Love this quote from "Ego is the Enemy" by Ryan Holiday as it helps stay humble and open to feedback from others.

The first principle is that you must not fool yourself - and you are the easiest person to fool.

The CEO Code, The Unit of Impact, Lighthouse Customers, Strategy & Operations and Strategy Narrative

Key Takeaways #2
Going through my notes from various books, I found this one from "The CEO Code" particularly interesting because it highlights the importance of accessibility and personal connection in leadership.
However, there's an aspect that I don't like. It implies people stayed in the office late instead of spending time with their families and taking care of their health.
David Rohlander, The CEO Code
These points (money, buzz, morale an... read more

Product-Led Growth vs. Sales-Led Growth

I spoke to someone about sales-led vs. product-led organisations today. I used to be in the product-led camp, but not anymore. Today, I think differently. As with anything in the world, it's not that simple - the choice depends on the context.
Sometimes you need to be tactical and assist sales in closing deals to 'buy some time' for continuing execution on product strategy and pushing innovation forward. If you overindex on product-led too muc... read more

Broken Isn’t Always Yours

Not everything broken is yours to fix. But recognising and communicating the problem? That's on you.

Taking responsibility doesn't mean solving every issue yourself. It means speaking up, sharing the truth and ensuring others are aware. Ignoring the cracks won't make them disappear.

You can't fix what you refuse to see - or refuse to say.

Indie Hacker Habits

You might not know Tony Dinh, Danny Postma, Pieter Levels or Marc Lou.
But they are successful indie hackers and solopreneurs.
Here's what they do really well:
☑ They share their wins and losses on social media.
☑ They start small and move fast. If a product flops, they move on.
☑ They see failure as a lesson and aren't scared to change direction.
☑ They focus on quick launches and iterations. One week = one product.
☑ They automate boring tasks... read more

QA Isn’t the Fix

Dedicated QA creates more problems than it solves.

When a dev team owns quality, accountability stays in the right hands. Bugs are fewer, fixes are faster and processes tighten.

Introducing dedicated QA shifts that balance.

Developers grow complacent, relying on testers to catch mistakes. Tools diverge, creating inefficiencies. QA often duplicates what devs should already handle.

Quality isn't a separate role. It's a shared responsibility embedded in every line of code.

TIL: "Lighthouse Customers" - customers who get a better or discounted rate on your product in exchange for regular, meaningful feedback.

Lighthouse customers give you a strategic edge. These early adopters don't just use your product - they help shape it. Their feedback highlights gaps, confirms your direction, and sharpens your focus. In return, they get early access to a solution that feels designed just for them, often at a special rate.

The Effective Manager, How to Pivot, Thick Skin, Team Alignment and Ship First

Key Takeaways #1
Take care of your team, set goals, and help them achieve those goals.
The Effective Manager by Mark Horstman
A successful pivot often leverages existing expertise and builds on prior knowledge. You don't necessarily need to have that experience to pivot before starting the company; it could come from trying to build the company.
Successful pivots often build on prior knowledge and experience. The founders of Retool had experience... read more

Ambiguity

Ambiguity makes people freeze. But it doesn't have to.

Not knowing what's right or what's next stalls. That hesitation drags. Pair reflection with motion - thinking and doing - and clarity shows up faster than you expect.

Track your bets. Review what worked and what flopped. But keep moving. You don't need perfect answers. Just honest ones. Then act.

