Not every team needs a dedicated PM. Someone is already handling the PM work informally. It's not complex.

Eventually, though, clear ownership becomes unavoidable. Is an individual contributor juggling alignment, communication and strategy alongside their core work? Or is it time to delegate those responsibilities to someone focused entirely on them?

The decision shapes how the team prioritises and executes.

I did some sprints over the weekend to remind my body what explosive power feels like. Started with a 2 km warm-up, followed by some stretches and then did 6 x 100m sprints with 90 seconds of recovery in between.

The first couple were at about 80% effort to get the muscles firing, then I pushed hard for the rest. My best time was 18.4 seconds, which works out to a 3:04 pace.

This is already faster than the sprints I did on January 2, where my best was at a 3:23 pace.

Of course, 18 seconds isn't groundbreaking. Especially considering I used to run 100m in 12 seconds. But that was 20 years ago and I was 25 kg lighter!

Feeling excited to keep tracking my times. I'll aim to do the same for 200m and 400m next.

Everyone talks about ‘hitting the ground running' after the Christmas break.

Let's be honest, no one feels like sprinting straight away at this time of the year.

Some are still catching up on sleep, recovering from all the desserts they've eaten, wrapping their heads around what day it is and trying not to fail one of their New Year's resolutions in the first week of the year.

Forcing yourself into work mode overnight is hard.

I'd rather ease into it. Spend the first day reconnecting with your team, archiving all the emails from last year and marking all Slack messages as read. Oh, that feels great.

By the second day, you're already feeling more in control.

SkiErg all out, 500m in 1:46 😮‍💨 A good way to wrap up the day

Returning to the office with New Year energy, you spot two packages waiting on your desk.

A gourmet hamper and a bottle of fine wine spark instant excitement - this is your moment.

Then you see the label. The label says it all: not yours.

The year's first reality check. Fresh challenges are ahead in 2025. Let's go! 🚀

A great product isn't just a checklist of requirements. It's built by understanding the customer's problem and why it actually matters.

Don't just follow instructions. Look deeper. Ask why. Question the logic.

The best solutions come from people who do a bit of detective work, not just execute.

Afraid to look slow on a run? Remember, they don't know if you've run 1km or 50km. You could be an ultra runner and they're the ones not running.

Keep going. It's your pace, your progress,. your journey.

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.