Author: Jock Busuttil

Jock Busuttil is a product management and leadership coach, product leader and author. He has spent over two decades working with technology companies to improve their product management practices, from startups to multinationals. In 2012 Jock founded Product People Limited, which provides product management consultancy, coaching and training. Its clients include BBC, University of Cambridge, Ometria, Prolific and the UK’s Ministry of Justice and Government Digital Service (GDS). Jock holds a master’s degree in Classics from the University of Cambridge. He is the author of the popular book The Practitioner’s Guide To Product Management, which was published in January 2015 by Grand Central Publishing in the US and Piatkus in the UK. He writes the blog I Manage Products and weekly product management newsletter PRODUCTHEAD. You can find him on Mastodon, X (formerly Twitter) and LinkedIn.

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» Growth product managers are expected to focus primarily on revenue growth

» Growth hacking failed in part because it produced unsustainable growth

» Some companies stimulate growth by “infiltrating” offline communities

» With infrequent use products, market penetration is a better measure of product-market fit than retention

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» Ways to extend a product’s life cycle: frequent usage; varied usage; new users; new uses

» Sometimes removing features is more effective than adding them

» You can’t change the customer, but you can change your company’s process, strategy and culture

» Give your team time and permission to check you’re moving the right metrics

» Data is not a silver bullet and won’t solve your company’s trust issues

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» Make small changes and embrace experimentation

» People may have a sincere commitment to change, while also unwittingly applying productive energy toward a hidden competing commitment.

» Extreme situations can build extreme understanding and can also push people apart

» Does our current worldview limit the way we think about organisations?

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» Good candidates have initiative and passion to pursue their opinions

» The transition from product manager to leader requires many new skill sets

» Discovery is about understanding the problem space experienced by people

» Becoming a product leader means letting go of the day-to-day product management

» Netflix on HR: “Be honest, and treat people like adults”

» Your North Star metric best captures the core value that your product delivers to customers

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» Financial rewards alone for complex work can have the opposite of the intended effect

» Even a small perceived penalty is enough to discourage experimentation, learning and success

» A large part of our behaviour is influenced by our peer group

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» Plans for the short and long term are often easier to define than those for the medium term (1-3 quarters)

» A North Star Metric is a leading indicator of sustainable growth

» It is the single metric that best captures the core value that your product delivers to customers