10 Insights from "Lessons Learned from 1,000+ YC Startups with Dalton Caldwell"

I recently listened to Lenny's podcast, where he spoke to Dalton Caldwell, Managing Director at Y Combinator, and discovered a few interesting insights. Here are 10 of them:
To succeed in a startup keep going, try new things and believe in your idea.
Airbnb faced multiple challenges and setbacks before achieving success, including the possibility of shutting down several times prior to entering Y Combinator. The founders of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, ... read more

Commitment is a function of two things: clarity and buy-in

"Commitment is a function of two things: clarity and buy-in" -- Patrick Lencioni, The five dysfunctions of a team

Clarity in either a project or an organisation ensures that the involved parties understand the goals, expectations, and roles given to them. All of these translate into apparent communication, well-defined objectives, and a shared vision where no vagueness is allowed. It is easier for people to fully commit when they know what is ex... read more

Forces That Block Change

We will always be more comfortable with what already exists, even if it's 💩.
Typically, we are not actively looking for better ways to solve problems we face. And this could be due to a number of reasons.
Sometimes, we don't even realise how bad or time-consuming the experience is because we are so used to it. It's just the way it is, and we become blind to it. Do you consider brushing your teeth to be a problem? Probably not now; it's a ritual, ... read more

Go Bold

If you're putting a lot of effort into creating a new product or feature to solve a customer problem, ensure you have the bold solution under your sleeve too. Even on paper (or in Figma), bold ideas push boundaries and inspire creative thinking in your team.
We sometimes find ourselves dropping to the status quo. We forget to challenge ourselves and explore truly 'out there' solutions. That's normal; as part of human nature, we get used to the no... read more

Stop sharing solutions with your team

One of the many mistakes I made when I started my product management career was thinking that if I shared a customer problem with the team, I must also present a ready-made solution.
This notion stems from managing up. You don't go to the leadership team with a problem without providing options to solve it and a recommendation. However, this doesn't hold true for your product team.
Of course, it's fine to have ideas on how to solve a customer pro... read more

Podcast Highlights and Insights

Good Strategy, Bad Strategy | Richard RumeltJust evil enough: Subversive marketing strategies for startups | Alistair Croll4 questions Shreyas Doshi wishes he'd asked himself sooner | Former PM leader at Stripe, Twitter, Google
Buckets of TimePrinciples of CommunicationInspiration is Perishable
Maranda Dziekonski - When selling never ends - CS in 2024 and beyondJohn Cutler - How to structure a product organization... read more

Strategic Balance and Flow

Prioritising product features sometimes means generating buzz rather than following traditional frameworks.
Sometimes, being first to market or achieving a quick revenue boost can override the standard roadmap or strategy.
And sometimes, you want to boost team motivation and focus on exciting features, especially after a long stretch of mundane bug fixes. There's no framework for that but for anything else the choice is often between frameworks ... read more

The Power of "Stupid" Ideas

Have you ever found yourself hesitating to share an idea, one so weird or seemingly absurd that you questioned its merit?
I've made a conscious decision to share even my wildest and seemingly "stupid" ideas with my team. Because hidden beneath these unusual thoughts, there's a chance for something really amazing.
During brainstorming, we are often our harshest critics. The fear of judgement and the concern that our ideas may be deemed impractica... read more

Company Values

It's been 18 months since we set our values, and they are still relevant and capture our team culture really well. It's a good sign. Here are our four values: ADAPTABILITY, TRANSPERANCY, OWNERSHIP, and EMPATHY. We still use the language in our day-to-day conversations, and it helps us gain focus and direction in moments of ambiguity.

Adaptibility: We are about adjusting based on the situation and learnings; being ok with change and having flexib... read more

"How We Roll" Team Activity

Looking for a team-building activity that's both enjoyable and beneficial for better connections and understanding among your team?
Let me share with you an activity called "How We Roll" that originally came from the book "Team Up" by Keegan Luiters. Then I made a couple of tweaks to the template and the activity to make it even more engaging.
This team activity not only brings joy and laughter but also helps team members discover the best ways ... read more

The Future of Product Managers

The news of product managers being removed from teams at companies like Dovetail and Airbnb has generated intrigue and speculation about the future of this role. Some argue that successful products can be developed without product managers. However, whether to include or exclude product managers depends on various factors, including company culture, talent, organisational structure, and product size.
As the industry continues to evolve, it will ... read more