79: The product leader’s guide to interviewing
I’m often involved in the interviewing and hiring interviewing process, so I’d like to share with you my product leader’s guide to interviewing product managers.
PRODUCTHEAD: When did storytelling become so hard?
» “Requirements” is another way of saying “just shut up and build it”
» A user story is deliberately sparse on detail to provoke a team conversation about the user’s goal
» We often incorrectly assume everyone does something the same way
» The mental model to describe epics, user stories and tasks can be clarified with visual artefacts
PRODUCTHEAD: It’s payback time on technical debt
» Don’t ignore technical debt
» Devote time for removing some debt in every sprint
» Debt can be a prudent choice in some situations
» It’s harder to read code than write it — so resist the temptation to start the code base again from scratch
Q&A: Should a product manager have responsibility for profitability?
“Should the product manager have some level or perhaps a great deal of responsibility for the profitability of the product? Should they understand things like the unit economics, that sort of thing?”
PRODUCTHEAD: The what, why and how of user research
» User research needs to be proactive as well as reactive validation
» Some research techniques are more useful than others at different stages
» You must safeguard the welfare of your user research participants
» There are many ways to recruit participants for your research without outsourcing
» Use a simple format for sharing research findings memorably
78: How to start a new product manager job
Starting a new product manager job can be daunting, particularly if you don’t change jobs very often. I work freelance, so I find myself in a new organisation roughly every 3-6 months. Let me share with you my tips for your first few months in a new role.
PRODUCTHEAD: Remind me, what am I meant to be doing?
» A product manager works at the intersection between business, technology and user experience
» A product manager is not a replacement for absent specialists
» The product manager is accountable for ensuring the solution is both valuable and viable
» Product managers use their knowledge of user needs and business goals to frame problems and set priorities for their delivery teams
PRODUCTHEAD: Rethinking product roadmaps
» Remove the timelines from your product roadmap
» Use roadmap themes to focus on solving user problems
» User outcomes are more important than delivering features
» Roadmaps help to make strategic decisions when there’s low certainty
» Rethinking your roadmap approach can help when managing mature products
Q&A: What technical skills do I need to be a product manager?
“I was looking for inspiration and guidance as I am searching for a career change and Product Management/ Project Management are my areas of interest. I was looking to understand if in such roles technical skills are required.”