Posts tagged "Article"

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Product Managers Who Think in Systems Will Survive the AI Era

7 min read

AI is reshaping product management. Learn how to map, optimize, and automate your systems before someone else does it for you.

AI is not a side trend. It is changing the work of product managers right now. Elena Verna wrote about eliminating her own job in Growth by automating 101. Read it in full. Her point was simple. If you automate yourself, you survive. If you do not, you are replaced. She was right on. But for product managers, this is not only about using a few AI tools. It is about thinking in systems. Your...
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When AI Becomes Your Medical Translator

8 min read

How AI LLMs are transforming healthcare by empowering patients with PhD-level medical knowledge and reshaping the entire industry ecosystem.

Picture this: You receive an email from your doctor with three different cancer diagnoses. Your heart stops. The medical jargon feels like it's written in a foreign language. But instead of spiraling into a Google rabbit hole of worst-case scenarios, you take a screenshot and upload it to ChatGPT. Within seconds, you have a clear, understandable explanation of what you're facing. This isn't a hypothetical scenario—it's exactly what happened to Carolina, one of the patients...
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Architect vs. Gardner: Product Development Mindsets

5 min read

Process is a tool and not the master

The world of product development, much like the craft of storytelling, often sees two distinct approaches: the Architect and the Gardener. This mental model, originally used to describe writers, applies beautifully to how product managers, designers, and engineers approach building solutions. Understanding when to wear which hat is crucial for navigating the complexities of product development and delivering true value. The Architect's Blueprint An Architect approaches product development like building a house. They meticulously plan...
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Modernizing the Product Requirements Process

8 min read

Process is a tool and not the master

The Product Requirements Document (PRD), once a cornerstone of software development, has experienced a rollercoaster journey. From its origins in rigid waterfall methodologies to its perceived irrelevance in the era of agile, the term itself often elicits strong reactions. However, instead of discarding the concept entirely, the shift should be towards modernizing the PRD, transforming it from a static, exhaustive blueprint crafted by an "Architect" into a dynamic, adaptable tool that supports a "Gardener's" approach...
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Cultivating True Agile: From Process to Outcome

5 min read

Process is a tool and not the master

How do organizations truly foster a culture that drives innovation and delivers outstanding digital products? And what distinguishes teams that are genuinely agile from those merely performing "Agile" theater? Many companies adopt "Agile" methodologies, complete with jargon like "stories," "story points," "sprints," and "stand-ups". However, merely adhering to these ceremonies can lead to a state of "busyness" without true agility. This is the "Agile Industrial Complex" at play, where the tools and processes become the...
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Cultivating Strong Product Culture and Empowered Teams

4 min read

Effective decision making is vital

How do organizations truly foster a culture that drives innovation and delivers outstanding digital products? And what distinguishes truly empowered teams from those simply going through the motions? Organizational culture isn't merely what you say or think; it's what you do. It's defined by a group's collective habits and patterns. As a company grows, maintaining an aspirational culture becomes exponentially challenging, requiring continuous effort with each new employee cohort. Companies that successfully build and deliver...
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Mastering Objectives & Key Results (OKRs): The Performance Framework

7 min read

Goal setting

In the dynamic world of product development, Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) serve as a powerful framework to align teams, drive performance, and foster innovation. While crucial for shaping, shipping, and aligning products and teams, the effectiveness of OKRs hinges on understanding their core principles and avoiding common pitfalls. This framework moves beyond mere task completion, shifting focus to measurable outcomes and ensuring that efforts contribute meaningfully to customer needs and business value. What are...
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Strategic Decision Making for the Product Leaders

7 min read

Effective decision making is vital

In the dynamic world of product development, decisions are made constantly – some trivial, many highly consequential. Your effectiveness as a product leader, or indeed, in any responsible role, is directly determined by the quality and effectiveness of the decisions you make and execute. These decisions, particularly regarding product roadmaps, have far-reaching consequences on resource allocation, budget management, and go-to-market planning. Therefore, it is essential to continually refine the decision-making process within an organization. Understanding...
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Defeat Bias: Build Products that Truly Matter

6 min read

Start with why and dig deeper

When you're deeply involved in building products, whether you're dreaming up new features or refining existing ones, there's a sneaky little thing that can derail even the most well-intentioned efforts: confirmation bias. It’s a natural human tendency. You get an idea, you form a belief, and suddenly, your brain starts looking for evidence to prove you right. It's like putting on a special pair of glasses that only lets you see what confirms your existing...
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Love the Problem, Solution will Follow

5 min read

Start with why and dig deeper

When you're building a product, it's incredibly easy to get excited about the "how." You might visualize the sleek design, the cutting-edge technology, or the impressive list of features. But here's a secret that many successful product builders swear by: don't fall in love with your solution; fall in love with the problem. It sounds simple, right? Yet, it’s a profound shift in mindset that can make all the difference between a product that truly...
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Beyond the Deliverable - The Strategic Product Mindset

6 min read

Start with why and dig deeper

"Strategic thinking." Sounds grand, doesn't it? The kind of thing we want our leaders to be, not just order-takers. But here’s the secret: it’s not some magical, inborn talent. It’s a skill, plain and simple, and skills can be mastered with appropriate focus. Like learning to ride a bike, or in our world, learning to truly ship something that matters. Think about it. We pour endless hours into planning, into "strategy". Yet we either fail...
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Jobs-to-be-Done - Demand Reducers and Systems Thinking

5 min read

Demand is make or break

Alright, let's pick up where we left off. In the first part of our discussion on Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD), we unpacked what JTBD truly means – that customers "hire" products to make progress in their lives, moving from one situation to a better one. We also explored the "demand generators": the Push from dissatisfaction with the status quo and the Pull from the new solution's perceived ability to transform their lives. Now, in this second and...
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Jobs-to-be-Done - Understanding the Product Demand

5 min read

Demand is make or break

Alright, let's dive into the core of truly understanding what makes products successful. This will be the first of two posts on Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD). In this part, we'll lay the groundwork for what JTBD is and explore the forces that generate demand for a product. In the second part, we'll delve into the forces that reduce demand, how to understand broader competition, and the critical role of systems thinking in applying JTBD effectively. --- Why...
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