The best PMs are detail-oriented.

Even when under pressure to start executing, they still do the work in the background to make sense of it. If it doesn't, they bring it up in a non-confronting, logical way. I've seen big decisions being reversed because of that, saving the company tens of thousands of dollars that could have been lost by going in the wrong direction where the maths does not stack up.

Hold on to these PMs.

Guard time like budget...work expands to fill the day. Block focus hours. Lock family time. Prioritise exercise. Treat them as non-negotiable.

Outsourcing kills your product instincts

The best way to kill your product instincts is to outsource your customer research.

When you get answers neatly packaged in a fancy PDF with cool graphs and slick design, you feel good about it. It looks like the hardest part has been done, and you just need to look at the numbers and insights. On the surface.

As you go through the research prepared by someone else, you realise you only gain surface-level knowledge of the space.

Real research is about developing a good understanding of what your customers are experiencing - the small problems they face, along with all the nuances and frustrations.

You have to speak to them. No surveys or written responses will give you true insight into their challenges.

When you outsource research, someone else builds that understanding - not you.

Your product instincts start to fade over time.

Customers Aren’t Always Right - Their Problems Are

Prioritising customer requests purely by volume is a bad choice.

Volume doesn't mean this is the right problem to solve.
But it still blinds teams.

Yes, customer feedback is great for spotting patterns and surfacing needs. But raw demands don't point to the best answer. Building features based solely on who shouts loudest will result in bloated products or patchwork fixes that don't scale.

A client might demand Feature X but their request likely reflects a deeper pain point solvable in a more elegant, cheaper, faster and more beneficial way.

Strong product teams distil customer insights. Instead of asking: "What do customers want?" ask: "What problem are they trying to solve?".

Your customer problems are your problems.

Harbour 10 is done! ✅

When I signed up, I picked the 55–65 min group and didn't think I'd break 55. Ended up finishing under 53 (5:12/km).

I ran the first 8 km at a comfortably hard pace then gave it everything in the final stretch (4:30/km last km). The first half was pretty packed...narrow paths and lots of weaving through the crowd. Ended up overtaking around 900 people.

Really stoked with the result, especially the pace in that last km.

Skills can be taught. Values can't...or at least not fast enough.

Don't waste interviews checking boxes or handing out take-home builds. Run live Q&A sessions. Watch how they think, how they ask questions, how they handle trade-offs under pressure. That's where you find the right fit.

Love your job. But don't let it eat your life.

Work gives you purpose, adrenaline and praise. But it also wants more. More time. More mindshare. More of you. And if you're good at it, even more will be asked.

Your energy is finite. Use it well. Set a time to log off and don't cheat it. Book your workouts like meetings. Put family time on the calendar and guard it like an investor call. Say no to evening slacks. Skip the weekend emails. Make space for life outside your inbox.

Work hard. Just don't forget who you're doing it for.

Went for a run this morning - really enjoying getting out early on the weekend. The goal was to go sub-55 for 10km, then take it easy for the final 5km. I cooled down with a gentle pace, pushed a little at the end and ended up with a 15km PB as well.

Loving these runs across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Stunning views - running past the Opera House, through the Botanic Gardens and finishing in Barangaroo. One of the best spots in the world ❤️

Love lunches with my team.

It's the sideways stories, the throwaway jokes, the unfiltered glimpses into who people really are.

You won't find those in meetings or sprint reviews. They happen over a sandwich. When the pressure's off. When people exhale.

Moments like that stay with you.

The best PMs demand clarity. They don't rush ahead until the problem, the why and the how are nailed down. Then they spread it. With sharp words. With tight updates. With documents people actually read.

Over the weekend, I've been playing around with some Vibe Coding to tackle a challenge I've been thinking about.

There are probably existing products that do something similar, but for me, it's more about getting hands-on with AI and building something myself. I used to be a software engineer, so tinkering with things like this comes naturally - and I really enjoy it.

The problem I'm exploring is related to my work in the health industry, which is a broad and complex space. To give you an idea: there are general practitioners, specialists, allied health professionals like physios and psychologists, private and community clinics, hospitals (public and private), private health insurers, Medicare and government services, regulatory bodies like ADHA and AHPRA, My Health Record, and the underlying tech infrastructure like Best Practice, MedicalDirector, and Genie.

Then there are patient-facing platforms like HealthShare (where I work), HotDoc and Health Engine plus areas like patient education, pharmacies and aged care.

This is a lot!

As a product leader, I try to stay on top of market news and emerging trends but it takes a lot of time and constant context switching.

That's the problem I'm trying to solve. See health:decoded

Leaders have a tail.

Your words stick. A small comment can spark clarity, confidence or momentum days later.

Tip: If something matters - say it twice. Let the tail carry it further.

Not sure your strategy is clear?

Ask 3 people to explain it back.

If the answers don't match, your strategy isn't working - it's just words on a page. Rewrite until their answers sound like a chorus. Strategy isn't just about direction. It's about shared language.

Block 1 hour a week to watch support tickets or user interviews.

Don't delegate it. Don't skim AI summaries. Watch raw moments - confusion, frustration, workarounds, and aha moments. Then write down one insight. Just one.

That habit alone will sharpen your product instincts faster than any strategy workshop.

The best leaders simplify trade-offs.

They don't avoid the tough calls. They make the path feel obvious - even when it isn't.

Don't just ask: “Why now?”
Ask: “What gets dropped if we do this?”

Passionate founders can find a hundred reasons why everything matters. Revenue. Growth. Strategy. Buzzwords galore. But trade-offs force clarity. If nothing gets cut, it's not a real decision.

Async creates space for sharper thinking.

So before booking your next meeting, try writing instead. Start with a proposal. Add context. Share trade-offs. Then pause. Let people digest, reflect and reply in their own time. The best ideas often come from the second draft, not the first reaction.

A strong leader multiplies effort into outcome. A weak one multiplies uncertainty into noise.

Start coaching with curiosity. Don't tell them what to do. Ask what they're trying to achieve. What's blocking them? What are they unsure about? Where do they want to grow?

Then shut up.

Listen. Let them think it through. Let them fumble. Hold back your instincts to solve it for them. Because your job isn't to be the smartest voice in the room. It's to help them hear their own.

UTA50, 2025

UTA50 is next week. 50km. 2.5km elevation. Just writing this makes my legs feel heavy. Scary.

Doubts are louder. Have I done enough? Am I ready? What if I can't finish?

But I'm doing it anyway.

Doubt doesn't mean stop. I'll show up. Then I'll take the first step. Then the next. Then the next. Until it's done.

See you in Blue Mountains!