time you deploy, you’re really shipping new/better/different …
: Yes, yes, yes - you make wonderful hammers. (Congratulations!) But how successful are your clients …
: A feature without a very clear “why” just shouldn’t exist.
: Listen, listen, listen to your clients - but remember: they’re experts in their problems, not …
: Don’t wait for the perfect moment to reach out - build your network consistently. Don’t …
: “What we remember from childhood we remember forever - permanent ghosts, stamped, inked, imprinted, …
: ”Experience is not what happens to a man; it is what a man does with what happens to him." …
: Everyone expects you to be dependable. Everyone expects you to know what you’re talking about. …
: Great product teams shape the entire culture of problem-solving, innovation, and learning within a …
: As I write this, it’s early Monday morning and - reminder - now is the best time to go ahead block …
: Remember: organize your product around the market it serves and not around your internal …
: “The great thing about fact-based decisions is that they can overrule the hierarchy.” …
: When working on a new roadmap, here are my 3 starter questions: Who’s the intended audience? …
: “Ideas are easy. Implementation is hard.” -Guy Kawasaki #Quotes
: Product-market fit is difficult to reach and it’s always in motion. ALWAYS. From moment to …
: The power of externalizing your thinking In which I opine on the intrinsic value of writing stuff down
: “The deepest principle in human nature is the craving to be appreciated.” -William James #Quotes
: When plans derail (and let’s face it, they do), it can be an opportunity to reassess …
: ” Every man I meet is in some way my superior; and in that I can learn of him.” -Emerson #Quotes
: “The fact that you “can’t do” something can be embarrassing. But if you are “learning to do” …
: Repeat after me: Words like “users” and “clients” and …
: We should talk more about timing as product managers. Too early, and the market isn’t quite …
: Delivering new features feels good because it seems like measurable progress. That’s why it’s …
: “In the old days, children had to memorize many irrelevant things they didn’t understand, but they …
: ”It is a happy talent to know how to play.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson #Quotes
: Translating MVP as “the simplest thing we can get away with building” is problematic. Instead, it …
: Remember: product-market fit is not a static “once-and-done” sort of thing. What worked well …
: Tell me without telling me about product management: “It is crucial not to teach students only how …
: “Hope clouds observation.” -Frank Herbert (Dune) #Quotes
: Think about the standout products and services, the game-changers, the ones that fundamentally …
: Life happens pretty fast. You’re busy. (Everyone is busy.) It’s easy to lose touch with friends, …
: “Prosperity and pessimism don’t travel together.” Quote fron the Westinghouse exhibit at …
: Maintain transparent communication with your team, your stakeholders, and your clients. Write things …
: “We go where reason - and not the absolute truth - leads us.” -Seneca #Quotes
: No. It’s really not your To Do app’s fault. Looking to change your To Do list app? Maybe not so fast? Productivity issues often stem from …
: “Let our advance worrying become our advance thinking and planning.” —Winston Churchill #Quotes
: “If you can’t be a good example, then you’ll just have to be a horrible warning.” -Catherine Aird …
: This is a generative cycle: Draw smart people together to discuss opportunities. Listen more than …
: Apple Vision Pro demo In which I recount experiencing the Apple Vision Pro of the first time and retroactively swoon
: “I think computer viruses should count as life. I think it says something about human nature that …
: “The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.” -Muriel Rukeyser #Quotes
: “Books are the carriers of civilization. Without books, history is silent, literature dumb, science …
: The 7 Obsessions of the Successful Product Manager In which I share the fascinations, compulsions, manias that result in a particularly successful …
: Consider the long tail of some product decisions. For example: early gramophone equipment could only …
: “Art is science made clear.” -Jean Cocteau #Quotes
: “We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when adults …
: Right now, this minute “There has never been a better time with more opportunities, more openings, lower barriers, higher …
: “Be so good they can’t ignore you.” -Steve Martin #Quotes
: “He who is brave is free.” -Seneca #Quotes
: “No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it …
: Remember: “Mistakes” are inevitable. They’re how we discover what does or …
: “We should be taught not to wait for inspiration to start a thing. Action always generates …
: “Rules are made for the convenience of those who are playing. What is fair at one time or in one …
: “Make a mistake? Release the guilt, remember the lesson.” -James Clear #Quotes
: Talking about the times you failed as a product manager and what you learned from them is always …
: “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them." …
: “If we really care about our users, we’ll help them do what they want, not what we want.” -Kathy …
: Great products solve problems. Exceptional products anticipate them. Think about what happens to …
: Some of the best advice I ever received from a manager: “Hope? I get to ‘hope’. You need a plan.” …
: “Our world is random and messy. Collecting data does not make it more perfect or more …
: Remember: nostalgia is an expensive commodity.
