The hottest Product Management Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Business Topics
The Product Channel By Sid Saladi 16 implied HN points 01 Jan 25
  1. There are over 150 useful resources for product management that can help professionals navigate topics like strategy, leadership, and AI integration.
  2. The toolkit includes more than 50 ChatGPT prompts designed to enhance productivity and creativity for product managers.
  3. New tools like ProductGPT can help product managers get customized answers and streamline their workflow, making their jobs easier.
Askwhy: UX Research, Product Management, Design & Careers 33 implied HN points 27 Nov 24
  1. Always start with a clear hypothesis when analyzing data. This helps focus your research and prevents getting lost in too much information.
  2. Use a mix of qualitative and quantitative data for a better understanding. This means looking at both numbers and user feedback to get the full picture.
  3. Document your analysis process carefully. This helps others understand your findings and allows for better collaboration in the future.
Untrapping Product Teams 334 implied HN points 19 Jul 23
  1. Product delivery is about creating value steadily, not just following a plan.
  2. Key aspects of product delivery include organizing the product backlog, refining tasks, aligning goals, and delivering value consistently.
  3. Be mindful of common traps like treating the product backlog as a wishlist, separating discovery from delivery, and focusing only on output instead of outcomes.
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Untrapping Product Teams 157 implied HN points 07 Feb 24
  1. Product management is like cooking: it's not just about the recipe, but also about how you do it and the ingredients you use.
  2. Recognize the fundamental ingredients for thriving in product management, such as product vision, strategy, goals, and testing assumptions.
  3. Having a strong product vision is crucial for inspiring and motivating teams to progress in the right direction.
Leading Developers 147 implied HN points 29 Oct 24
  1. Sprints can make software development feel rushed and stressful. Teams often end up prioritizing completing tasks over enjoying the process of creating.
  2. Agile isn't just about following the sprint process; it's more about flexibility and responding to change. Focusing too much on the sprint leads to sticking to the rules instead of adapting to needs.
  3. Instead of traditional sprints, teams might benefit from cycles where they take their time, release when ready, and allow some room for creativity and quality work. This can create a more enjoyable work environment.
timo's substack 294 implied HN points 28 Feb 23
  1. Marketing analytics, BI, and product analytics have different requirements for source data and data handling.
  2. Product analytics involves more exploration and pattern-finding compared to marketing analytics and BI.
  3. Adopting product analytics requires a different approach, mindset, and tool compared to traditional analytics setups.
A Small, Good Thing 19 implied HN points 24 Mar 25
  1. Service Level Objectives (SLOs) are important for understanding if services are reliable, but many organizations find them hard to use effectively. It's like a tool that sounds great but often doesn't work as well in practice.
  2. Adopting and managing SLOs usually requires a lot of effort and support from the whole team, not just the SREs. If the company culture isn't ready for it, SLOs often get ignored.
  3. There's a big gap between the theory of SLOs and how they're applied in real companies. Many teams struggle with choosing the right metrics and getting everyone to care about reliability over new features.
Rethinking Software 149 implied HN points 23 Sep 24
  1. Story points are basically just hidden time estimates for tasks in software development. Understanding this can help with better planning and predicting when a project will be finished.
  2. Product management should be like a party host, making sure developers and customers communicate and enjoy their time together. This creates a better experience for everyone involved.
  3. There are ways for companies to run without traditional management, like the tomato processor Morning Star. This might be a model to explore for improving the software industry's workflow.
The Product Channel By Sid Saladi 6 implied HN points 16 Jan 25
  1. Generative AI is reshaping industries by creating new opportunities and enhancing product development. It's not just a technology; it can change the way we work and create.
  2. Real-world examples, like DeepMind's AlphaFold, show how generative AI can lead to breakthroughs in fields like healthcare, making processes faster and more efficient.
  3. Product managers should harness generative AI to create better user experiences. By integrating this technology, they can offer more personalized and engaging products.
The Beautiful Mess 330 implied HN points 17 Mar 24
  1. Common principles and practices among top product companies exist but may not fully capture the uniqueness and nuances of each company's success.
  2. During challenging times like the pandemic, companies may overhire, lower hiring standards, and create unnecessary roles instead of addressing core issues.
