Smart Use of Principles

Principles are a very powerful tool in product leadership. They can help you create clarity and alignment, and separate the wheat from the chaff. Here are a few ways to use them in your everyday tasks, and some cases where they are not the right tool.

Reality Isn’t Always What You Want It to Be

Nobody likes bad news. But what happens if this is the reality? Realizing it is one thing, and a more important thing is to accept it as it is and then act to change it while you can. You can’t change the reality of today, but you can change tomorrow. Here is a quick guide to get you going.

The Critical Role of Product Strategy When Resources Are Limited (Part 1 – Seed)

A good product strategy is something every company needs. When VCs and customers aren’t throwing money at whatever you tell them, it becomes a critical tool. When you have fewer employees than you need, even more so. Here is how a product strategy can help you create business results, even when the market is not in your favor.

Your Technology’s Potential Is a Dangerous Weapon

Technology is awesome. It can do so many things, and it is always tempting to see what it can do next. But as a product leader, you are here for other reasons. You need to lead the product to business success. While that needs to rely on technology, technology is still just a means to an end. Here are a few things to consider before you implement your technology’s fullest potential.

3 Creative Levels in Your Product Career

Product management is a creative job in the deepest sense: We create products. But the level at which we need to do so changes dramatically over the course of a product person’s career, and the transition is not always easy. Here are three levels – each relevant to a different stage in your career and your product. Where are you now?

3 Blind Spots in Your Product Leader Interviews (Company Side)

Hiring a product leader is never easy. You are looking for a partner to join your team and take a significant leadership role. In most cases, you have never been in this position yourself before, so interviewing could be a challenge. Here are a few things to consider when you seek your next product leader.

3 Blind Spots in Your Product Leader Interviews (Candidate Side)

Finding your next job as a product leader is not necessarily easy. This is especially true if you are interviewing as a product leader for the first time, even if you had done the job before. Here are a few things that if you pay attention to would make it much easier for you to get your dream job.

Why Tools Are Not the Answer

Running a successful product organization is hard. There are so many challenges, and everyone’s day-to-day is super hectic. It’s no wonder there are many tools that try to resolve this. But tools alone won’t fix anything and can do the opposite. Here’s why.

Finding the Missing Piece in Your Product Strategy

A good product strategy connects multiple dots together and creates an end-to-end story that makes sense. When done right, there is a moment when you know all pieces are in place. But what do you need to do to get there? Here are the steps to follow.

Product Leadership Is a Team Sport

Influence without authority has always been the foundation of product management. As product leaders, this is even more important. To succeed, we must influence areas that are way beyond our control, and that’s a completely different ball game. Here are the things you must master in order to succeed.

How to Maintain a Fresh Perspective

One of the hardest things to do as a product leader or entrepreneur is to think about what you are already doing with a fresh eye. You are too immersed in what you have now to be able to see anything else. But often this is key to making the right decisions and identifying risks before they materialize. Here are two ways to do so.

3 Surprising Product Strategy Benefits

Not having a product strategy is often painful. You feel the impact of not knowing where you are going. But when you want to convince the company to invest in building such a strategy, you need to be able to explain what good it will bring. Here are three benefits of having a solid product strategy in place.