In this article I’d like to continue with the series on common problems with product discovery. So far I’ve talked about the difference between learnings and insights, the differences that result from focusing on the problem versus the solution, the...
In my last article I discussed the two different product worlds that I straddle, and I heard from quite a few people from each of the two camps, as well as several that shared that they’ve worked in both. I...
My last article on Meaningful Transformation got a very good response from people, and several people wrote to ask what product looks like in companies that have successfully transformed? I decided to answer this by sharing one of my favorite...
Continuing with our series on Team Objectives, there are several forms of collaboration that are essential, yet often confusing to product organizations as they optimize for team autonomy and empowerment. Shared Objectives The first and most basic form of collaboration...
In my previous article, I defined how I encourage managers of product managers to assess the current skill level of a product manager in order to identify skill gaps. In this sequel to that article, I would like to share...
NOTE: This article and the coaching tool it describes is an update to the older gap analysis tool described in Developing Strong Product Managers. In my last several articles, I have been focusing on coaching tools for helping managers of...
In my last article I talked about the importance of the one on one coaching sessions between a manager and her product manager. That technique is about providing an ongoing mechanism for helping the product manager to reach his or...
I’d be surprised if you haven’t at least heard about the coaching technique known as the “one on one” (aka “1:1”). And you’ve probably experienced some version yourself. But judging from my discussions with literally thousands of product managers and...
Last year, my partner Marty Cagan wrote a blog post called My Favorite PM Interview Question which asks a candidate whether or not they believe the product manager is the CEO of the product. This question gives an interviewer great insight...
UPDATE 2: Another name for this article could be “Product Teams vs Delivery Teams”. That’s because since this article was published, I wrote articles describing the difference between product teams vs feature teams, and product teams vs project teams. And...
Nearly a year ago, one of my all-time favorite Agile coaches, Henrik Kniberg, published an article that I believe does an excellent job at explaining how engineering teams can leverage the concept of an MVP and ensure they are getting the core value out...
If you’ve had a chance to read the new edition of INSPIRED, you hopefully noticed that in this version I decided to focus quite heavily on the principles underlying modern tech product management: I want to be clear as to...
One of the most enduring myths in the product world is that great products result from listening to your customers (or prospective customers). But just as Jeff Bezos said in his latest Shareholder Letter, “No customer ever asked Amazon to...
I’ve been working with several companies that are experiencing rapid growth, and there’s a role in these growth-stage product organizations that I find especially effective. The role is titled “Group Product Manager,” usually referred to as “GPM.” The role has...
In my last article on Discovery Sprints I mentioned the concept of Discovery Coaches and several people asked me about that, so I thought I’d describe more about what this role is and when it’s helpful. For many years, as...
