» Product-market fit is more elusive than ever in a dynamic market
» In deep-tech companies, it’s unrealistic to compete with your team on technical knowledge
» ‘Financial theatre’ occurs when the Board and product leadership aren’t communicating effectively
» There is room for both concrete and abstract thinking
» Fight enshittification by encouraging interoperability and openness in your product ecosystem
» You can prove a concept by building something janky and cheap that shows it working for real
» OKRs do not exist in isolation – context, strategy and culture set the scene
» People are rarely idiots — assume they’re rational actors with good intent
» Sometimes you have to compromise on finding the ideal job
» What truly differentiates you from the rest of the market when anyone can build anything?
» At C-level, focus more on “what’s in it for you” and less on “here’s what I need”
» Get your strategy, priorities, risk-taking heuristics, and goals straight, and treat allocation as a hypothesis
» Failure to adapt and iterate on team structures and processes will result in your strongest product people leaving
» Accepting that an employee might thrive in another environment is accepting that you (as their manager) could have done a better job
» Vocal self-confidence in the midst of uncertainty has become a desirable trait in leaders
» There must also be space for quieter, more contemplative leadership styles
» Common challenges leaders encounter are a lack of trust for their teams and executives, a lack of coaching, and letting go of control
» How others perceive the value and effectiveness of the product team’s work holds immense transformative power
Stepping up to a CPO or VP Product role doesn’t so much change what you do. Rather it amplifies everything. This guide lets you know what to expect.
» Wartime vs peacetime leaders employ different skill sets
» Airbnb’s changes to product management could be just what is needed in wartime or equally a retrograde step
» Working from home is a particularly polarising debate because it aligns with the leader-employee divide
» Discussions about productivity are often a proxy discussion for some other dysfunction
» A product coach should measure their own job performance by the successes of their team members
» Strive to develop a capacity for learning in the people you supervise
» Coaching taps into an individual’s own wisdom and keeps them accountable for achieving their goals
» People who are genuinely committed to change but nonetheless dig in their heels may be unwittingly self-sabotaging
