PRODUCTHEAD
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.
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Recent editions
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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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» Get people to buy you stuff you actually want for Christmas :-) » 5 touchstone books for product managers
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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
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» There are 4 emerging product manager specialisms » You can recruit different flavours of product manager by thinking along 3 axes
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» Winners announced for the #ProductCon prize draw » Netflix on HR: “Be honest, and treat people like adults” » How commission-based recruitment usually works, from an insider
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» In product management, people matter most » Diverse teams build better products » A mentor or coach can be like a north star for your career » Care for the craft and remember to pay it forward
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I’m mixing things up a bit this week with a special offer for you. Product School have kindly given me 9 VIP tickets to their November #ProductCon Online, so I’m offering them to you.
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» Piles of books by experts in disciplines you’ll be working with on your product team
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» Meetings are for information exchange, workshops are for solving problems » With hybrid working, adopt a “remote first” mindset to avoid divisions in your team » Poor workshop facilitation discourages future participation » Reflection gives everyone a chance to contribute and listen
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» Charities’ strategy should focus on the future, not the annual planning cycle » Break the habit of surveys and focus groups with user interviews » The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated growth in digital fundraising » Commodity services free teams from reactive and defensive development patterns to truly innovate
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» Learning is more valuable than being successful and not knowing why » You can experiment with the content and layout of any web-based product with basic skills » The success rate of experimentation is higher if there is no penalty for failing » “If you have a good idea on a Monday and can design, test and learn by the Friday, then innovation explodes.”
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» More specific questions yield better user research findings » User research works well when the team collaborates with a specialist user researcher » Increased team user exposure hours correlates with more successful product improvements by the team » The sooner you start user research, the greater impact it will have on your product » A Kanban board helps the team to collate and track the questions to be researched
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» To build trust, mutual respect and transparency are critical » Becoming a product leader means letting go of the day-to-day product management » Being good at your job means training others to be good at theirs » Equip your team to make good choices without needing your input » Developing people is the single most important part of your job
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» Saying no to a good idea requires confidence in your product strategy » Even if saying no to an opportunity, take the time to understand its value and context » Keep ideas and suggestions separate from your product backlog » Clear company goals and strategy make it easier to say no to unaligned requests » Saying yes habitually to one-off custom features will usually kill your product business
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» A selection of the best product management podcasts by product people, recommended by product people
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» Discovery is about understanding the problem space experienced by people » When on a tight budget for discovery, mitigate bias where possible and document all the biases you see » A relaxed participant will open up and be more honest with you » A discovery can prompt one or more possible solutions, or tell you the problem is not worth pursuing