: Perhaps contrary to popular belief, you don’t just write product specs and plot roadmaps as a …
: “The opposite of courage is conforming.” -Brian Collins #Quotes
: “You get an astronaut’s life whether you want it or not. Leave it all behind for a world you know …
: As a product manager some of the most important time you spend is talking to users or poring over …
: It’s about being prepared and staying agile in a fluid environment. Think about the future. …
: “Point of view is worth 80 IQ points.” -Alan Kay #Quotes
: “Indeed, no one can thwart the purposes of your mind - for they can’t be touched by fire, steel, …
: “Fairy tales do not tell children the dragons exist. Children already know that dragons exist. Fairy …
: Sometimes simply writing things down and then methodically reviewing your lists can be a superpower.
: “It is easier to judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers.” -Pierre-Marc-Gaston de …
: Remember to always ask “how will this simplify things?” For example: before you buy that retro …
: “Listening is the engine of ingenuity. It’s difficult to understand desires and detect …
: “It’s hard to do a really good job on anything you don’t think about in the …
: “The most effective communicators pause before they speak and ask themselves: Why am I opening my …
: “Users don’t evangelize to their friends because they like the product, they evangelized their …
: A good strategy (according to Rumelt) has 3 parts: The diagnosis - framing the challenge The …
: Strategy is a cohesive response to an important challenge (Richard Rumelt). This is a phenomenal …
: “Creativity is just problem solving” “Creativity is just problem solving. Once people see it as problem solving, it stops seeming like …
: Remember: If you compliment someone else’s dog, it really is ok if they’re not gracious about it. It …
: “Be careful not to overcomplicate your systems to the point where you can only maintain them when …
: “I am a great believer in luck. The harder I work, the more of it I seem to have.” -Coleman Cox …
: In what sort of future do you want to live? Having that small sweet with your morning coffee makes …
: Remember: Empathize with your clients. Understand their needs as thoroughly as possible before …
: “Computers fail, checklists fail, everything can fail. But people can’t. We have to make decisions, …
: “By far the dominant reason for not releasing sooner was a reluctance to trade the dream of …
: There are no silver bullets In which I talk about tools, good and great
: “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.” …
: “An enviroment that is not safe to disagree in is not an environment focused on growth - it’s an …
: The first step with anything new is always voracious learning - which may cause some discomfort. …
: Concisely sharing what you know about a given topic, including the relevant context, and why it’s …
: Remember what Heraclitus wrote: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the …
: “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, …
: There will be special moments in your career as a product manager. You will meet and collaborate …
: “Praise each other: Find something nice to say, even if it’s a stretch. The worst ideas can have …
: Your career journey as a product manager is yours to shape. (One might argue it’s really your most …
: Maya Angelou said it best: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but …
: “Professionals don’t have to justify spending time training or practicing their work. It’s what they …
: “There is no easy way from the earth to the stars.” -Seneca #Quotes
: Children learn to walk by falling over and over again. Experiments fail more often than not. This is …
: “Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, …
: “I have yet to see any problem, however complicated, which, when you looked at it in the right way, …
: Change is the necessary ingredient for all progress. I cannot stress this enough.
: “Storms make us stronger.” -Bear Grylls #Quotes
: Make sure you’re working on the right things before you start working even harder at them. …
: “There is no such thing as a minor lapse of integrity.” -Tom Peters #Quotes
: Explore different angles, challenge assumptions, and surface insights from the safety of your …
: Specialization is for insects “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, …
: “Nobody got anywhere in the world by simply being content.” -Louis L’Amour #Quotes
: Change can be uncomfortable but it’s also inevitable. As a product manager you need to embrace the …
: “If you are to have a great kingdom, rule over yourself.” -Publilius Syrus #quotes
: “What they call you is one thing. What you answer to is something else.” -Lucille Clifton #Quotes
: No one gets a gold star if you ship a product feature “on time” and it makes things worse. Don’t …
: “If you are coasting, it means you are going downhill.” C. P. Fulford Jr. #Quotes
: “No man was ever wise by chance.” -Seneca #Quotes
: Your first idea probably isn’t the best one. Dont be afraid to iterate!
