Congratulations! You just completed a workshop. Hopefully it was not death by powerpoint, and the instructor made sure you were not just sitting in a chair all day, made sure you stayed engaged, asked you questions and answered yours with some real-life examples. Now, armed with this newfound knowledge and way of thinking, you are brimming with new perspective and can’t wait to get back and apply all you learnt. What comes next? How do you make the most of this investment of time, energy and money?
Tag: product management
What Distinguishes the Top 1% Product Managers from the Top 10%?
I came across this question on Quora and it got me thinking.
It’s useful to understand what distinguishes the top 1% from the top 10% in any field. The top 10% in any field are likely some of the top notch performers in that field. The margin of difference is very small. Yet there must be that extra special “it” factor that separates the top 1% from the rest, that gives the top 1% a well-earned exalted status. That is why we speak of Michael Jordan, Roger Federer, Serena Williams and such people in a different breath from their peers in the game.
What is the special “it” factor?
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Let’s Get It Done – What Do You Do?
Play out this scenario. You are a product manager. A senior executive in your company has an idea about what your product needs to do. S/he has sufficient understanding of the product and the market. S/he speaks with as many customers as you do if not more. If s/he happens to be in charge of engineering and product development, they also know the technology, effort, complexity. The edict is passed down – “We need to do X. Let’s get it done.” and this generates a perfect maelstrom of activity. You are the product manager. What do you do?
Please share your thoughts in the comments. Trying out a new format for a post, but this is a real situation for many product managers.
Product Manager as CEO of the Product
A few weeks ago, I came across this blog post on LinkedIn. It was about the product manager’s role as CEO of the product and what should be done so that Product Managers can actually function in that respect. The comments were also equally interesting. Some pointed out that the reference to “CEO” is intended to highlight the leadership behavior expected of an individual in that role, while others felt it was about decision making authority on the lines of what a CEO in a company has. All of these are valid arguments. As can be expected, when titles and glory are involved, the subject can be a little touchy 🙂
On Product Leadership 