Let's say that you're a junior-ish Product Manager. Your product is NOT killing it (not yet, anyway). You have stiff competition. Your product is missing key capabilities that the market demands -- perhaps because this technology looks to fundamentally disrupt…
Posts on My Profession
A collection of 76 posts
The (ahem) "Art" of Pricing
Originally published in 2010. Updated and republished in May, 2015. A reader asks: "Can you please enlighten me on the art of pricing?" At the risk of misinterpreting, I believe the reader is asking specifically about enterprise software,…
A Dangerous Combination: Sales People and the External Product Roadmap
This is my youngest son. He's 4 years old and is a total goober. Let's call him "J". J is probably going to be a sales person when he grows up. He is extroverted, charming, funny, naturally positive,…
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Sinister Sales Engineer
Ah, the Sinister Sales Engineer. Many companies have one. Early in my career, when I was not even a "Senior" Product Manager yet, this guy scared the bejeezus out of me. Let's just say that this guy was…
Lessons I Learned from Co-Founding a Tech Startup
Once upon a time, when I was a wee lass (25 years old, to be precise), and not yet a product manager but a code warrior-ess (or whatever it is that you call female warriors), I did that clichéd, hackneyed…
Quora: Is it fair for men & women to have different criteria for Y-Combinator, MIT & Caltech?
Summarized from a discussion I had in the comments on Quora. Original Question: How could Y Combinator be more female-friendly? This isn't so much about how YC treats women once they get in, but about ways to balance the gender…
Why Product Management is so misunderstood
I've encountered lots of software startups that want to start up a Product Management function, even though they don't really understand what the Product Management role is or its activities. (I guess that's why they ask for my help). I've…
What is Product Management? (the core, the over-extended, and the totally dysfunctional)
Sometimes I help companies (usually startups) kickstart their Product Management function. These companies often know they WANT Product Management, even though they often don't have a clear idea of what Product Managers actually do. In another post, I speculate about…
Battlecards - Cheat Sheets on Your Competition. (A Template)
Sales people are known for having a short-attention span -- they are always focused on the needs of their in-progress deals. Many won't put in the time to learn all about the competition until they absolutely need to. So, you…
Escalations: What to do when product issues are critically affecting a customer
What do you do when you have an important customer who is experiencing serious issues with your software -- issues so serious that they can't successfully use the product? I'm not talking about customers who need a little hand-holding and…
Presenting Your Product Strategy: Tell A Story.
You Should Use Frameworks & Templates When Developing Your Product Strategy To develop a product strategy, most PMs use two or more strategic frameworks to make sure they’ve considered the business environment and potential futures from all angles. Many…
Cartoon: Product Roadmap Fail
A new, original cartoon for your enjoyment. Inspired by countless product roadmap presentations that I have slept through over the years. (TIP: Telling customers & prospects about features that are not for them or that they don't care about undermines…
Quora: Is a product manager responsible for product documentation?
My answer, originally published on Quora. Q: Is a product manager responsible for product documentation? ##My Answer: Product managers are typically _responsible_ for the "whole product" -- which means the product itself, documentation, packaging, pricing, positioning and sometimes also the…
Quora: Why should I remove features that are not popular?
My answer, originally published on Quora. Q: Why should I remove features that are not popular? I've read many articles that suggest that product managers should be removing features that are not used by users. If the team has already…
Quora: How does the work-life balance of Product Managers compare to that of Software Engineers?
My answer, originally published on Quora. Q: How does the work-life balance of product managers compare to that of software engineers? I am trying to decide between a software engineering and a product manager position at Microsoft, and to me,…
Quora: What level of coding experience should a good product manager have?
My answer, originally published on Quora. Q: What level of coding experience should a good product manager have? My Answer Caveat: I'm assuming we are talking about software products. In THEORY, actual coding experience should be irrelevant to the hiring…
The Brain of a Sales Rep - A Visual Guide
Behold, a visual guide to the inside of a Sales Rep's brain! Or more specifically, an Enterprise Software Sales Droid's brain, as viewed from Product Management. Please do not show to any sales people unless you are sure they have…
Why you need a Product Strategy (even if your boss doesn't care)
I read too many blogs that say "ALL product managers should do X". Having worked with so many companies, I can usually think of plenty of cases where it makes sense to break the "rule." But…
Quora: Can you push out a founder before stock is issued?
*Question was originally posted to Quora on 2 Mar 2014. As a startup, if no ownership shares have been issued and no documents have been signed by any founder yet, but a lawyer has incorporated the business and drafted the…
Quora: Why aren't there more female programmers?
My answer, originally published on Quora. My Answer The most obvious answer: Fewer and fewer girls are studying math and computer science in college, and Of those women who do graduate in those fields, and who even become programmers, they…
What happens when you write PRDs in dentists' waiting rooms
Don't know about you, but I'd read it....…
Where to get information about competitors
Don't just look at your competition's website and read a few articles. For a fuller view, try these information sources: The competitor's website -- including hidden pages, all images, and any uploaded documents (PDF, DOC, XLS) Former & current customers…
Common Product Management Screw-ups That Strike Even the Experienced
Acting like a Requirements Monkey. Punting on strategy. Not focusing on a particular target market. Not meeting with enough customers often enough. Not meeting with prospects and non-customers (aka potentials) often enough. Not truly understanding the real problems faced by…
Market interviews GONE BAD (ooh, with comics!)
Ever wonder why so many startup entrepreneurs put out misguided and doomed products, even after attempting to take four steps toward an epiphany and reading the "Lean Startup"? Face Palm Alas, I have witnessed similar "attempts"…
The Economics: NoSQL vs "New SQL" vs Relational Databases
Economics are a big deal when deciding whether to go with a NoSQL, NewSQL, MPP DBMS, or traditional RDBMS. Many of the products (in all four of these categories) claim that economics are on their side, because either… Their products…