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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» 10 tactics for subscription value creation » 10 tactics for reducing subscription churn » When switching to a subscription model, initially costs will go up and revenue will decrease
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» A prototype expresses a product concept far better and quicker than a product requirements document (PRD) » People good at doing a thing themselves are not always good at building a system to do it » Work is craft: theoretical knowledge and practical experience combined
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» Implementing AI means assessing user needs and your data sources » AI technologies run the risk of creating harm — how are you planning for that? » LLMs and genAI open up new vectors for novel attacks that need to be countered
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» Platform product management dials everything up to 11 » A successful platform is continually evolving in line with user needs and emerging tech » Platform teams must recognise and respect the varying needs of their community of users
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» On a typical dev project, the reality is around 2-3x the original estimate » Trying to go faster when you’re already moving quickly has limited effect for a lot of effort
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» Switching to a product-led sales movement should not be a hard pivot but a blended transition » The product must demonstrate its own value regardless of whether sales people are involved » Intent adds nuance to the classic “strategic, execution, and planning” cascade
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» Conflict in product management is unavoidable » Some conflict is actually desirable and healthy » You can learn to assess and manage conflicts more constructively
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» The negative effects of social media algorithms were an early warning for the consequences of generative AI » As product managers, we have a duty of care to our users » The unpredictability of genAI poses varying risks of harm to users depending on the context
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» Comprehensive introductory training on large language models (LLMs) » Nonverbal communication can make assistive robots more effective » Practical suggestions to foster greater alignment between product and go-to-market teams
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» Empowered teams don’t work without alignment » Transparency is a precursor for alignment and trust » A clear area of focus is needed to make OKRs effective
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» With ROI, development estimates may be optimistic; revenue estimates are often more so » Your organisation has an operating system — the way it works — even if it’s not consciously designed
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» Achieving ambitious goals takes years of slog and perseverance — there’s no fast-forward button » Successful companies such as IKEA use time as a strategic advantage » There’s no single ‘right’ strategy — what matters more is choosing a good one and sticking with it long-term
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» Define in an operating model team sizes, roles, and responsibilities » Reduce single points of failure and promote shared accountability » Establish a shared language around team and domain evolution » Stay firm on the chosen operating model and evaluate it within a specific timeframe
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» In time our use of genAI will balance out with the human touch » Learn what genAI can and can’t do, and how far it can be trusted » LLMs will most likely take over the routine writing that holds organisations together
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» Highlights from 2024’s guests on Melissa Perri’s podcast » Office politics isn’t always distasteful » Applying common sense can by stymied by the organisational culture » User research is a discipline — it requires trained practitioners
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» Most read edition: ‘Showing your value’ — why to focus on high impact work » Edition with most clicks: ‘Enough handwringing already’ — let’s not write ourselves off as a profession quite yet » Most clicked article: ‘AI discovers that not every fingerprint is unique’ — upending a long-held belief in forensics
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» “This is what we learned, and here’s how we’re going to adjust our plan” » As with strategy, studying and predicting the future isn’t an innate skill but a muscle you can build » AI will eventually have its “plane crash moment”
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» Product managers need a blend of skills, of which commercial acumen is a part » Which does your company pay more attention to: the immediate or the long-term? » Selling to everybody is selling to nobody
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» Accept that some customers will never migrate to your new platform » Products do not fail in vain if you learn something valuable in the process » In 1979 Intel realigned its 2000-strong company around a new set of objectives in just 2 weeks
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» Balancing opportunity with strategy in the midst of competing distractions is hard » You wouldn’t let genAI write your product strategy without checking it, right? » Product strategy discovery focuses on the problem space