Actively seek out feedback that challenges your assumptions. The best product managers go out of their way to prove themselves wrong, because finding the flaws in your thinking will lead to better decisions. Experiment relentlessly, then scale what works. Don’t assume you know what will work. Try a ton of different ideas, campaigns, and strategies, and double down on what actually moves the needle. Embrace your competitors, learn from them, and strive to get better each day. Toyota’s philosophy: “Better, better, better, never best”. Get comfortable with looking dumb, especially in public. The best way to learn is by asking dumb questions, trying new things, and failing in front of others. Good taste is knowing what other people want just before they do. Build your taste by staying curious and always watching the world for those moments where your instinct says “That’s what people will love.”. If your product isn’t viral by design, you’re missing the point. Users should want to tell their friends about your product because it makes their lives better, not because you’re begging them. The way you approach customer research should differ from sales. Practice humble inquiry, ask questions as if you’re learning, not selling. Your goal should be to learn, not to pitch.
Lenny RachitskyGuard your calendar like it's your wallet, every block of time is an investment. People mirror how you treat your own time. Only say "Yes" to what aligns with your goals. Meetings expand to fill the time you give them, cap to 30 minutes and require an agenda. Enforce boundaries, don't accommodate for people who arrive late.
Brian FinkProduct founders have been there since the very beginning, they had a front row seat to every learning, they have developed a product sense that makes them the single most valuable person in a startup. For product founders to truly scale, they need to learn coaching. Product sense is the foundation for the coaching skills, and many well-intentioned people try to coach without the necessary foundation of expertise. The problems of professional management ("delegation-based management” or “laissez-faire management”) aren't widely known, and continue to damage promising product companies. Professional managers know how to manage, but they don’t know how to do anything else. Strong product companies understand that it’s easier to train an expert to manage well, than to train a manager to be an expert, hence the birth of the foundational leadership principle where experts lead experts.
Marty CaganVideo-conference fatigue is real, mix it up with phone calls. Meetings should have a point, you should feel like you've accomplished something other than aging. Take more breaks, it reduces errors and increases tasks engagement. You need a refuge, open offices are communal anxiety chamber. Create a home office, create physical boundaries for your brain. Have a schedule when working from home, it gives you the illusion of control and limits stress.
Eric Barker