Ambiguity & Decision Making

Navigating ambiguity can be one of the toughest parts of making product decisions.
The sense of ambiguity is often more intense in startups, where there is a new problem space or niche to explore, no users or customers, no strategy in place, and fewer people on the team to speak with. If you are a product person in a startup, you are probably on your own, and you might feel a bit anxious when facing ambiguity.
It's okay to feel anxious. Everyone... read more

Agile vs Strategy

The word "agile" is now everywhere in the business world these days. It's been overused. It's almost lost its meaning. It might even trigger you.
Somehow, the idea of being "agile" has become synonymous with constantly changing one's mind.
While agile practices focus on flexibility, having a clear strategy provides direction and clarity, which is vital for making informed decisions and guiding the team effectively.
The issue is that the concept ... read more

The Purpose of a Strategy

I had to read a 30-page strategy document when I just started working as a software engineer.
I couldn't understand it.
I was lost.
Only later in my PM career did I realise that it wasn't my fault. The document itself was the problem. It lacked a clear vision, a logical structure, and a summary.
A strategy isn't supposed to be a complex, convoluted mess that only the chosen few can understand.
👉 The purpose of a strategy is to provide clarity a... read more

No-Reply Emails

Have you ever received an email from a service or business that you wanted to reply to because you had a burning question? But then discovered it came from a "no-reply" address?
Did a mixture of "Argh!" and "F*ck!" escape your lips? And the idea of going to their website, finding the "Contact Us" section, and filling out a form felt like yet another task you don't need in your life.
I can't help but wonder why businesses still opt for these impe... read more

SCQA Framework: Examples and How to Use It

The SCQA (Situation, Complication, Question, and Answer) framework, also known as the Minto Pyramid Principle, is a communication and problem-solving tool that breaks down complex ideas into simpler, more manageable parts.
SCQA is often used in a business context where time is limited and decision-makers have to quickly grasp important information.
The SCQA format has four components:

Here are some of the benefits that you can enjoy by using th... read more

Product Strategy Canvas Notion Template

Are you having trouble defining and communicating your product strategy? The Product Strategy Canvas Notion Template is just what you need to get started.
Inspired by Melissa Perri's article "What is Good Product Strategy?", the Product Strategy Canvas Notion Template is designed to help you plan and visualise your product strategy in a way that's easy to understand and implement. It's like a roadmap for your product, but with more colours and f... read more

What Makes a Good Product Manager?

Product management is a challenging position that calls for a broad skill set and familiarity with several aspects of business. Being a good product manager requires more than just having a specific set of technical skills. You also need to have some personality traits and soft skills that can make a huge difference in a product's success. Learn the top 7 qualities of a successful product manager.
Customer-centricity: Being customer-centric is c... read more

The 3 Leadership Books Every Product Manager Should Read

Being a product manager presents a difficult task since you don't have any subordinates. Achieving success means finding methods to persuade and guide individuals without the power of the organisation backing you up.
To steer both the product and the team, you'll need to express the vision, strategy, and product roadmap. Listening to others, cultivating valuable connections, and creating an environment that motivates your team to perform at their... read more

This is what happens when a colour blind person gets a DJI Mavic Pro.

Product Management Coach

Hey there! 👋
I'm Max, a product leader with over a decade of experience in product management.
I work with aspiring and experienced product managers and help them upskill and get better at their craft.
If you need help assessing where you are in your product management career path, identifying areas for growth, and creating an explicit plan to get there, feel free to reach out.
Areas we can explore:How to navigate ambiguity - This is your defaul... read more

Product Development Roles and Responsibilities

The efficiency of a product relies heavily on the team behind its development. Familiarising oneself with the diverse roles and obligations that accompany the product development procedure is crucial to ensuring the eventual product meets the consumer's expectations while also adhering to the schedule and financial constraints. Let's take a look at the distinct roles in product development and their corresponding duties.
The process of introducin... read more

"The Mom Test" - Book Summary

Just finished reading a book by Rob Fitzpatrick "The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you". It's an excellent book - short, practical and to the point.
This book can be very helpful for Product Managers, User Experience Designers, someone who is planning to launch their own business and tech guys who are learning how to talk to customers.
Talking to customers is one of the f... read more

Changes at Basecamp

Basecamp went big this week!
There's a lot of hate and negative vibes around the recent Basecamp's corporate policy changes. See the announcement “No more societal and political discussions on our company Basecamp account”. People were quick to accuse DHH and Jason Fried of eliminating freedom of speech.
I'd like to share four points.
I respect DHH and Jason for being very clear on what they believe the right thing for Basecamp is. There's nothi... read more

Jobs To Be Done (JTBD) in Purpose Statements

While scrolling through a number of lists outlining the ‘purpose’, ‘vision’ and ‘mission’ of organisations, I spotted a pattern – some of them reference all three types of jobs from the "Jobs To Be Done" (JTBD) framework: Functional, Consumption and Emotional/Social jobs.

Here’s how the three jobs are defined according to the JTBD framework:
Functional job - This is defined as the underlying process that the job executor is attempting to underta... read more

Product Management FAQs

Product managers decide what to build next. They are accountable for the overall success of the product.
Product Managers drive the vision, product strategy, user experience, execution, and success of the product or one of its areas. Product Managers are trusted by the organisation to make prioritisation calls.
Product Managers and their teams work on a product or feature that impacts the wider business, from customer support to finance. They mus... read more

Building Trust with a Founder

First of all, make sure that you understand the founder's context, the things the founder cares about and worries about, and the overall vision.
One of the most important things is to get to the bottom of what the business goals are. In a startup, you'll typically have a short runway and run out of cash. Understanding that runway is super important because it defines how much time you've got, creates a constraint, and limits some options because... read more

Tips for Aspiring Product Managers

As a Product Manager, you are given the opportunity to solve customer and business problems.
It all starts with learning about business goals and understanding how the business operates. Simultaneously, you study the market and discover challenges that your customers are dealing with.
Based on your learning you then formulate a strategy to address customer problems and ensure that the business excels. While formulating the strategy, you get to me... read more

How to Get Into Product Management With No Experience

Getting into product management with no experience may seem daunting, but you can achieve your goal by breaking it down into smaller steps. Start by taking on a pet project, reading business books, getting a job at a tech company, and acting like a product manager. Keep building your skills, and you will soon be on your way to a career in product management.
You've likely experienced a number of painful problems in your life and thought, "I wish... read more

Reflections on “Atomic Habits” by James Clear

Earlier this year, I finished reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. I'd like to share key insights that have helped me form a couple of good habits. Here is my reflection on Atomic Habits.

James Clear gets to the point of what it takes to build healthy long-lasting habits. One of the ideas he puts forward is the power of compounding effect: changes that seem small and unimportant at any given day will compound into remarkable results, if we are ... read more

How THE ICONIC continuously improves customer experience

At THE ICONIC we are passionate about creating great customer experiences. It’s quite common for us to evolve our rituals and processes to support our customers’ needs. Coupled with this, whenever we see an opportunity to break barriers between teams and departments, we grab it and work in tandem towards the same goal.
Even after having OKRs in place, aligning goals and priorities across the whole business is a tricky affair. Over time, we discov... read more