: Distraction corrodes progress. Focus on what’s most important right now.
: Whenever you can, grab a dry erase marker and start sketching out what’s in your head. Encourage …
: “Don’t fear failure. Not failure, but low aim, is the crime. In great attempts it is …
: Remember: sarcasm is a actually a form of thinly veiled aggression. And how rarely is veiled …
: Like Herodotus wrote, we never step in the same river twice. Everything is constantly changing. Your …
: Remember to prioritize interoperability over allegiance to specific tools. A tool-agnostic mindset …
: “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.“ -Albert …
: “Ideas are a dime a dozen. It’s execution that counts.” -Frank Herbert #Quotes
: Hoarding knowledge might be the supreme anti-pattern.
: Remember what Marcus Aurelius wrote: “Do not expect Plato’s ideal republic; be satisfied with even …
: I’ve seen firsthand how well-crafted features can be utter game-changers. Clarity is essential to …
: “Speed has never killed anyone. Suddenly becoming stationary, that’s what gets you.” -Jeremy …
: “If you want to know what a given society believes in, look at what its largest buildings are …
: Prioritize your product backlog. By value, feasibility, and strategic alignment. Relentlessly. …
: “Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose." -Lyndon B Johnson …
: “We can’t become what we need to be by remaining what we are.” -Oprah Winfrey …
: Monday morning actually starts Friday afternoon. Wrap up the week’s remaining tasks and prioritize …
: Remember: Your products and services make the world a better place - and that’s a great way to spend …
: You and your team can’t anticipate everything as product managers. Unexpected things will still …
: Tactfully saying “no” is one of the most difficult skills to master as a product manager. Not …
: “Failure is the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently.” -Henry Ford #Quotes
: Product roadmaps aren’t predictions. They’re instrumentation of your thinking about the problems to …
: It’s difficult to convey just how useful it is to visualize your thinking in a shared space when …
: Why is being a product manager such a great experience? Each day is spent solving problems that …
: “A schedule defends from chaos and whim.” -Annie Dillard #Quotes
: Whenever you will think other people are wrong about a given approach, check to see if you have any …
: 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 …
: “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 …
: Validating your hypotheses as a product manager isn’t about being right - it’s about learning. It …
: Discovery isn’t a checklist; it’s a conversation. You listen actively, try to ask the best …
: “Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” -Albert Einstein …
: “Never let the guy with the broom decide how many elephants can be in the parade.” -Merlin Mann …
: Collaboration. Experimentation. Small chunks of work. Agility.
: “Technique alone is never enough. You have to have passion. Technique alone is just an embroidered …
: Draw out the product planning calendar as far into the future as you can. Dates will move and shift …
: Lace up your clients’ shoes and walk the proverbial mile. Then go for a jog in them. Then do the …
: “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 …
: 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: …
: I asked CoPilot: tell me how to be the best possible product manager in a single sentence: “To be …
: I asked ChatGPT (3.5) to tell me how to be the best possible product manager in a single sentence: …
: “We will all experience one pain or the other - the pain of discipline or the pain of regret - but …
: “Search others for their virtue, and yourself for your vices.” -Buckminster Fuller #Quotes
: Remember the fundamentals of good product management : hypothesize market-fit test market-fit align …
: You review your roadmap with clients to refine and renew the shared vision for your product. Their …
: The curse of the 21st century: Focus is absolutely essential yet we live in a time of wonders.
