The Inherent Tension Between Roadmaps and OKRs

Every roadmap is a plan, but a plan is worth nothing if not executed upon. Once the essence of your roadmap is ready, it’s time to put timelines on it. But how can you commit to results that would happen in the future? Honestly, you can’t. But there is still a lot you can do to help everyone understand where you are going and how.

They Are Not Product People

As product leaders we work with so many stakeholders, and we strive to include them in the product definition processes. While generally this is the right thing to do, there is one line that you don’t want to cross: letting them do the product work instead of you, or expecting them to contribute more than they can. Here is a quick guide to finding the right balance.

The Fine Line Between Aggressive Goals and Complete Fantasy

Setting goals is hard. You always need to balance between what you really (really) want, or even need, and what reality can support. And being super ambitious isn’t always the answer. Here is a fresh approach to setting goals that will keep you rooted both in reality and in vision.

Are Your Product Metrics Well Defined?

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.

Building Trust When Things Get Rough (Part 2)

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.

Building Trust When Things Get Rough (Part 1)

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.

3 Ways to Help Your Product Managers Stick To the Right Priorities

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.

3 Reasons Your Customers Aren’t Buying Your Product

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.

A New Level of Freedom in Roadmap Discussions

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.

The Customer Experience That Matters Most

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.

Can You Handle the Truth?

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?

How Paying More Taxes Made Me a Better Decision-Maker

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.