Side projects teach product management faster than any course.

Finding a problem, crafting a solution and marketing it sharpen critical skills. You learn to balance creativity with practicality and adapt to real-world feedback.

Hands-on experience builds stronger product managers.

Created another illustration. Experimented with colours today.

Started with a rough idea. Then sketched out each element and put them all together.

Update (Jan 3): Ah, forgot about fog! Need to add it.

Concept:

The final version

First run of 2025 done ✅️

Apparently, there's a claim that "95% of adults over 30 will never sprint again" so I decided to do some sprints today - right after my 5km easy run. I knocked out 100m x 3 and the good news is - no muscles pulled! That feels like a solid start.

I reckon I'll start adding sprints to the end of all my easy runs to keep my muscles active and moving well.

P.S. Day 1 without sugar - so far, so good!

You don't need a fancy tool to manage your team.

Complex software won't fix miscommunication or misalignment. Tools often distract, leading to over-documentation, micromanagement and wasted focus on processes over outcomes.

Management is clarity. Set expectations, align on what's important and build trust with open, honest conversations. Keep the focus where it belongs - on the work itself.

Just wrapped up my first gym session of 2025 and even snagged a badge for it in Garmin. Apparently, you can earn that kind of badge up to 250 times. Can't imagine anyone ever maxing that out!

Another illustration in the bag.

Yep, I know it's a bit messy and feels a little empty - but that's totally fine. Right now, it's all about getting into the rhythm of creating.

Quality isn't the goal yet. It'll come naturally as I keep practising.

Progress over perfection.

Cultivate and Cut

Happy New Year 2025!

The empty wall finally got its moment. Em, my wife, had a clear vision for where everything should go. I shared my thoughts too but let's just say they didn't make the cut. Fair enough.

Before

After

867km in 2024!
That's about 17km a week on average - nice but time to step it up next year!

My first-ever illustration is ready! I really enjoyed the challenge of visualising a concept - it's harder than it sounds. And I've asked ChatGPT for feedback.

Leadershipis standing alone long enough for others to see the path forward.

ChatGPT feedback

This is a great start, and your illustration does a nice job of conveying the concept visually. Here's some feedback to make it even better:

Strengths

• Progression of Time: The "Day 1," "Day 30," and "Day 100" structure clearly shows the journey and gradual alignment of others to the leader's vision.
• Simplicity: The minimalistic stick figure style keeps the focus on the message without unnecessary distractions.
• Clarity of Message: The concept of persistence and leadership over time is easy to grasp.

Areas for Improvement

• Perspective & Visual Flow: The pathway leading to the flag could be more pronounced or evolve slightly over time (e.g., get brighter, wider, or clearer) to reinforce the idea of progress.
• Body Language: The stick figure's posture could subtly change to show confidence growing over time (e.g., arms outstretched or a firmer stance by Day 100).
• Background Variety: Consider adding a subtle background element (like hills or markers) to represent obstacles or progress.
• Engagement in Day 100: The figures saying "Oh, we see now!" are static; you could add small movements, like one of them starting to walk toward the flag, to enhance the sense of engagement.

Final Note
The message lands well, and the simplicity is refreshing. With just a few tweaks, this could be even more impactful! Keep up the great work! 😊

Competition boils down to two questions.

Can competitors do this? Will they? The first measures capability, the second intent. Together, they predict your landscape.

Anticipating both keeps you ahead.

Uncertainty defines startup life.

Prioritising the right problems keeps you grounded. Communicating your vision aligns your team. Flexibility lets you navigate the unexpected. These habits aren't luxuries - they're survival skills.

Adaptability and focus turn uncertainty into opportunity.

I've always enjoyed using whiteboards and diagrams to visualise work but I've never tried creating cartoons - a whole different way of communicating. I always thought I didn't have it in me. The drawings would look terrible, and I'd just give up.

But I'm giving it another shot. Right now, it's not about quality; it's about quantity and improving, one step at a time.

While on a trip to Japan with my wife, we got talking about how much of what we do in life is shaped by movies - everything from beauty standards to how people are judged by their wealth, even to our ideas about who the "bad guys" in the world are.

Personally, I prefer sitting side-by-side. It feels more intimate and it's so much easier to share food that way. But it's funny how the default seating arrangement is almost always face-to-face.

Don't leave your meeting description blank - it's a pain for everyone! Respect your team's time.

1. Start with the purpose - explain why the meeting exists and what the team needs to do.
2. If you're using FigJam, Zoom or anything else include it upfront so no one's scrambling.
3. Share pre-reading and start your meeting with 5–10 minutes of reading time.
4. Is this for brainstorming, updates or decision-making? Let everyone know what to expect.
5. If someone can't attend, let them know they can share their feedback later.

Back from Balmoral! Spent some time walking the hills, followed by a swim - perfect weather for it.

I found a great hill to practise on for the UTA50 in May. It's 500m long with a 70m elevation gain. I did 3 reps today, which added up to 200m elevation.

Considering the UTA50 involves over 2km of elevation, I'm thinking a solid training session could be a 1km run plus 500m hill up and down x 10 times. That would work out to about 20km total with 700m elevation.

Definitely aiming to tackle this in March or April!

Big ideas need action to become real.

Break them into small, clear steps. Each win builds momentum and keeps you moving.

Perfection doesn't matter - progress does. Test, learn, improve, repeat.

No one will remember your first crappy step but they will when you cross the finish line.

Leadership thrives on creating fertile ground for growth. The right conditions allow potential to flourish, much like farming.

Not every seed yields the harvest you expect. Some turn out to be weeds, others the wrong crop for the soil. Identifying and addressing those misfits is just as critical as nurturing the right ones. Leadership isn't just about cultivating - it's about culling when necessary.

Growth depends on balance. The wrong elements choke the good ones but thoughtful pruning strengthens the whole.

The first workout after a 4-week break and being sick - definitely felt the drop in fitness but the goal today was just to push through the Hyrox stations at around 70% effort.

Session Summary
Total Time: 1h 2m
Calories Burned: 730

Workout Breakdown

• 1km easy run
• SkiErg: 500m
• Sled Push: 180kg, 40m
• Sled Pull: 140kg, 40m
• Burpee Broad Jumps: 40m
• Rowing: 500m
• Farmer's Carry: 20kg x 2, 100m
• Lunges: 24kg, 20m
• Wall Balls: 7kg x 20
• 1km easy run

Happy to have completed it - just building back step by step!

Great ideas are crafted, not found.

They come from clear problems, real insights, diverse perspectives and bold inspiration. Ideation sessions - prep, sketch and develop. Turn this mix into better solutions and stronger buy-in.

Prep sets the stage. Sketching sparks creativity. Development refines ideas into actionable next steps. Keep it sharp and ideas will shine.

We treated ourselves to a Christmas present - the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra! It should make keeping up with all the cat hair so much easier. 🎄✨