Welcome! Whether you are the leader of a company or responsible for one component of a product, the ideas presented here are intended to help you recognize the current situation of your product and systematically determine the path forward.
You can get started by exploring the articles organized below or dropping into my stream of latest writing. Everything here is a work in progress — please hit me up with your thoughts, questions, and critiques.
Core Concepts
A Visual Vocabulary For Product Building. The same way a pen and paper can help you solve a complex math problem that you would be otherwise hopeless solving, this visual vocabulary can help you solve problems in product building.
A Map of White Space for Product Managers. “White space” connotes missing links in the product network that can be filled by adding specialized roles such as design, sales, project management, or web analytics.
Tension in the Product Network. When a company adds more specialized roles around a product, it is inevitable that perspectives will clash. Each node in the product network receives a range of inputs that need to be synthesized.
The Responsibility of Product Management. Product management is responsible for the healthy functioning of all regions in the product network. This entails recognizing and filling white space and synthesizing conflicting inputs.
Three Types of Product Builders: Vertex Builders, Edge Builders, and Full-Triangle Builders. While you can divide contributors into categories based on their specialized skills, there is a more fundamental way to conceive the different types of builders.
Why I Created the Product Management Triangle. Product management is a unique craft that software companies recognize to be critical. However, it is surprisingly hard to describe the responsibilities of product management in precise, yet global terms.
Applications
Testing Product/Market Fit Without a Product.You can do a great deal to test market fit without building an actual product. However, until you’ve shipped something real, you can’t be certain you will have success. You could find yourself at a dead end.
How can product managers add value in an early stage company? [Quora]. Product managers add value to early stage startups through recognizing/filling important white space and synthesizing conflicting inputs.
How do I earn respect from sales as a product manager? [Quora]. Sales will respect a product manager who cultivates an environment where the sales process has the maximum chance of success.
