I'm a father of three from Sydney, a Product Director and a Product Coach. I write about product management and run the Product Manager community.
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Hyrox done! ✅
Happy that I finished but not quite happy with the time. I was aiming for ~1h 30m, but it was a bit heavy today.
Will do it again next year!
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Using no-reply emails puts up a barrier and can leave customers feeling ignored.
Instead, businesses should use email addresses that invite replies and ensure responses. It's a simple way to build stronger relationships and gather valuable feedback. -
Leadership Is the Ceiling
If your team isn't performing at its best, it may not be a talent problem - it might be a leadership ceiling.
“Why isn't my high-performing team delivering?”“How do I unlock my team's full p... Read more -
From Code to Product Manager: 7 Lessons
The transition from being a software engineer to a product manager wasn't swift or smooth for me. I stumbled, burned out, and had to dive into countless books and relentless practice.
Here are 7 thin... Read more -
Managing My Week with a Notion Board
I use Notion to plan and manage my week and I'll take you through the process step-by-step. You can get the Notion Template here.
On Friday or Monday morning, I reflect on the priorities and goals th... Read more -
3 Quick Tips for Better Teamwork
So you want to build a stronger, faster team? Here are 3 quick tips for better teamwork that you can implement today:
Show the team that it's okay to make mistakes. A good place to start is with your... Read more -
TIL. Radio stations use the Radio Data System (RDS) to send song information alongside their broadcast. RDS embeds digital data into the FM signal without interfering with the audio.
The data travels on a subcarrier frequency - a portion of the FM signal reserved for extra information. This allows song titles, artist names, and station details to display on your car's radio screen. Simple, seamless and clever.
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This is for: Founders, Product Managers (PMs) and Product Designers (PDs) in fast-moving tech teams who ask, “How do we stop duplicate work and ship faster?”
TL;DR
Role clarity is oxygen. Let PMs own direction and PDs own experience. Protect calendars, write before debating, adjust volume by phase and track one metric that matters. Ship faster, sleep better.
1. Draw the Line Early
Product Manager (PM)- Core focus: market and viability risk
- Typical questions: “Will people pay for this?” “Does it move the North-Star metric?”
- Key output: one-pager covering purpose, success metrics and trade-offs
Product Designer (PD)- Core focus: usability and desirability risk
- Typical questions: “Can customers complete the task?” “Where do they stumble?”
- Key output: clickable prototype showing flow, copy and edge states
On your next discovery call, let the PM capture market insights while the PD sketches pain-point journeys. They'll walk away owning different artefacts - no rewrites, no turf wars.
2. Guard the Calendars
Red flag: PM trapped in Figma tweaking icons.
Red flag: PD buried in cost–benefit spreadsheets.
Fast filter:- If the task changes product vision, it belongs to the PM.
- If the task changes product surface, it belongs to the PD.
This discipline frees the roadmap and keeps creative energy high.
3. Write First, Talk Second
- PM posts a succinct one-pager to Slack outlining problem statement, success measures and known constraints.
- PD replies with a Figma link showing interactive flow, micro-copy and empty-state behaviour.
- Only then schedule a 30-minute debate. Decisions lock in, iteration time halves.
4. Phase-Based Volume Control
- Framing / Discovery – PM's voice dominates; market-sizing memo appears.
- Ideation & Prototyping – PD leads; high-fidelity Figma frames drop.
- Build & Polish – PD still loudest; design-system tokens freeze.
- Launch & Iterate – PM turns the volume back up; KPI dashboard lights up.
5. Share One Scorecard
Choose a single, public metric - activation lift, task-success rate or first-week retention. Both crafts pull the same lever, killing silos and politics.
6. Outcomes You Can Expect
- 25–40 % faster time-to-decision (anecdotal data from five Aussie SaaS teams).
- Higher designer morale: fewer context switches, deeper craft.
- Sharper product bets: PMs stay market-obsessed, avoiding “feature museum” creep.
Recommended Tools & Rituals
- Figma for rapid prototypes (PD).
- Miro/FigJam for story mapping (shared).
- Amplitude or Mixpanel for the single metric (PM).
- Weekly 15-minute “Line-Check” stand-up: confirm who owns which decisions this sprint.
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The Role Overlap Between PM and PD
Roles in product and design teams often overlap. Both product managers and product designers talk to customers, come up with feature ideas, and suggest UX improvements.
However, these overlaps can som... Read more -
Working at a small tech business shapes your career differently.
You'll juggle strategy, customer service, product development and beyond. The small team demands versatility, immersing you in every aspect of the business. This hands-on experience accelerates learning and builds skills quicker than larger organisations ever could.
For ambitious minds craving growth and variety, nothing compares.
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Why Do I Run?
I used to play soccer, where running was an integral part of both training and the game.
However, I never saw the appeal of going for a jog just for the sake of it. We had to run 6km as a warm-up be... Read more -
Why You Should Join a Small Tech Business
When you work in a small tech business or a startup, one of the pros is that you are involved in all aspects of the business, from strategy to customer service.
In our team at Backpocket, when we make... Read more -
If the user experience needs explaining, it's not a good one.
Clarity should be baked into design. The best experiences guide users seamlessly, answering questions before they arise and making every interaction intuitive.
Explanations only highlight what's broken. A great user experience speaks for itself.
Pedestrian crossing or not?
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Tactical decisions for short-term revenue often clash with long-term strategy. They're unavoidable in business. Balancing these moments without losing sight of the bigger picture defines strong leadership.
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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.
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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 ... 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... Read more -
Broken Isn’t Always Yours
If you've ever felt like something's off in your team...a process dragging, communication breaking down or decisions getting delayed but didn't say anything because “it's not your job to fix it,” you'... Read more -
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 s... Read more -
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.
Feel free to reach out: [email protected].
