Dec 17, 2024
Leading Without a Crowd
Leadership thrives on the courage to push boundaries and challenge norms. It’s invigorating, fulfilling—and sometimes isolating. When driving change, the slow pace of buy-in or lack of immediate support can feel like standing alone. That solitude, however, is a marker of progress. It shows you’re leading, not following and creating space for other...
Dec 13, 2024
Scaling with a Head of Product
Trust between a founder and their first Head of Product defines whether a startup scales or stalls. Founders often start as the Head of Product, driving vision, roadmaps and hiring. But as a company grows, splitting attention across fundraising, culture, operations and strategy leaves product leadership exposed. Bringing in a Head of Product isn’t...
Dec 10, 2024
Takeaways: "The Cold Email Handbook"
I recently read The Cold Email Handbook and since my experience with cold emails is pretty limited, it was a good deep dive into how things work at scale. One of the biggest challenges is how often you’re operating in the dark. Did my email land in spam? Did they open it? Did they actually read it? You rarely know for sure. Here’s why cold outboun...
Dec 10, 2024
Write. Act. Solve.
One of the biggest game-changers in my career has been learning to think through writing. I used to spend so much time just “thinking” about problems without making any real progress. Now, I write the problem down. I refine it, tweak it, explore it from different angles and visualise it. Once that’s clear, I map out ways to solve it — my plan. But...
Dec 8, 2024
Takeaways: Seth Godin & Lenny
See Seth Godin's best tactics for building remarkable products, strategies and brands Branding: A Promise Kept Every Time A brand isn’t a logo. It’s a promise. In a crowded AI market, success isn’t about having AI—it’s about solving problems. Loyalty comes from defining a clear promise and keeping it. Trust, not flash, is what users remember. Empa...
Dec 8, 2024
Strategy Narrative
Strategy is about inspiring others to take action. A helpful way to craft your strategy narrative is by breaking it into five elements: Reflection, Ambition, Jeopardy, Hope and Solution. This structure helps bring clarity. I learned this approach from Strategy Needs Good Words. Reflection: Where We Are Today Start by grounding the narrative in ou...
Dec 5, 2024
Takeaways: How a great founder becomes a great CEO
To be a founder is a state of being. To be a CEO is a craft.Key takeaways from Lenny's podcast: "How a great founder becomes a great CEO | Jonathan Lowenhar" Most founders struggle to make this distinction. The instincts and drive that help you launch a business aren’t enough to scale it. That’s why the best leaders lean into building the craft of...
Dec 5, 2024
A Return to Old-School Blogging
🎯 I launched the "Timeline" while on holiday in Japan and it feels amazing to embrace that old-school blogging vibe again. While my wife was shopping at Gotemba Premium Outlets, I lost track of her for about three hours (expected). After 20 minutes of wandering the endless shops, I grabbed my laptop, found a café and ended up coding something I’d ...
Dec 3, 2024
The Most Important Skill for Product Managers
As my product management career has progressed, my perspective on the most important skill has changed. Early on, I thought it was all about speed - getting things done fast. Later, I believed strategy was the ultimate priority. But now, I’m increasingly convinced that the most important skill for a PM is clarity - and the key to achieving clarity ...
Nov 13, 2024
Expertise vs open-mindedness
You know that feeling when you see someone’s approach and think “This is a mess—it could be so much better”? You start wondering why. Are they just stuck in old habits? Do they not know there are other options? Or do they know—and choose not to use them? What if they don’t even know what “awesome” could look like? If only they could experience i...
