Insights and advice from the deeper layers of product leadership
Defining the right product metrics is a common challenge for product leaders. There are many things to consider at the strategic level, but the details also matter a lot. Here is a quick method to make sure what you measure truly answers the important questions.
Trust, as in almost anything in relationships, is built with honest communication. Unfortunately, many times it’s not as easy as it sounds, and it’s hard to be honest even with ourselves. Here are a few simple guidelines to boost your courage and help you make these not always easy conversations.
As product leaders, we are entirely dependent on others to be able to deliver results. We need them to follow our guidance, and that cannot happen without trust. Here are a few guidelines to help you re-establish trust when you feel you are in a constant uphill battle.
Have you ever had the feeling that your product managers are fully aligned with your priorities, but then life happened? Even when all the priorities are well understood, following them strictly is not easy. Here are a few ways to help your product managers succeed in this tricky area, for everyone’s sake.
The fact that your potential customers have a problem, doesn’t mean that they are willing to do what it takes to solve it. Here are three reasons why this happens, and what you can do to overcome each of them.
Roadmap discussions often become about features and timelines. While this is an important step in the process, it shouldn’t be the first. As a product leader, you need to make sure you facilitate the right discussions – both with your product managers and with your management team. Here is the interim level that many product leaders miss.
Customer experience isn’t just for products. As an employee, you provide customer experience to your manager, your colleagues, and your own employees. Is it a great one? Here are a few points to consider.
The reality we act in isn’t always nice. In many cases, we allow ourselves to see it in brighter colors than it actually is. As product leaders, this can be the beginning of a slippery slope. What can you do to make sure you are well-rooted in reality, even if it isn’t pretty?
We all want to be data-driven, but both data and our ability to work with it has its limitations. Being aware of them and managing yourself accordingly are both key to your ability to make smart decisions.
In product-led growth, the customer journey is everything, and optimizing it is the only way to grow. Even without product-led growth, it has a significant impact on your ability to meet your goals. But are you aware of all the ways in which the customer journey for your product isn’t optimal? Here are a few methods to find these hidden barriers and remove them.
Letting people go is never easy. As their managers, we always need to coach our product managers toward their next level. We usually try to help them succeed and both us and them give it our best. But how do you know if it’s time to give up? Here are a few ways to know the answer.
Some managers expect that once they give negative feedback, their people would fully embrace it and the problem would be solved. This couldn’t be farther from the truth. The initial negative feedback is just the beginning, and it is your job as a manager to help your people grow and succeed. Here is what it takes.
