Usually, I thrive on getting things done. Whether at work on in my personal life, I feel accomplished by meeting my goals. During this COVID-19 pandemic, I’ve struggled with feeling like I’m not making enough progress, I’m not doing enough. The pandemic has challenged how I balance time spent being vs. time spent doing things.…
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How to write a PRD (Product Requirements Document)
With the rise of Agile development practices, many argued that PRDs were a relic of the past and that people shouldn’t waste their time with it. In practice, however, I’ve seen clear benefits from well-written and maintained PRDs in every team I’ve worked, all of which use Agile development to different extents. You may be…
Developing courage to lead
I recently realized that I have a problem with leadership, and it is an emotional one. I have spent significant time studying leaders, reading about their lives, trying to understand what makes them leaders. Intellectually, I understood it. But emotionally I realized that I don’t believe in myself as a leader. Just talking about myself…
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Dealing with ambiguity and work-related stress
We often deal with a fair amount of work-related stress. So, it shouldn’t have been surprised when one of my most read writings to date was my answer on Quora to How stressful is it to be a product manager at a tech company? This is not unique to product management. Increasingly, our responsibilities as workers…
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Business metrics vs. user value (why I quit Facebook)
I love data. A great dashboard with useful KPIs is beautiful and useful. If you haven’t yet, take the time to define and track success metrics for your product. It forces clarity and reflection of your goals. Use data to prove or disprove your hypotheses. Use data to calibrate your efforts and see whether you’re…
Emailing? Mind emotions and identity.
To effectively communicate with others, you need to consider at least three aspects of communication. Content: What is it that you’re saying? Is it clear and well explained? Emotion: How do the people involved feel about the topic? Are they vested in the topic? Do they care? Identity: How do people think this message reflects…
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Google PM Interview – how to prepare
The Google PM interview is daunting and confusing. As someone who prepared extensively, and passed the interview, I provide some guidance to help you focus.
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How I transitioned job functions
Recently, I’ve been advising students and recent graduates. A common consultation request I get is to discuss career transitions, given that I landed in Product Management without the typical background of computer science and business. I hope that my experience is helpful to folks looking to switch functions or industries. Career transitions Here are some…
Storytelling is your PM superpower
I was recently reflecting on the following quote Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive. Howard Thurman The first thing that came to my mind was, languages. I’ve had some of the…
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Your first 30 days as a product manager – ramping up on a team
Whether you’re transitioning roles within an existing team or switching teams, here are a few crucial things to do in your first 30 days as a product manager. As a child, I heard a song by Guatemalan singer Ricardo Arjona which said, “aquí no es bueno el que ayuda, sino el que no [molesta], acuérdese.”…