Ethical Product Management

When you ask people to explain ethics in a few words, many are inclined to quote Uncle Ben talking to Peter Parker (aka Spider-Man): “With great power comes great responsibility.” If you’re a humble product person who doesn’t think you have that much power, you can also think of it as “just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should.” Ultimately ethical product management means thinking beyond outcomes and outputs to considering unintended consequences.

Meanwhile, in product news, talking about ethics - consider applying AI in healthcare. Notion released charts, Sonos cut staff while trying to fix its app, and Flighty helps you become a more informed traveler.

The essential guide to ethics in product management: Privacy, manipulation, dark patterns, and more. Well-intentioned products and features can sometimes have unintended negative consequences that violate user privacy, encourage manipulation, or otherwise raise ethical concerns. Matt Hicks explains that product managers need to be aware of major ethical issues like privacy, persuasive design, dark patterns, algorithmic bias, and more.

Ethical product strategy: The business case you can’t Afford To Ignore. Most of us feel like we’re good people doing the right things for the right reasons, and at the same time, we know there are organizations in the world that aren’t really living that ethos. So how are all these good people getting tangled up in bad deeds? In this episode of The Product Manager Podcast , Hannah Clark is joined by Samantha Gonzalez—Associate Director of Product Strategy at DockYard, Inc.—to talk about her intriguing journey and her innovative approach to team-building.

Responsible thinking for product managers – expert advice and steps for success. So many missed that a profanity filter would prevent the residents of Scunthorpe from creating an AOL account, that the use of sat navs could ruin previously quiet streets for their residents, or that a social network for university students would end up interfering with democracy. Building responsibly isn’t a headline topic for every product manager. Eira Hayward shares what several practicing product managers and product leaders think responsible thinking for product managers looks like .

Deep-Dive: Ethical Product Management. As digital products become increasingly integrated into our daily lives, shaping behaviors and influencing societies, the ethical implications of these creations have never been more profound or far-reaching. From social media platforms that can sway public opinion to AI systems that make decisions affecting millions, the products we build can transform the world—for better or worse. Mike Belsito explores the multifaceted nature of ethical product management , providing frameworks, insights, and practical approaches for navigating this complex terrain.

Ethical considerations in AI for product managers. In this fireside chat conducted by Product Collective co-founder, Mike Belsito, Product Leader John Haggerty dives into the ethical landscape and lifecycle nuances in product development. John highlights the critical ethical and legal considerations pivotal in AI and compares the AI product lifecycle with traditional approaches. Whether you're an experienced product manager or just starting with AI tools, this discussion will equip you with essential insights for navigating the evolving world of AI in product management.

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This week on Rocketship.fm

Never search alone: Mastering your product job hunt in 2024. In this episode of Rocketship.fm , host Mike Belsito dives deep into the challenging world of tech job hunting with Phyl Terry, author of "Never Search Alone: The Job Seeker's Playbook." With nearly half of US tech workers looking for new roles in 2024, this timely discussion offers invaluable insights for navigating the current job market. Whether you're a product manager facing unexpected layoffs or simply looking for a change, this episode provides the tools and mindset needed to tackle the job market with confidence.

Product Management News: Week of August 19, 2024

AI in healthcare… What could go wrong? Kaiser Permanente AI chief Daniel Yang is on the front line of finding out what AI can do in healthcare —and what It should never do. Yang, an internal-medicine physician turned vice president of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies, is dealing with some of the biggest questions around how far and how fast to go with these new AI tools in healthcare.

A picture is worth 1000 data points. Databases hold lots of, well, data. But for data to tell a story, you need to add a little bit of color. That’s why Notion launched charts , a one-click way to bring any Notion database into rich visual life. When designing their bar, graph, and donut charts, they followed Edward Tufte’s design principle: “Avoid chartjunk—unnecessary and distracting embellishments that hinder the understanding of data.”

It’s all hands on deck, but apparently the deck is smaller. Sonos laid off approximately 100 employees last week across several divisions including marketing, product and engineering, platform and infrastructure, and software quality. These cuts come despite CEO Patrick Spence’s pledge to have all hands on deck to fix issues with the Sonos App. That focus has caused delays in two hardware launches originally planned for later this year. This whole episode provides an example where a push for speed is not always the best idea.

Will airport staff refer to Flighty? Flight-tracking app Flighty released a new version that uses machine learning and aviation authority data to provide early warnings of delays and give users the exact reason behind delays. With the launch of Flight 4.0, the app tracks the two biggest causes of delays — late aircraft and airspace issues — to inform users of delays before airlines do. Who know, with Flighty, you may be more informed than your favorite gate agent.

Resources and news curated by Kent J McDonald