You’re Not a Better Product Manager Because…​Dear Reader,​ Are you at Product at Heart today? Find me for a chat whenever you're in the mood. I love meeting readers in real life. Short one from me this week. Let's get it! I'm a big fan of getting better in context over working towards an absolute "best." But what helps you get better comes in different shapes and forms. Here's where some of these forms can lead you astray. You're not a better PM just because you correctly filled out a Strategy template. You're a better PM because you said no to an opportunistic idea that doesn't fit your strategy and maintained focus for your team. A template might help you communicate this, but it's the result, not the starting point. ​ You're not a better PM just because you write Outcome OKRs. You're a better PM because you prioritize work that moves business and user success metrics. Sometimes, Outcome OKRs will be your best measure to express just that. But sometimes they won't. ​ You're not a better PM just because you talk to customers every week. You're a better PM because you use reliable, first-hand insights to reduce uncertainty. Talking to customers might be a part of that, but don't confuse the hammer with the nail. ​ Did you enjoy this one or have feedback? Do reply. It's motivating. I'm not a robot; I read and respond to every subscriber email I get (just ask around). If this newsletter isn't for you anymore, you can unsubscribe here. Thank you for Practicing Product, ​Tim​ What did you think of this week's newsletter? As a Product Management Coach, I guide Product Teams to measure the real progress of their evidence-informed decisions. I focus on better practices to connect the dots of Product Strategy, Product OKRs, and Product Discovery. |
1 tip & 3 resources per week to improve your Strategy, OKRs, and Discovery practices in less than 5 minutes.
This is the last newsletter before my annual writing break for the holidays. After this issue, I will return to your inboxes on January 31, 2025. Product Practice #347 My 2024 Annual Review READ ON HERBIG.CO PUBLISHED Dec 20, 2024 READING TIME 5 min & 28 sec Dear Reader, What I focused on in the second half of 2024 After wrapping up the first half of 2024, the rest of the year was full of highlights. Stepping on stage at Product at Heart. Besides the book, this talk was probably the most...
This is the second to-last newsletter before my annual writing break for the holidays. After next week's issue, I will return to your inboxes on January 31, 2025. Product Practice #346 My Most Popular Ideas of 2024 READ ON HERBIG.CO PUBLISHED Dec 13, 2024 READING TIME 3 min & 25 sec Dear Reader, These five ideas had the biggest impact on my own thinking or my readers and consulting clients throughout 2024: Treating Ways of Working Like Products The core message of my talk at Product at Heart...
Product Practice #345 Four Decision Tree Frameworks Product Managers Need to Know READ ON HERBIG.CO PUBLISHED Dec 6, 2024 READING TIME 2 min & 54 sec Dear Reader, As a highly visual thinker, decision trees are one of my favorite ways to support product teams in making real progress and bringing structure to my thinking. Today, I want to share four of my favorite tree structures and use an outside-in view on Eventbrite to illustrate their usage. MECE Trees The MECE tree structure, invented by...