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Last week, I mentioned how great founders focus on the product. Nothing else matters.
I chuckle at the irony of me re-writing that. I often shuffle my focus between projects, including this newsltter. But, I think the statement nothing else matters can be applied at various scopes - sometimes to one life project, at other times to various projects.
The point is, as with customer focus, product focus is a state of mind.
What do you think? Have you been obsessing over your product since last week?
Great product. Product obsession. It is a state of mind. It is a matter of culture. (Read on for more, and about a Culture Summit coming in 2015.)
Read something great lately? Please share your reading.
“Career Fit”, by Ellen Chisa
“I decided to share because I recently had the opportunity to teach a talented young PM. I was surprised when she said “I’m getting negative feedback at work – can I not cut it as a PM?” Based on my class, yes, she will definitely be a good PM.”
Ellen's post reminds me of a recent conversation with a male friend - product manager at a biotech startup - who recently left his role. Shortly before that, we grabbed dinner, and he confessed to me how he was not sure if he was cut out to be a PM, how he had been getting negative feedback at work …
I am sure being a new PM is not easy for many. It is very helpful if you can find mentors who can share objective assessments outside of your team, and help share guidance or resources to help you succeed.
So, apparently the issue is not gender-specific, and you are not alone. Don't be disheartened!
Move Fast and Break Nothing, by Zach Holman
“And that’s what you want. You want your coworkers to think less about bullshit that doesn’t matter and spend more [time] on things that do.”
Designing Cultures that Build Great Products, by Damian Madray
“Culture is to employees what branding is to consumers. Every startup has a culture. The type and quality of it varies depending on the extent to which it is designed — that is, the extent to which the founders of a company deliberately choose a set of fundamental values upon which the company will be built, and further, the extent to which they ensure that these values manifest. The right kind of cultures ultimately reach consumers as well.”
Was Damian's post about designing culture interesting to you?
A colleague and I are organizing a Culture Summit in March 2015.
If you are interested in building great teams and strong culture that attracts top talent, register today!
Silicon Valley and SF
October 22: How PMs Make Your Business Scale by Products That Count. ($25)
October 30: Measuring Product Value Using Job-To-Be-Done. (FREE)
November 3: From Yammer to Do, PM Q&A with Jason Shah, via Google Hangout. (online and FREE)
November 4: UX for Everyone with Andi Galpern of Cascade SF, via Google Hangout. (online and FREE)
November 11: Don’t Be Afraid of Enterprise Freemium, with Neil McCarthy, Yammer Director of PM. ($5)
December 12-14: Lean Startup Machine SF. 20% savings with “lsm20”.
Everywhere
Recording of Carlos’s webinar 10/15: Transition from Engineering to PM.
Want to teach via Hangout? Please share product management experience!
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If you find any value and encouragement in the PMFT Digest, please consider becoming a Supporter with a small recurring or one-time donation of your choosing, between a cup of coffee and a mission taco.