How to Hire Product Managers in Startups
Over the years, I’ve made my share of good and bad hires. I’ve found remarkable individuals
Category Archives: Startups
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How to be effective each week
“Are you proud of your work this week?” This is a useful litmus test. It shows
7-Day Micro-Course (free)
Product Management is different in startups and takes a different mindset to succeed. Get introduced to
Startup Frustration
It’s frustrating when things just aren’t working in a startup. It’s frustrating, because you’re investing so
Pecha Kucha
Pecha Kucha — it was brand new to me. 20 slides. 20 pictures. 20 seconds each.
8 Ways “Startup Product Leadership” is Different
Photo by Igal Ness on Unsplash 8 Ways “Startup Product Leadership” is different from “Mainstream Product
Why “Growth Breaks Process”
WHY process breaks as your startup grows: // 3 people // “Founder” stageJust the founders. No process
My Favorite Interview Question
Towards the end of every interview, I love to ask this question: “What separates good [insert
Everything is Temporary
“Daddy, can I crash it?” My three-year-old was holding a blue lego truck, we’d just built.
How To Work With Startup Founders
“We don’t want you to come in and take over…” “…we have a strong vision and
Startup Superpowers
My response fell flat. “Oh, uhh interesting,” said the hiring manager. “Yeah, we’d test all kinds
The Essence of Startup Product Leadership
Growth & Gravity. Gravity shapes the human experience more than any natural force. Nature relies on
The Courage To Fail
I, like many of you, chose a high-risk career path — a path statistically skewed towards
The 3 Types of Startup Problems
Startups are inundated with problems. The “alarm bells” constantly ring. Before product-market fit, you’re trying to
Revenue Isn’t Just Revenue
As a young founder, We had a storied angel investor out in Arizona. He made some
Don’t Waste a Perfectly Good Crisis
Don’t waste a perfectly good crisis. Crisis creates a brief moment of opportunity for early-stage product
Your job isn’t to change minds
“Your job isn’t to change minds, it’s to change behavior.” I can’t remember who made this
4 Unfair Advantages of Predictable Product Delivery
Shipping features on-time gets downplayed in some Product circles. They argue outcomes > outputs. But, predictability
It’s Springtime in Austin.
It’s Springtime in Austin. Winter’s gone. We’re grilling on the patio every few days. I’ve swapped
Arguing about Product-Market Fit
People argue about Product-Market fit. What it is. What it isn’t. When you should claim you
Roadmapping blind to dev capacity
Roadmapping blind to dev capacity… It’s like starting a road trip withoutknowing how much gas is
“I’m riding their bus”
After making NCAA history last night, Duke’s Coach K said: Speaking of their success… “I’m riding
“Losing your footing” in a Startup
Those who grew up vacationing at the beach, know the feeling. You are chest deep in
Pay Attention to Customer Segments
Pay attention to new customer segments. Startups need to 2x revenue every 12 months. This creates
The Best Leading Indicator of Product Health
Customers pay for products with time and money. Buyers pay in dollars (revenue). Users pay in
Series-A Product Roadmaps
When a startup raises a Series A,nearly everything changes. Take product roadmaps for example. For the
3 Simple Metrics to Improve Product Execution
Series A startups — virtually overnight — need predictability in shipping product features. Here are 3
Top 3 Priorities of Series-A Product Leaders
Startups typically bring in product leadership after Series A. Their top priorities are: 1. Solidify Product-Market
Austin VOP #110: Startup Product Management
Originally published on Austin Voice of Product run by my friend Reza Shirazi. Josh Tong of
Job titles don’t give us a crystal ball
“If anyone can refute me—show me I’m making a mistake or looking at things from the
The Most Underrated Data Role
Data Analysts are the most underrated data role right now. They do these 10 amazing things
Sales gets a bad rap
Sales gets a bad rap in Product circles. I think they deserve our respect. Delivering revenue
Grateful
I’m grateful for entrepreneurs. Grateful for their vision. Grateful for their sacrifice. Grateful for their grit
Layoffs & Positioning Statements
We’d laid off half the company 6 months prior. Only 8 of us remained. We were
5 ‘Product Stages’ startups navigate
Product Management changes dramatically as startups scale. Here are 5 ‘product stages’ startups navigate as they
How to Excel as a Product Manager at an Early-Stage Startup
Here’s the article that goes with the video.
Product by Stage
Seed >> make it work Series A >> make it better Seed >> plan in weeks/months
Problems Left Unsolved
Users had highlighted MULTIPLE feature gaps. After months of effort, I felt defeated. Then one of
Andrew Carnegie used an elephant.
In 1874, Eads Bridge became the longest bridge in the world and the first to be
Leaders See Beyond Today
Great leaders see around the corner of today to the challenges of tomorrow. They talk to
Fragmented Customer Bases
The ability to scale your startupis driven more by… How you build the customer base,than how
“Well guys, we live to fight another day.”
“Well guys, we live to fight another day.” This how a former CTO finished each workday.
A Surprising Approach to Product Leadership
Early-stage product leadership requires you to influence (without authority). One of my favorite leaders had a
Q&A: As a Product Manager, what have you learned from a failed product you worked on?
The difference between users and buyers of a product. In 2009 I launched a medical device
Q&A: What are some non-obvious responsibilities of product managers?
Product Management is especially prone to odd ball tasks that don’t fit neatly in a job
Q&A: For a first product management job, is it better to work at a small company or a large one?
There are three things you want to optimize for in your first PM job: exposure, mentorship
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