Stefan
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Being a Product Manager – and my partner can testify to this – changes you. It makes you a very special kind of person. Here are some of the habits I found PMs typically have, especially the good ones.
1 Analyzing any product or service
Maybe it is just me. When I see a product or service, I wonder how the pieces for together. I reverse engineer things. I like to build assumptions, and challenge those, sometimes ending up ‘arguing with myself’ for a while. This can be pretty funny, as I must sound like a schizophrenic debating themselves. 😂
2 Bias toward action
I keep commenting on any product or service as I consume it. Sometimes this is helpful, and people appreciate my feedback and input. Sometimes it isn’t as valuable. I can’t help it. I want to affect the way things work, and a big part for me is user feedback. If I am the user, you can count on my feedback. 📣
3 Building a case
When I look at a product, I wonder: Why does this exist? There must be a small number of reasons why this product makes sense. I wonder about the market, the pace of growth, the obstacles, regulatory limitations, everything. In my head I build a case for or against the product. 📊
4 Finding the MVP
When I am exposed to a product I always wonder about the minimum viable version of it. Which features would I drop? What would make it viable? There are so many things. It helps me to understand what is cosmetic versus the core of the product. ⚙️
5 The resource footprint
wondering about the resources needed to stand up the product and deliver it to users is another exercise I do often. It helps understand the hidden costs. Maintenance, operations, keeping things alive, reacting to different trends and changes. 🏗️
6 Iterations
Software has a massive benefit over most products. You can iterate fairly cheaply and rapidly. Software can changes weekly. That is not unheard of. Most products can’t. Or if they do, that could severely upset their market. It is worth wondering what would enable rapid iteration on a given product, if at all. 🔁
7 Do I believe in the product
That is a question cutting down to first principles. Would I believe in the product, so much that I’d be open to convincing others to join? This way I can wonder how I might contribute to the cause, or just feel this is unnecessary. A very personal thought for me. 🤓
Summary
PMs are special characters. When you see one out there in the wild, be kind. They don’t mean to be so talkative about every detail of a product. Sometimes it is a good thing to nod, and nudge them to move on. Not every vending machine and newspaper stand needs to be analyzed like it is the next Instagram. 🤗
Take Action 🎬
📅 Book a private coaching session with me to grow your PM career. I will share my 15+ years of experience as a Product Manager, all my learning and pitfalls, with actionable tips and concrete lessons to model after.
📚 To learn the foundations of Product Management, I recommend reading INSPIRED by Marty Cagan. Marty has been leading the Silicon Valley Product Group for over two decades. His work is foundational for Tech Product Managers – a must read.
