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Mind the Product

Product Management

The executive product leader persona

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Imogen brings more than 10 years of experience in print and digital to her role as Director of Content Strategy for Mind the Product. The core of her experience comes from 10 years working as an editor for Bauer Consumer Media, a division of Europe’s largest privately-owned publishing group, and as Head of Content for Benivo, an award-winning startup.

Imogen Schels

<p>Every month, product experts from around the world share their ideas and insights in our <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://mtpdevwpe.wpengine.com/membership/compare/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prioritised and MTP Leader</a></span> content, and every month we recap some of their top tips. So, whether you&#8217;re a member who&#8217;d love a quick recap or a non-member who&#8217;d like a glimpse inside some of our membership content, we&#8217;ve got you covered.</p>
<p>Here are this month&#8217;s quick tips from the content published in October.</p>
<h2>Start product research in 3 simple steps</h2>
<p>In a <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://mtpdevwpe.wpengine.com/simple-steps-to-effective-product-research-part-1-getting-started/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2-part product research series</a>,</span> we looked at how to get started with product research and shared the golden rules to getting it right. In part one, our experts revealed three simple steps to identifying the questions that need to be answered before you begin:</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Step 1</span>: When you hear a question no one has a ready answer for, make moves to find out about it — just ask the person to tell you more. Your company’s subject matter experts should be a rich source of initial questions for research.</li>
<li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Step 2:</span> Find out what the information would be used for, and the impact it might have on business decisions.</li>
<li><span style="font-weight: bold;">Step 3: </span>If you’re not sure which path the research should take, ask “if you had the answer to this question what would you do or change?”. This can help you decide where your focus should be so you can start finding answers.</li>
</ul>
<h2>We have the tools to manage stress</h2>
<p>Feeling stressed? Workload, dealing with emotional topics, and having no purpose are the main stressors for many product leaders. But, as product leader <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://mtpdevwpe.wpengine.com/self-care-and-stress-management-for-product-leaders-by-dominique-jost/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dominique Jost explained at the MTP Engage Hamburg Leadership Forum</a></span>, we have tools to solve these problems ourselves.</p>
<p>He told us how some of the frameworks and methods we use in product can be applied to stress to manage it better and recommended several books that might be helpful, including:</p>
<ul>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Switch-change-things-when-hard/dp/1847940323" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Switch, by Chip and Dan Heath</a></span></li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hooked-How-Build-Habit-Forming-Products-ebook/dp/B00NW01MKM" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nir Eyal’s Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products</a></span></li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/1847941834" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Atomic Habits by James Clear</a></span></li>
<li><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deep-Work-Focused-Success-Distracted/dp/0349411905" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deep Work by Cal Newport</a></span></li>
</ul>
<p>Dominique also suggested designing a pragmatic check-in routine – a routine that would make the changes you need to make stick. To create a recurring weekly task on our calendars called BPS (bulletproof soul) check-in, and to create a monthly task to share it with one of the five people they said they would trust. Watch the talk in full to learn more about these check-in routines.</p>
<h2>Leverage research with Jobe To Be Done (JTBD)</h2>
<p>The amount of research that&#8217;s required to integrate JTBD can be a significant challenge for most. But, in <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://mtpdevwpe.wpengine.com/prioritised-fireside-chat-make-better-product-decisions-with-jtbd/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em>Make better product decisions with JTBD</em></a></span>, a fireside chat with Joe Leech, we learned that we can leverage our existing research on users, by looking at it through a different lens.  Joe recommends going back to old user interviews or data to uncover the jobs to be done it presents. As a result, he told us, integrating JTBD doesn’t have to be a brand new product discovery journey. You can look at what you already have to use the framework.</p>
<h2>A clear purpose is key to success</h2>
<p>In her #mtpcon London+EMEA keynote, <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;"><a href="https://mtpdevwpe.wpengine.com/its-all-about-the-outcome-by-georgie-smallwood/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">It&#8217;s all about the outcome</a></span> Georgie Smallwood, CPO at Tier Mobility, explained how many companies think they will be successful with initiatives or good roadmaps, but this often results in feature teams. A feature team, she told us, is not well placed to work towards good outcomes. “But then companies realise that, to define the right initiatives, they need a strategy,” she continued. However, purpose should be at the heart of the business. “Sometimes this is very clear in companies, but sometimes it needs a bit of work.  Either way, you need a clear purpose and it needs to be true. If the purpose is inauthentic or fake it won’t work.” You should ask if you have the skills and capabilities within the company to be successful. For more on this point, check out Georgie’s other presentation <span style="text-decoration: underline; font-style: italic;">Product Tetris – The ultimate game of leadership</span><span style="font-style: italic;">.</span></p>
<h2>Being imperfect is perfect for product management</h2>
<p>This month we also saw the return of our London conference&#8230;in person! Mind the Product members have access to all the talk videos right now but we can share a snippet from one of our incredible keynotes.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/osaseriguobadia/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Osaseri Guobadia</a>, Head of Product at Songkick convinced us that there is no perfect product manager. Every product manager is different, she said, and every role requires a different type of product manager.</p>
<p>The key to success, she said, is to harness your ability and to refine it accordingly. When developing your skills, don’t focus too much on your weaknesses as you’re more likely to fall to imposter syndrome, while if you focus on your strengths and successes you’re likely to become too overconfident. Instead, she advised, develop your skills by becoming more competent. Build your expertise by leaning into your strengths. Believe in your growth by developing your growth mindset.</p>
<h2>There&#8217;s more where this came from</h2>
<p>Thousands of Mind the Product members are already leveling up their careers, honing their product craft, and uncovering new ways to build great products. Join them to unlock more content like that featured here, plus:</p>
<ul>
<li>Premium deep dives, reports and case studies</li>
<li>ALL #mtpcon keynote and sessions videos</li>
<li>Exclusive events — AMAs, panels and fireside chats</li>
<li>Roundtable discussions —  talk product with new connections</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://mtpdevwpe.wpengine.com/membership/prioritised/">Discover Prioritised membership</a></span> or <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="https://mtpdevwpe.wpengine.com/membership/compare/">compare all membership plans</a></span>.</p>
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Imogen Schels

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