: “Wisdom is the reward you get for a lifetime of listening when you’d have preferred to …
: “Beware the stories you read or tell; subtly, at night, beneath the waters of consciousness, they …
: User stories are more than just a list of tasks. - they’re the voice of your clients. Product …
: “Lost time is never found again.” -Ben Franklin Remember: being frenetically busy isn’t …
: “Where facts are few, experts are many.” -Donald R. Gannon #Quotes
: “Do you not adapt because you cannot conceptualize faster than the enemy’s adaptation?” -General …
: If every day is spent pingponging back and forth between raging fires as a product manager, …
: “Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns. I am thankful that thorns have …
: “Our plans miscarry if they have no aim. When a man does not know what harbor he is making for, no …
: Each and every quarterly release plan should have clearly defined goals and success metrics. Know …
: Remember: plans are not chiseled into stone. Expect challenges during planning. It’s part of the …
: “Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm." Winston …
: Today is the ideal time to review your product’s performance last year. What were the successes and …
: New year, new (and old) challenges in Product Management. Stay ahead of the curve by continuously …
: “The life that is worth living, and the only life that is worth living, is the life of effort, the …
: “Let the future tell the truth and evaluate each one according to his work and accomplishments. The …
: If you lead a team of product managers, remember that these are the two most important things you …
: Product management is a rapidly evolving role within a competitive market environment. Stay …
: Top 5 Books that made made me a better Product Manager in 2023 Zero to One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future by Peter Thiel Good Strategy Bad …
: Top 5 open-source tools I discovered in 2023 Oh My Zsh - a framework for managing your ZSH configuration Powerlevel10k - an amazing theme for …
: “A lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all …
: “All that is human must retrograde if it does not advance.” Edward Gibbon #quotes
: “The major difference between a thing that might go wrong and a thing that cannot possibly go wrong …
: 90 Hours of Python with DataCamp: a review In which I discover DataCamp, start learning Python, hit the Wall, and remind myself that learning …
: The 2nd most seductive waste of time and energy: Downloading a bunch of new task-tracking apps in …
: As a product manager, you sometimes connect dots from entirely different worlds. Never underestimate …
: Holiday breaks are crucial for recharging. But the real relaxation starts when you know everything …
: There’s just no substitute for direct client discovery sessions. Client feedback turns educated …
: “One can furnish a room very luxuriously by taking out furniture rather than putting it …
: “No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it’s not the same river and he’s not the …
: “Don’t fight forces, use them.” -Buckminster Fuller #Quotes
: Whenever you celebrate together as a product team, you foster a culture of gratitude and continuous …
: You must continually work to strike a balance between providing comprehensive information to your …
: “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” -Winston Churchill #Quotes
: Effective product management begins with listening. And client feedback isn’t just about fixing …
: “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see …
: “Failure is not a single, cataclysmic event. You don’t fail overnight. Instead, failure …
: Remember: Every feature you prioritize is a strategic choice. Prioritizing the portfolio aligns the …
: Fail to consider launch plans and you may as well just throw your new product in the backyard and …
: “Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.” – Samuel Johnson …
: One of the intrinsic beauties of cost-benefit analysis is the ability to quantify trade-offs. If we …
: As a product manager, you’re not just managing a backlog of features - you’re a steward of …
: “Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its …
: “Results? Why, I have gotten lots of results! I know several thousand things that won’t work." …
: Strategic decision-making is significantly enhanced with a robust roadmap in place. In visualizing …
: “Minutes are worth more than money. Spend them wisely." ~Thomas P. Murphy (no relation) You …
: “The limits of language are the limits of your world.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein #Quotes
: Defect management isn’t just a technical task – it’s a collaboration. Finding the correct alignment …
: Dependencies silently orchestrate release plans - regardless of whether you choose to acknowledge …
: “The ultimate form of preparation is not planning for a specific scenario, but a mindset that …
: “Give me a stock clerk with a goal and I’ll give you a man who will make history. Give me a man with …
: Albert Einstein’s Three Rules of Work: Out of clutter find simplicity. From discord find harmony. …
: Features. Requirements. Epics. Stories. All of these are abstractions intended to drive …
: “The greatest thing is to give thanks for everything. He who has learned this knows what it …
