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.
To ensure you receive your subscription, please add
jock [at] mailtrain [dot] productpeo [dot] pl
to your Safe Senders list.
Recent editions
-
» Fight enshittification by encouraging interoperability and openness in your product ecosystem » You can prove a concept by building something janky and cheap that shows it working for real » OKRs do not exist in isolation – context, strategy and culture set the scene
-
» People are rarely idiots — assume they’re rational actors with good intent » Sometimes you have to compromise on finding the ideal job » What truly differentiates you from the rest of the market when anyone can build anything?
-
» A PM’s vibe coded prototype is just another way to dictate requirements to the team » Just because you can build features more quickly doesn’t mean you should build them » Greater strategic discipline than ever is needed to build worthwhile products
-
» AI may help you ship faster, but validating what you shipped still takes time » In large complex organisations, transparent, written communication helps to avoid misinterpretation » A strategy is just a wishlist if you never actually follow through on a decision
-
» There may be multiple ‘truths’ about the work depending on how different people frame it » Different groups of people will adopt strategy in stages, and have differing information needs » Fostering collaboration is the necessary first step for an organisation to work with more agility
-
» What are the factors that lead us to trust someone (or an AI tool)? » Vibe coding is great for prototyping; but for production code, dev teams still rule
-
» To keep forward momentum, frame discovery around decision making, not just insight » Product people fight for the users, our teams and the business’s overall health
-
» If you think product management is dead, you may not understand what it involves » Human connection is what really knits organisations together, not process and artefacts » Product roadmaps reflect the dysfunction inherent in your organisation
-
» What happens when anyone in your org can build and ship product? » GenAI is creating a productivity disparity between companies using it by default and those which are not » Investors are increasingly valuing companies based on ‘revenue per employee’ (≈ efficiency)
-
» Job interviews are a terrible way to assess how someone will perform in role » All genAI companies are evil, but some are less evil » Accumulated inefficiency has come back to bite organisations – what to do about it
-
» Tomer Sharon will be remembered for pioneering UX research techniques such as Experience Sampling and Google’s HEART framework
-
» Product managers exist in part to free up the specialists to do their thing » Being the point of contact with senior executives and stakeholders tends to also make you accountable to them » Specialists’ expertise is needed to wield a tool effectively, even if it’s easy to use
-
» Different cultures communicate with varying directness; context heavily influences interpretation and meaning » Leadership, trust, and decision-making styles differ widely across cultural backgrounds and must be adapted to the team » Bridging cultural divides requires empathy, flexibility, and awareness of one’s own cultural lens
-
» Organisational changes will reveal weak spots in the current ways of working before you adapt them » Structure teams differently based on the nature of the work » There is value in using shared language to describe how teams differ
-
» Be comfortable not having all the answers; trust your team » Prioritise the customer when balancing B2C/B2B decisions » Counteract your cognitive bias towards adding complexity by subtracting
-
» There’s a balance between motivating people to a goal and killing their enthusiasm with the gory detail » Just as with users and customers, we need to meet our peers where they are » In most complex organisations, product supports the organisation’s goals, not vice versa
-
» Choosing not to learn is a choice to be left behind » 4 types of “money story”: cost savings; upselling; new market; and customer satisfaction » Reflections on how we think about aspects of product management
-
» What product work will deliver the greatest positive impact for the business? » Rather than multiple levels of abstraction, team goals should be 1 step away from the corporate goal » Enabling teams can have impact by prioritising the teams doing the most impactful work
-
» Just over half of product managers surveyed rate themselves poor at retiring a product » Consider how people may continue using your product after it is retired, or the company exits » Activists are pushing to prevent companies from bricking devices reliant on cloud software
-
» So-called hypergrowth is quadratic, not exponential (adding a larger fixed amount each year — not multiplying) » Sustainable growth requires new products or built-in virality, not just more marketing » True exponential growth is rare and short-lived