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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» Async working lets you set aside time for deep thinking » Forced remote working led naturally to more async work » Async relies on three main tenets: multiplexing, communication and action » Find the right balance between flexibility and cohesion, independence and togetherness » In-person time is important to sustain the human relationships that enable you to get work done
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» Over time, communities of practice risk themselves becoming new silos » Be intentional about what you want to learn, and about your own behaviour to others » Delivery by itself is worthless — deliver value
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» Data ethics studies and evaluates moral problems related to data, algorithms and corresponding practices, in order to formulate and support morally good solutions » Product managers have ethical responsibilities that transcend career, company and profit » Organisations need to assess and build their trust and trustworthiness » Mitigate biases in your product that may have unintended discriminatory effects on individuals and social groups
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» 3 tenets of product ops: insights, research, and processes & practices » Product ops is about enablement and coaching, not a rebrand of the product owner or product marketer roles » Product ops is the ‘glue’ that binds different business functions and product focus areas together » Product ops enables product teams to achieve better outcomes
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» Focus your prototyping on the moments that matter most to users » Prototypes range in fidelity, but remain throwaway » Prototyping brings tangibility to intangible experiences » Be clear about what you want to learn, and what assumptions you want to test » Design simply to deliver early and learn quickly
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» Don’t be driven by metrics — be informed by them » The mental tendency to replace strategy with metrics can destroy company value » Onboard your users all the way to becoming your best users » 3 kinds of innovation: method, market and product
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» Your products will reflect your organisational structure (Conway’s Law) » You can structure your teams around a central function, or as self-contained business units » Periodically re-evaluate the right mix of innovation and optimisation for your organisation
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» Firing someone is a task you will always perform with some anxiety, but you still need to be able to do it well » At Netflix, it’s not enough to be a hard worker achieving only B-grade results » Founder of AngelList Naval Ravikant seeks happiness by trying to live in the here-and-now, neither obsessing about the past nor fantasising about the future » If your team’s cultural norms cause you to feel uncomfortable, ask yourself why you think it’s not ok
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» 5 useful canvases to help you frame your product ideas
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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.