Educating the Market Starts With a Need

Educating the market is hard enough as is, but there is one thing without which you cannot succeed. There has to be an unmet need that you can answer. And yes, even Facebook had one.

The Four Components of Product Success

Strategic product thinking is hard. Especially when done as an afterthought – when the product is already in the market – it is nearly impossible to rise above specific features and metrics. Here is a framework that will help you do just that.

Are You a Real Problem Solver?

Problem-solving is one of the core characteristics of product managers. But the ability to solve customer problems does not always translate into the ability to solve problems for your own company. It is a slightly different skill to master, but very important for your ability to succeed.

The Product Cannot Be Your Only Tool

When you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. As a product leader, other people, and maybe you as well, will lead every conversation with you towards features and product capabilities. While this is where your direct ownership is, as a product leader you don’t have the luxury to focus only on that.

3 Ways Your Metrics Can Help You Even if You Never Use Them

Fully applying a data-driven approach to your product is hard. You need to invest a lot in building the infrastructure that will allow you to measure everything you want, see it clearly in a dashboard, and take action based on it. But metrics are a very powerful tool that you don’t want to give up on, even if you will never measure anything.

How To Be Strategic Even if You Can’t Set the Tone

When the CEO sets the strategy, what is your role as a product leader? How can you be strategic when the strategy is set by someone else? Surprisingly, there is no contradiction there, and in most cases, there is more room for you than you think. You just have to know where to look for it.

Who Owns the Technical Debt?

Technical debt is always a hot discussion topic between product managers and engineers. It is not always clear how to handle it right, and who is the decision-maker. My recommendation is that product managers own it like they own any other feature. But beware – with great power comes great responsibility. Are you ready for it?

The Sales Funnel Isn’t Really a Funnel

A good product strategy helps you to acquire happy customers and retain them over time. On your way there, there are many potential weak links that can prevent it from happening. Here is how product strategy helps you overcome them.

The Major Pitfalls of Lean Startup

Lean is a great methodology, but like any other methodology, it can be abused if not deeply understood. In my work with startups I noticed two common pitfalls – opposite sides of lean taken to the extreme without staying true to its core principles. The pitfalls are listed below, as well as how to avoid them.

What One Spotify Ad Can Teach Us About Competition

Your competition includes more than the companies that provide the same product or service as you do. Understanding the full space of competitors will help you to know and lead your product at a whole new level.

Becoming a Strategic Product Leader, Part 3: Own the Big Picture

We live in a constant battle between tactical and strategic. Without ongoing care, the tactical will always win. Take it upon yourself to bring everyone back on the strategic track to make sure you are doing the right thing.

Resolving 3 Common Frustrations of Product Managers (part 2)

Everyday challenges which you might have learned how to navigate, become even more critical to manage in these crazy Coronavirus days. Find practical advice on two popular ones below.