PDM #8 -on Product Management Festival
Eduardo Mignot Escalada
Head of Product | Product Coach & Instructor | User Experience (UX) Design | Professional Scrum Product Owner II (PSPO II) | PSM II | Freelance Product Manager | Remote
Hello again, my fellow product enthusiasts! ??
In less than a month, I am gearing up for the Product Management Festival in Zurich, and you're in for a treat. What connects all the great posts in this newsletter? They're all authored by speakers who will be sharing their insights at the festival. I particularly enjoyed the exercise because it allowed me to uncover new Product voices and explore some new unique content. ???
So with no further due let's dive into this week's content.
?????? The menu for this newsletter:
?? With additional bonus resources:
Let's jump right into the captivating content awaiting us this week:
1) Shifting the focus in product development from "speed to market" to "speed to signal" - by Jonathan Rochelle
Jonathan Rochelle , VP of Product Management at LinkedIn Learning, advocates for shifting the focus in product development from "speed to market" to "speed to signal," prioritizing valuable feedback and learnings from customers over rushing to launch a final product. Jonathan also explains that the importance of being the first to market is often overstated. Rochelle suggests that collecting signals and being a next-mover based on feedback can lead to long-term value in the product development process.
What strongly resonates with me in his article and is a common challenge in tech companies is the tendency to commit to a final product too early, what I refer to as "falling in love with your feature."
This hinders our ability to pivot when necessary. Embracing change as a natural part of the product development process boosts our flexibility and adaptability. To me, this agility is more crucial than delivering something we promised months ago. However, conveying this perspective as a product manager can be tough, especially in companies relying heavily on predefined product timelines and project plans.
2. Optimising product validation with The Confidence Meter - by Itamar Gilad
In his post, Itamar, Author of Evidence-Guided, questions how much delivery is enough. He details when to transition from validating a product idea to its delivery. What I found most useful from the article is the concept of Confidence Meter to categorize validation evidence into Opinions, Assessments, Data, and Test Results, each representing varying confidence levels.
What is key to understand is the need to adapt an iterative validation approach progressing from cheaper to more expensive methods based on the evidence, and balancing cost, risk, and reward when making launch decisions.
It connects well with the truth curve by Jeff Gothelf , a conceptual model that illustrates the relationship between the level of effort and investment required to validate a hypothesis and the level of confidence in the results.
The truth curve is typically displayed as a graph with two axes:
Starting from zero effort and no confidence, as you invest more, confidence grows – until it plateaus. Balance is key here so you don't overinvest. You can use the curve for decision-making and explaining risks versus rewards. It's a valuable tool for better product choices.
3. Balancing Best Product Management Practices - by Gabrielle Bufrem
Gabrielle Bufrem 's, Product leadership Coach, uncovers a common challenge for product leaders – blending the best product management methods into their company's setup. Gabrielle shares a client's win in AI product leadership, showing how focusing on things like product discovery and stakeholder management boosted the whole product team.
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This is specifically true in startups if you land a "first product manager" role where you're tasked with laying the groundwork for product management.
The challenges you face depend on your company's setup and their level of product knowledge and interest. Before introducing product management methods and best practices, you might find yourself in the role of an advocate, explaining the essence of product management, its necessity, and the advantages it brings.
You'll need to make a case for why, as a Product Manager, you won't follow the same methodologies as before, such as using Gantt charts for roadmaps or clarifying the distinctions between project management and product management.
4. Creating a product strategy for new products - by ? Bü?ra Co?kuner
In her post, ? Bü?ra Co?kuner shares a great Loom video(??) that emphasizes the need to continuously chase product-market fit and the two key components: problem-solution fit and repeatable sales. Bü?ra challenges the conventional notion of creating a detailed product strategy for new products and suggests that, initially, the primary focus should be on finding product-market fit. The video is well structured, with clear chapters so it's a highly recommended watch for anyone interested in Product strategy.
5. What Makes Great Product Managers - by JJ Rorie
In this post, JJ Rorie explores the qualities that make exceptional product managers, highlighting the idea that greatness in this role should improve both our professional and personal life, without necessitating excessive work hours.
JJ argues that the conventional metrics for assessing a product manager's effectiveness, such as tangible product outcomes and productivity, don't necessarily define greatness.
Instead, the article pinpoints the "five unchanging truths" that characterize remarkable product managers:
These qualities work together and reinforce each other, forming the core of success in this position.
It links well with this post from Stefano Rinaldi who argues that Product management skills are more important than domain knowledge. Having strong PM skills will help you handle various industry challenges, learn quickly, and adapt to new domains efficiently.
An effective PM should be able to navigate any domain.
?? Bonus Content:
I hope you liked this curated collection of posts and found new product insights like I did.. Follow for more editions ahead! ??
Managing Partner @ Ferpec
1 年Great content as always!
Product coach: discovery, metrics and experimentation for trios and product teams || 1:1 coach for Lead & Senior Product Managers || Miss Impact Mapping || Keynote Speaker || Maker
1 年It's going to be fantastic! Looking very much forward to it.
Founder of Product Academy -??building learning organizations??. Mom of two. Poet. Human.
1 年Looking forward to meeting you there!