Jock Busuttil's Blog: I Manage Products, page 23

PRODUCTHEAD: When your product is a blank canvas

PRODUCTHEAD is a regular newsletter of product management goodness,
curated by Jock Busuttil.

Subscribe to PRODUCTHEADeverything in its right producttl;dr

5 useful canvases to help you frame your product ideas

a favour: please share this with other product people

every PRODUCTHEAD edition is online for you to refer back to

hello

It doesn’t seem too long ago that canvases were all the rage for product teams. You know the ones I mean: the big frames you’d sket...

Should a growth product manager even be a thing?

There’s an ongoing debate about generalist product managers versus emerging product manager specialisms (such as ‘growth product manager’). I think there is room in our profession for both. Let me explain.

In this article“No one wants to get rich slow”The rise of the growth hackerAnd so to growth product managersA repeating cycleExperience is lumpyBeware ‘lack of experience’ rebranded as ‘specialism’Different dimensions of experienceWhere to start: be honest about your skill gapsBuild...

PRODUCTHEAD: The rise of the growth product manager

PRODUCTHEAD is a regular newsletter of product management goodness,
curated by Jock Busuttil.

Subscribe to PRODUCTHEADi might be a product managertl;dr

Growth product managers are expected to focus primarily on revenue growth

Growth hacking failed in part because it produced unsustainable growth

Some companies stimulate growth by “infiltrating” offline communities

With infrequent use products, market penetration is a better measure of product-market fit than retent...

PRODUCTHEAD: Managing mature products

PRODUCTHEAD is a regular newsletter of product management goodness,
curated by Jock Busuttil.

Subscribe to PRODUCTHEADstreet product (fade out)tl;dr

Ways to extend a product’s life cycle: frequent usage; varied usage; new users; new uses

Sometimes removing features is more effective than adding them

You can’t change the customer, but you can change your company’s process, strategy and culture

Give your team time and permission to check you’re moving the right metri...

PRODUCTHEAD: New year’s resolutions

PRODUCTHEAD is a regular newsletter of product management goodness,
curated by Jock Busuttil.

Subscribe to PRODUCTHEADsit down. product uptl;dr

Make small changes and embrace experimentation

People may have a sincere commitment to change, while also unwittingly applying productive energy toward a hidden competing commitment.

Extreme situations can build extreme understanding and can also push people apart

Does our current worldview limit the way we think about orga...

6: 6 tips for presenting slides that don’t suck

This is an updated version of an article I wrote over a decade ago. I’ve preserved the original post if you want to giggle at me extolling rounded corners and drop shadows as the height of slideware sophistication.

I’m writing about one hundred things I’ve learned about being a product manager.

All product managers will need to stand up and present to others at some point. Some people are less comfortable giving a presentation than others; that’s natural. Either way, you won’t be helpi...

Q&A: My boss wants to set me an OKR on revenue growth. Is this right?

I’m asked questions about product management from time to time. Here’s one I’ve answered recently:

Hi Jock,

My boss wants to set me a personal OKR [objective and key result] to achieve revenue growth through demonstrable product improvements.

Can you think of any reasons why I should push back on a suggestion like this?

G

Read on for my reply.

Hi G,

Thanks for getting in touch. It sounds like your boss may be confusing OKRs with a ‘management by objective’ approach.

A bit about O...

PRODUCTHEAD: Your favourite articles of 2021

PRODUCTHEAD is a regular newsletter of product management goodness,
curated by Jock Busuttil.

Subscribe to PRODUCTHEADproducts outtl;dr

Good candidates have initiative and passion to pursue their opinions

The transition from product manager to leader requires many new skill sets

Discovery is about understanding the problem space experienced by people

Becoming a product leader means letting go of the day-to-day product management

Netflix on HR: “Be honest, and tr...

PRODUCTHEAD: Dear Santa …

PRODUCTHEAD is a regular newsletter of product management goodness,
curated by Jock Busuttil.

Subscribe to PRODUCTHEADhow to product completelytl;dr

Get people to buy you stuff you actually want for Christmas :-)

5 touchstone books for product managers

a favour: please share this with other product people

every PRODUCTHEAD edition is online for you to refer back to

hello

Even the most grinch-like among you will have to admit that Christmas (or as comedian...

PRODUCTHEAD: Incentives and behaviour

PRODUCTHEAD is a regular newsletter of product management goodness,
curated by Jock Busuttil.

Subscribe to PRODUCTHEADif you say the producttl;dr

Financial rewards alone for complex work can have the opposite of the intended effect

Even a small perceived penalty is enough to discourage experimentation, learning and success

A large part of our behaviour is influenced by our peer group

a favour: please share this with other product people

every PRODUCTHEAD edi...