  3. Companies globally should strive to evolve product development methods based on customer needs, regardless of their location, and individuals should take more control over their product management career.
High Growth Engineer 465 implied HN points 27 Aug 23
  1. Collaboration with product managers and designers can be challenging due to differing priorities and project impacts.
  2. Engineers often face the dilemma of balancing what they can do, what the PM wants, and what the PM thinks they can do.
  3. Maintaining a good relationship and meeting deadlines are key aspects of being a favored engineer among product managers and designers.
Product Power by Samet Ozkale 196 implied HN points 19 Oct 23
  1. Product managers can find ideas through user interviews, trend analysis, personal experiences, and input from internal stakeholders.
  2. Criteria for pursuing an idea include satisfying a need, having a unique selling point, being profitable and in demand, and creating value.
  3. Utilizing the Double Diamond framework can guide product discovery and development by focusing on understanding problems before jumping into solutions.
The Product Channel By Sid Saladi 20 implied HN points 24 Nov 24
  1. Prompt engineering is about crafting the right questions to get useful responses from AI. Think of it like asking the AI to help you with specific tasks in a clear way.
  2. This skill can help product managers speed up their work by automating tasks and generating creative ideas. It's a powerful tool for making better decisions based on data.
  3. Understanding how to structure prompts effectively can lead to more relevant and accurate results. It involves giving clear instructions, context, and examples to guide the AI.
An Innovator's Sketchbook 98 implied HN points 04 Feb 24
  1. Transitioning from feature to product teams involves empowering cross-functional teams focused on outcomes and value.
  2. The localization industry is evolving with AI, leading to job destruction but also creating new business opportunities.
  3. Feedback is important for team growth, and using the 'Situation-Behavior-Impact' framework can lead to effective and powerful feedback.
Good Better Best 2 implied HN points 23 May 25
  1. Salesforce is changing its pricing model to be more flexible, allowing customers to pay based on the specific actions their AI tools perform. This means businesses can better align costs with what they actually use.
  2. The development of hybrid pricing models shows that the market for AI is still growing and evolving. Companies are exploring new ways to find a balance between human workers and AI.
  3. A strong pricing infrastructure is crucial for companies. Those that can adapt their pricing strategies easily will have an advantage as the landscape of AI and enterprise software continues to shift.
Suzan's Fieldnotes 98 implied HN points 15 Jan 24
  1. María de Antón transitioned from Head of Customer Success to Product Manager by following her instincts and overcoming imposter syndrome.
  2. Transitioning from customer success to product management involved a shift from talking with customers to creating joyful product experiences.
  3. As a leader considering switching functions, trust your cross-functional skills, seek necessary training, and have confidence in yourself.
The Product Channel By Sid Saladi 10 implied HN points 15 Dec 24
  1. Building a competitive 'moat' is crucial for AI startups to protect themselves from competitors. It means having unique advantages that others can't easily copy.
  2. Startups should focus on specific industries or problems to create tailored solutions. This helps them collect valuable data and improve their models over time.
  3. Using proprietary data and building complex systems can strengthen a startup's position. It’s about going beyond just using popular AI tools and making something unique.
The Product Channel By Sid Saladi 16 implied HN points 17 Nov 24
  1. Large language models (LLMs) are special AI systems that understand and generate human language. They can do things like summarize texts, translate languages, and even write codes.
  2. LLMs are changing many industries by powering chatbots, helping create content, and giving personalized product recommendations. This makes services smarter and more helpful.
  3. Building custom LLMs requires a lot of money and data. Companies must invest millions and gather vast amounts of information to develop effective models.
An Innovator's Sketchbook 78 implied HN points 21 Jan 24
  1. Focus on understanding consumer goals and their hierarchy for successful product development.
  2. Differentiate between needs, goals, and ToDos as part of the goal hierarchy.
  3. Recognize the importance of designing products or services that effectively remove obstacles or facilitate faster achievement of consumer goals.
Build To Scale 138 implied HN points 31 Aug 23
  1. Positioning your product correctly is crucial from the start, you can't retroactively adjust it like changing a boat into a car.
  2. Identify your target market, the problem your product solves, and what makes you better than competitors.
  3. Use a simple positioning template to describe your product's key attributes clearly and guide your marketing efforts.
The Product Channel By Sid Saladi 16 implied HN points 10 Nov 24
  1. AI is changing how products are made and used. Product managers need to understand AI to stay ahead in their industry.
