🤌 Product Sense / PM Snacks 82
Why data-driven product decisions are hard (sometimes impossible) • Product Sense Demystified • How do I develop Product Sense? • The End of Software • Permission To Fail
Hey everyone, I’m back from my first holiday in two years. While it was great, can’t wait to get back to work.
In this edition, we will focus on the limits of data-informed decisions and how to build “product sense”. It’s a difficult skill to grasp, but honing it will enable you to move faster and more accurately. We could even argue that in a world where “software is ending” (see article #4), taste and intuition will become the most important skills.
To support this newsletter, consider sharing it with colleagues or liking it (tap on the 💙). Enjoy :)
1️⃣ Why data-driven product decisions are hard (sometimes impossible) • May 2024 • 8 min read • #culture
Andrew Chen has been a long-time advocate for data-driven methods (his blog almost single-handedly started the growth movement when he was still at Uber), so it’s refreshing to read his thoughts on the limits of this mindset. He now argues that
This dominant culture is one of data, of optimization, of taking small concrete steps to move metrics that are big and easy to understand […] You can’t race their race. If you are data-driven in the same way they are, have the same dominant PM culture, and make decisions as slow as them, you will lose. […] Instead, you may have to do the opposite to compete:
mostly intuition rather than waiting for data
super fast decision-making rather than incremental decisions
big moves rather than small ones
I’m a believer in creating strong product sense in the team, in order to progress faster and be more audacious. You should always be working on one big bold bet at any point in time (where data is usually lacking and intuition is your best guide).
2️⃣ Product Sense Demystified • Oct 2022 • 4 min read • #culture
So what is Product Sense anyway? Marty Cagan explains that it’s just deep product knowledge:
developing it requires immersing ourselves in a specific product space
it’s not innate nor a skill you can apply to every product/industry. Success in one product space does not imply accurate product sense in other spaces.
it should not be seen as a substitute for testing product ideas or avoiding thinking from first principles. Some of the best innovations come from people willing to question dogma, & bringing fresh perspectives
it should lead to more accurate predictions, higher-quality ideas and faster decision making
3️⃣ How do I develop Product Sense? • Mar 2022 • 12 min read • #culture
Here are four key practices to develop your Product Sense:
1/ Observe people interacting with products to discover user needs and behaviors (= build empathy).
2/ Deconstruct everyday (or competitor) products to understand design decisions and user experiences (= build empathy).
3/ Learn from great product thinkers to understand their mental models and principles (= improve creativity). Yes, obviously it means you should keep reading this newsletter ;)
4/ Be curious about changes in technology and your domain to identify new opportunities (= improve creativity).
🤖 The End of Software • Jun 2024 • 4 min read • #strategy #AI
Are developers and PMs in the same position as journalists in the late 90’s? The author argues that genAI will drive the cost of creating software to 0, disrupting the dominant SaaS business model, the same way social media & UGCs destroyed the traditional media business model. It’s a provocative take that drove many interesting conversations on twitter (be sure to read the replies). I prefer Jens-Fabian opinion on this.
⏳ Permission To Fail • Dec 2015 • 6 min read • #mentalhealth
Most clicked link one year ago in PM Snacks 73.
We hear on a daily basis about budget cuts, failed fund-raising attempts, or even layoffs. Navigating through uncertain times can be frightening. So I wanted to share one of the most liberating things I read on giving yourself the permission to fail.
—
A warm welcome to the 35 new subscribers, we are now 3524 readers strong! Thank you for reading this far.
Olivier
Share → Please help me promote this newsletter by sharing it with colleagues (tap the refer button) or consider liking it (tap on the 💙, it helps me a lot)!
About → Productverse is curated by Olivier Courtois (10y+ in product, startup co-founder, coach & advisor). Each issue features handpicked links to help you become a better product maker.