: “It’s insulting to call a professional talented. She’s skilled, first and foremost. Many people have …
: “One of the greatest discoveries a man makes, one of his great surprises, is to find he can do what …
: Behind schedule? It’s ok. That happens in a chaotic world. Prioritize your tasks to deliver highest …
: “The past takes its meaning from whatever we do right now.” -Czeslaw Milsosz #Quotes
: “It isn’t the mountains to climb that wear you out, it’s the pebble in your shoe.” -Muhammad Ali …
: Remember: stay relentlessly, indefatigably focused on solving real problems for your clients. …
: Allocating resources for a whole year can be like playing roulette. Unexpected demands or priority …
: “The whole object of travel is not to set foot on foreign land; it is at last to set foot on …
: Yes, product managers orchestrate. Remember: it’s the harmonious collaboration and improvisation …
: “Only the madman is absolutely sure.” -Robert Anton Wilson Testing isn’t a phase. it’s a mindset, a …
: “No matter what form the dragon may take, it is the mysterious passage past him, or into his jaws, …
: “Living things tend to change unrecognizably as they grow. Who would deduce the dragonfly from …
: Distraction is the enemy of progress. Ruthlessly prioritize and maintain unwavering focus on what …
: “Anyone can hold the helm when the sea is calm.” -Publius Syrus When the pressure’s on, …
: Your product should be a reflection of your clients’ needs and desires. So why not ask about them? …
: “Don’t mistake activity for achievement.” -John Wooden Every product managers eventually (and …
: “Have you listened to the new Beatles song?” is such a wonderfully science-fictional thing to ask …
: “If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.” -Mario Andretti #Quotes
: “To work with the nature of the future, in media and in tech and in language, is to embrace being …
: Your product data is a glittering dragon’s horde of client behavior, preferences, and pain points. …
: In product management, every question you ask is a step closer to creating something truly …
: The sprint is ending, and you’re feeling the pressure? Remember: it’s not about perfection; it’s …
: When in doubt, simplify. Look for how complex features can be revised down to essentials without …
: Wondering why you won or lost a sale? That’s what win-loss analysis is for! It uncovers the hidden …
: ”If you want to be successful, it’s just this simple. Know what you are doing. Love what you are …
: “The factory of the future will have only two employees, a man and a dog. The man will be there to …
: Self-awareness is essential for growth. Regular retrospectives establish a cycle of continuous …
: Remember: it’s not about managing ALL inputs but managing the RIGHT inputs. Set clear criteria for …
: Unexpected client conversations are inevitable. My advice: Prepare well, brainstorm possible …
: What’s the best way to ace unexpected client conversations? Have a deep understanding of your …
: When you’re refreshed, you lead with clarity and inspiration. Being a great product manager isn’t …
: ”Judge each day not by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant." -Robert Louis …
: ”I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." - Thomas Jefferson #Quotes
: Remember this: downtime isn’t a waste of time. It’s an investment in your creativity, …
: “Happiness is not a station to arrive at, but a manner of traveling.” -Margaret Lee …
: “A ship in harbor is safe, but that’s not what ships are for.” -William G.T. Shedd …
: As a product manager, I’ve learned that estimating complex work is like juggling atomic-powered …
: Remember: effective time management is an ongoing process. Regularly audit your time management …
: ”It is no use saying, ‘We are doing our best.’ You have got to succeed in doing what is necessary.” …
: “The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.” -Marcus Aurelius #Quotes
: Poor time management leads to overwork and burnout. A well-managed schedule ensures a better …
: Remember: collaboration isn’t just about working together. It’s about actively listening, learning, …
: In the world of scary hard problems, the whole truly is often greater than the sum of its parts. …
: When communicating with senior execs, be concise and get to the point as quickly as possible. The …
: Your product documentation is an asset. Well-crafted docs turn casual users into power users. It’s …
: “On matters of style, swim with the current. On matters of principle, stand like a rock.” -Thomas …
: “The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.” …
: When was the last time you thanked your amazing clients for all their questions and feedback? You’re …
: ”In a time of drastic change, it is the learners who inherit the future.” -Eric Hoffer #Quotes
: Quarterly roadmap planning is essential but comes with its fair share of challenges: Striking the …
: “When things go wrong, don’t go with them.” -Elvis Presley #Quotes
: Your actions set the tone for the team. Demonstrate the qualities and behaviors you expect from your …
: ”You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing, and by falling over.” -Richard …
: “There is a piece of me that likes to fondly imagine my maverick and rebellious nature. But more …
: “The years teach much which the days never know.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson #Quotes
