PRODUCTHEAD: Down with the technocracy!
» Only having geniuses at the top of an org defining strategy for everyone else to enact is a relic of a bygone era
» The allocation of ‘time’ and the allocation of ‘capacity’ are very different concepts
PRODUCTHEAD is my free curated newsletter of the best articles, videos and podcasts from product leaders and commentators all over the world. All neatly packaged up in a weekly email delivery for your reading, viewing and listening pleasure. Curated by Jock Busuttil (jockbusuttil.com).
» Only having geniuses at the top of an org defining strategy for everyone else to enact is a relic of a bygone era
» The allocation of ‘time’ and the allocation of ‘capacity’ are very different concepts
» Bare facts by themselves are not persuasive; they must be “storified” in a way that triggers people’s sense of self
» A smaller initial ask can increase the likelihood of agreement to a larger, related ask
» Bad services can arise from not realising the service and the user need have drifted apart
» GenAI shifts the focus from shipping products to stewarding living systems that are continually learning and adapting
» Changing behaviour and beliefs is crucial for people to adopt a fundamentally new org strategy
» Culture optimised without alignment has unintended consequences
» KPIs measure what you’re already doing, OKRs are for change
» Problematic OKRs are too big in scope, activity-focused and disconnected from strategy
» The Narrative, Commitments, Tasks (NCT) framework offers an alternative to OKRs
» Product duos and trios can enhance the team, but are never more important than the team as a whole
» If a team depends on an external decision-maker, could that person join the team to empower them?
» Most read edition: ‘Where does the time go?’ – a developer explains the work around the work
» Edition with most clicks: ‘The rift between design and product’ – reportedly designers covet the PM position
» Most clicked article: ‘How to structure a product organization’ – John Cutler and Leah Tharin talk product OS
» 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
» Thinking purely in problems to solve can limit you
» The words you use to describe your proposition are really a test of how well you know your target users’ needs
» Find ways to ‘tilt the umbrella’: small considerate features for your users
» Too often, ‘building’ becomes the default state for a product team, at the expense of other valuable ways of working
» An product team should not be so rigid that it cannot cope with the occasional mandate from above