The 52nd Edition - On Crucial Conversations to Have Before You Start Your Roadmap, Product Strategy Interviews, Pericles & Exergasia

Did you know that what happens when you ask people to be creative?

Did you know that when you ask people to be creative, it can make them unhappy?

When you ask people in your company, "What could we change?", they think about everything you're doing wrong and how it could be done better. Because of this, people end up being less happy with your business. (source)

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📚 6 Crucial Conversations to Have Before You Start Your Roadmap

Just last week, someone else said they hated making roadmaps again.

In the field of product management, roadmaps are the thing that causes the most disagreement.

I'm not happy with my roadmap, and I have the smartest team I've ever worked with.

It's a lot of work.

I found this article by ProductPlan that connects the Crucial Conversations framework with roadmapping.

Know what it makes me think of? The Hero’s Journey.

The stuff we always dream about: the flow of ideas, prototyping, brainstorming, executing on great strategies… They all lie at the end of the journey.

Before you emerge victorious, there will be many tough conversations to have. Here’s how to prepare:

Hope this helps. Let me know below if you have a moment.

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👀 Product Strategy Interviews

I share this video to see your reaction. Here’s why:

1. People are being laid off left & right. Hope you’re not affected. But whether you are or you are not, I'd start preparing for tough questions and interviews. Exponent’s mock interviews are a treasure trove.

2. One of the PMs I look up to has said that he failed product strategy interviews more than once. That was interesting to me. It might have less to do with experience and more to do with how well you speak and how confident you are, so even if you're an experienced product leader, it's helpful to watch interviews like these:

✍️ Remember

“If I had to sum up in one word the qualities that make a good manager, I’d say that it all comes down to decisiveness. […] Too many managers let themselves get weighed down in their decision-making, especially those with too much education.”

Lee Iacocca

“All too often the crux of the challenge is not an external threat but a clash among our own ambitions.”

Richard Rumelt

🧠 Consider

17 Rhetorical Devices Pericles Used To Inspire and Persuade Are Just as Effective Now as They Were Then: My favorite is #14: Exergasia (When an idea is repeated multiple times, but the way it is expressed changes)

The Cultural Tutor @culturaltutor

Analysing one of the greatest speeches in history: Pericles' funeral oration in 430 BC. The rhetorical devices he used to inspire and persuade are just as effective now as they were then. Here are 17 of the best:

The Right Way To Help Colleagues Excel: Imagine Twitter employees saying to Elon Musk: “I’m struggling to understand your plan.” 😬

“Treat Me Like I’m Stupid”:

Gib’s one of my virtual mentors, and I find this advice helpful, whether you’re a senior leader or not. Although, depending on your context, perhaps you do get treated like you’re stupid by default. What if you asked them to treat you like you’re smart?

Gibson Biddle @gibsonbiddle

Reflecting on a 30+ year career, I realize one of my super powers is asking for help. There’s so much change & so much to learn. A phrase I repeat often as I try to learn from others: “Treat me like I’m stupid.” This disarms my audience and puts me in a beginner’s mindset mode.

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Who's George?

It’s me

I’m an underdog product manager.

Product Management in New Zealand (where I live) is still a relatively immature discipline. I also came into it late via data science and UX. I may be older than others, but I often feel like a rookie.

To become better at my craft, I learn and explore new ideas relentlessly.

Then I share high-quality, tried-and-true ideas that can be used right away.

How I can help you:

• If you’re learning about product as a cross-functional leader, I’ve compiled my best actionable finds in prodmgmt.world.

• Get some help via prodmgmt.help. People ask about How to prioritise, How to do market research, how to work with engineers, how to go from a service to a product, how to develop a deep coherent product strategy, what books to read and courses to take on product topics & design systems product management.

See you next week.

— George.