: Learn from your mistakes. Adapt quickly. Champion your team’s creativity. Innovation thrives …
: “A plan which succeeds is bold, one which fails is reckless.” - General Karl von …
: Addressing hard problems is like building a puzzle. Each piece represents a new insight, a new step …
: Hard conversations with customers foster a culture of continuous improvement within your team. They …
: “People are always telling you who they are.” -Elizabeth Strout #Quotes
: “Words are full of echoes, of memories, of associations. They have been out and about, on …
: Hard conversations are also essential for uncovering pain points that might not be evident through …
: Engaging in hard conversations with customers is a crucial aspect of product management. These …
: “The true spirit of conversation consists more in bringing out the cleverness of others than …
: “I know nothing with any certainty, but the sight of the stars makes me dream.” - …
: ”I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” …
: As a product manager, my mantra is simple: Hard problems are the heart of progress. They push us to …
: “A goal should scare you a little and excite you a lot.” -Joe Vitali #Quotes
: “Build something 100 people love, not something 1 million people kind of like." -Brian Chesky, …
: Time evaporates when you’re managing products. What’s one critical time management tool? A …
: “What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.” -Richard Bach …
: Building for yourself just won’t cut it. Conduct interviews, surveys, and usability tests regularly. …
: Challenges are your constant companions in product management. Don’t try to avoid them. Face them …
: ”It is best to do things systematically, since we are only human, and disorder is our worst enemy.” …
: “A good shoe is a shoe you don’t notice.” -C. S. Lewis #quotes
: It’s easy to get lost in a sea of competing ideas. Prioritize ruthlessly based upon impact, …
: “Why” is just as important as “What.” Dig deep into the root causes of emergent issues. …
: “Quality is much better than quantity… One home run is much better than two doubles.” -Steve Jobs I …
: Shipping a product without sufficient user documentation is like asking your users to open a door …
: Remember that your work isn’t just a means to an end. It’s an opportunity for growth, …
: ”Sit down before a fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconceived notion. Follow …
: “To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.” -Joseph Chilton Pearce …
: Customer feedback is precious and you’re lucky to receive it. Embrace it, listen to it, and use it …
: “If I had six hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend the first four hours sharpening the …
: A useful daily affirmation for Product Managers: “I will communicate transparently, foster …
: “Education is more than the information we accumulate in our heads. It’s the habits we develop as we …
: Chaos happens. Setbacks abound. Find serenity in process. Your well-defined product cadences and …
: Adversity is fertile soil for innovation. When faced with challenges, encourage your team to …
: “Won’t you be walking in your predecessors’ footsteps? I surely will use the older path, but if I …
: Remember: each day you’re only competing against the person you were yesterday.
: “Predicting rain doesn’t count. Building arks does.”-Warren Buffett #quotes
: “Think of many things. Do one.” -Cassell’s Book Of Quotations, Proverbs And …
: ”Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts." -John Wooden …
: “Rowing harder doesn’t help if the boat is headed in the wrong direction.” …
: Celebrate wins, both big and small. Acknowledge the hard work of your team and the milestones …
: “The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there.” -L.P. Hartley, The Go-Between …
: ”Innovation is saying no to 1,000 things." -Steve Jobs The art of saying “no” is one of the …
: Some days there is nothing quite so cathartic as investing quiet, focused time on pruning and …
: Embrace every failure as a learning opportunity. Not every product launch will be a hit and, you …
: Stay curious and keep learning. The world is in constant motion and user needs are fluid and …
: ”Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”—Aristotle Patience is a strategic virtue. Crafting a …
: “This is the master design pattern for applying technology: Do more. Do things that were …
: Data is your compass. Use data to make as informed decisions as possible, measure your successes, …
: “I have all my life been considering distant effects and always sacrificing immediate success …
: “They say that time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself.” -Andy Warhol …
: It turns out that empathy is a superpower. Understand your clients and partners deeply, their pain …
: Communication is key to effective product management. I cannot overstate the importance. Clear and …
: Ideation is wonderful - but don’t get too attached to your ideas. As a product manager, always be …
: Reflecting on my journey so far, it’s clear that knowledge becomes so much more meaningful …
: The story of Ping The story of ping from the guy who wrote it. Modeling sonar behavior across an internetwork. So …
: “Brevity is the soul of wit” -William Shakespeare _(specifically, Polonius, in Hamlet …