  2. There are many AI applications, like chatbots and recommendation systems, that can improve user experience. Learning about these tools can help product managers create better products.
  3. While AI has benefits, it also brings risks like bias and job losses. It's important for product managers to think about these issues and apply AI responsibly.
Turnaround 277 implied HN points 01 Aug 22
  1. Complex problems require moving away from linear thinking and embracing complexity thinking that involves understanding interconnections and dependencies.
  2. Leverage points in a system are areas where small changes can cause significant overall impact. These include adjusting parameters, dealing with stock buffers, considering system structures, managing feedback loops, controlling information flows, setting incentives and rules, enabling self-organization, and aligning with system goals and paradigms.
  3. Differentiating between complicated and complex systems is crucial in problem-solving. In complex interconnected systems, problem statements often fall into categories such as coupled, causal, or standalone.
The Caring Techie Newsletter 21 implied HN points 12 Feb 25
  1. Always provide details when asking engineers to fix something. It saves everyone time if you describe what’s wrong and what you've tried.
  2. Avoid labeling everything as urgent. This makes it hard for engineers to prioritize and can lead to burnout.
  3. Be clear and prepared for meetings. Vague invites waste time and make it hard for engineers to focus on their work.
Engineering Enablement 21 implied HN points 12 Feb 25
  1. Software quality has four main types: process quality, code quality, system quality, and product quality. Each type affects the others, so improving one can help improve the rest.
  2. Process quality is crucial because a good development process leads to better code quality. This means having proper testing and code reviews can help avoid defects later on.
  3. Product quality is what customers experience and it includes a product's usability and reliability. Engineers need to team up with product managers to ensure that products meet customer needs.
Product Power by Samet Ozkale 78 implied HN points 21 Dec 23
  1. Product roadmapping is like conducting a symphony with prioritization setting the rhythm.
  2. Key elements of a product roadmap include vision, strategy, roadmap, prioritization, and backlog.
  3. Balancing stakeholder needs in roadmapping, aligning short-term goals with long-term vision, and agile adaptation are crucial for successful product development.
Frankly Speaking 50 implied HN points 01 Nov 24
  1. The breach simulation market is confusing because companies market their products in different ways. It's hard to understand exactly what these tools are supposed to solve for security teams.
  2. Turning security services into products is challenging. Many customers prefer high-quality services rather than automated tools because they believe they catch more sophisticated attacks.
  3. For these simulation tools to succeed, they need to show clear benefits to businesses, like saving money or preventing incidents. Right now, many organizations view them as nice-to-have rather than essential.
Inside Data by Mikkel Dengsøe 184 HN points 21 Feb 24
  1. Data may not reveal the best ideas, so trust your intuition and explore beyond the obvious data points.
  2. Focus on solving the big problems first, as they have a more significant impact than smaller issues.
  3. Think in small bets and iterations to make progress in the right direction, even if data may not provide immediate clarity.
potentialmind 19 implied HN points 18 May 24
  1. The demand for AI Engineers is skyrocketing due to advancements in AI, making it a high-demand engineering job of the decade.
  2. To excel in AI Engineering, practical knowledge and hands-on experience are prioritized over traditional academic qualifications like PhDs or specific courses like PyTorch.
  3. Modern applied AI is changing the landscape, making it easier for software engineers and product managers to leverage large language models and AI frameworks without extensive data collection.
Product Power by Samet Ozkale 98 implied HN points 16 Feb 23
  1. Product leaders should focus on data-driven and customer-centric approach in product development.
  2. Understanding the user through research and user feedback is crucial for making informed decisions and solving real problems.
  3. Cross-functional collaboration and transparent accountability are essential for fostering innovation and delivering results in product management.
The Product Channel By Sid Saladi 16 implied HN points 20 Oct 24
  1. This guide introduces essential AI concepts useful for product managers. Understanding AI can help managers make better product decisions.
  2. It covers the basics of using large language models, which are important tools in AI. Learning to use these models can improve product development.
  3. The guide emphasizes the role of ethics in AI product management. Responsible use of AI is crucial for building trust and ensuring success.