Blog

“Hi Jock, You talk about doing user research directly with users – does it matter that the Operations and Process tracks are telling me what their users want instead?”

» It can aid a team’s progress to make lots of small bets, rather than one large one in a quarter » Separate your outputs in a release plan from the outcomes in your product roadmap » Parkinson’s Law: work always expands to fill the time available

» Frameworks help to spur thinking; they don’t provide the answers » “I would be nothing without my dev teammates, but my devs would probably get on pretty well without me.” » Use frameworks with discretion – and expect a bit less of them

» When there is a financial incentive, people will industrialise technology to automate money-making activities » Authoritative-sounding yet factually inaccurate content generated by AIs is harmful » Product managers should be primarily concerned with what is best for users from an ethical point of view

» A good product roadmap needs good leaders and clearly articulated goals » Make every roadmap goal specific and measurable » Ensure your team owns your roadmap as much as you

» Rarely can we attribute inventions in digital technology to one individual or company » The best ideas can’t be copied — it’s all in the execution » Guides to patenting inventions in the UK and US

» Reflecting on product management in 2022 » The most opened PRODUCTHEAD editions of 2022 » Back in the new year :-)

Product managers of software and hardware platforms face unique challenges that PMs of ‘regular’ products do not. In this panel discussion, Hans-Bernd Kittlaus discusses platform product management with Samira Negm, Peter Stadlinger and Jock Busuttil.

» Some people think about problems directly; others think through the problem via potential solutions » Organisations often jump straight into action without establishing a foundation for coping with uncertainty » If one group has all the decision-making power, others cannot properly contribute

» The wording of your product manager job description could be putting off good candidates » Listing excessive requirements for the role will deter risk-averse candidates » Think about why you’re hiring and the candidate attributes you need most » Don’t copy-and-paste other job descriptions — they won’t describe what your organisation needs

» Humility and authenticity go a long way in building trust » It is hard both to share data when expected, and to do so in a way that is trustworthy and acceptable to the public » “Nobody ever read a simple sentence and thought ‘well, that was too easy to understand.’” » With care it is possible to create valuable products with user data while maintaining trustworthiness

“Hi Jock, There’s plenty that needs doing. As head of product I could focus on the hiring process and delegate, or I could get stuck in with the products as a player-manager. What’s the right balance?”