Three Reasons to Insist on Outcome-Based Planning

Outcome-based roadmaps are considered the best practice; however, they are not as common as you would expect. While the idea is nice, implementation is much trickier, and many companies revert to simple feature stacking instead. Here are three reasons not to give up and stick to the important principle of working with outcomes.

Turning Home Assignments From a Necessary Evil into an Opportunity

Most candidates hate home assignments. They view them as a chore, an unfair or unnecessary request from the potential employer. But it doesn’t have to be this way. While home assignments are a lot to take in, they can also give you an opportunity to shine and make sure the job is right for you. Here’s how.

5 Ground Rules for Giving Home Assignments

Home assignments are a hot topic in the product management community these days. Candidates complain, and some recruiters overuse or even abuse them. If you still want to use them (and I think you should), here are five ground rules for doing it right.

Meeting Preparation That Drives Results

Product people attend meetings day in and day out. But many approach meetings passively—attending because it’s expected, sharing updates, or responding to questions. Effective meetings though are far from spontaneous. A well-prepared leader uses every meeting as a strategic tool to influence outcomes, build momentum, and clarify direction. Preparation is key to achieving this. Here’s a simple guide to mastering this art.

How Watching HBO’s Chernobyl Can Help You Become a Better Product Leader

Product people at all levels need to be great storytellers. Since communication is our primary tool, we need to use it smartly to achieve the desired results and impact. However, our world is typically not so easy to explain, so great storytelling starts with knowing what you want to say. Here is a method that will help you get there.

Squads Done Right: Mastering Modern Team Dynamics

Many companies find the promise of empowered product teams compelling. They see the problems in their existing structure and strive to adopt modern best practices. But changing structure alone won’t help; if done too bluntly, it can do more harm than good. Here is how to balance autonomy and flexibility with stability and structure.

Sticking to Your Leadership When Facing Powerful Stakeholders

As product managers, you often need to deal with stakeholders who are a few levels above you. At that seniority level, they don’t always see things through but still have a lot of impact on your ability to proceed in your own direction. Here are a few tips to help you maintain your leadership even in these challenging relationships.

They Don’t Understand Your Role as a Product Leader. But Do You?

The role of the product leader goes far beyond managing the product department. Unfortunately, in most companies, there is no one who can tell you that, simply because they haven’t seen it before. Here is your true responsibility as a product leader so that it’s no longer a secret.

Top 3 Traps Managers of Product Managers Fall Into

Managing product managers is a complex task that goes beyond traditional leadership skills. While you probably have what it takes since you already got the job, there are common pitfalls that can significantly impact your team’s effectiveness and success. Let’s explore these pitfalls and how to steer clear of them.

Building Trust Around Customer Requests

Dealing with customer requests is not always easy. Who owns these requests? Who gets to decide? And how do you say no when it has implications? It all starts with the right mindset and thinking framework. Here is a good way to approach it.

Why Great Products Aren’t Always Successful

Having a great product – one that customers really love, is important, but it is not enough to ensure the product’s success. There are other things that need to happen, and not all of them are in your hands or even in the company’s hands. Here are a few pitfalls to avoid.

Validation Is the Wrong Word

Everyone knows you can’t build a startup without proper validation. But validation is not the best word to describe what you really need to do and which results you can expect from it. Here is why, and what you need to do instead.