Product management focused on rapid prototyping (somewhere between thinking aloud and making a polished product). Applicable to software, hardware, and even organisational design.

  1. :mortar_board: nurture culture of learning
    • “reward success/punish failure” blame culture is more harmful to productivity than lack of tools/techniques
    • instead focus on learning why something is/isn’t successful
    • learning is more important :warning: than success
    • avoid conjecture-based debates by quickly prototyping real things to test
  2. :sweat: minimise processes/overheads
    • it’s hard to paint a masterpiece if you also have to create & present a slideshow, pitch to stakeholders, write a formal spec, etc.
    • programmers/graphics designers: focus on effect on “human behaviour” (i.e. user experience, MVP minimum viable product
             ) rather than code/pixels
    • product managers: focus on managing uncertainty
  3. :hourglass: minimise iteration time
    • need a cycle: prototype -> release -> :warning: feedback/learning from stakeholders/customers -> prototype …
      • :bulb: build in non-negotiable customer feedback time twice a week
    • need to cycle (iterate) fast (days not months)
  4. :star_struck: target enthusiasm
    • find “Eyes Light Up” magic moments
    • the product is such moments
      • e.g. “press button to order car & leave without paying” is magic, “Uber login & payment flow” is not
      • product isn’t the world – it gets used in the world
    • increase frequency & impact of such moments
  5. :repeat: when starting new projects, design for adaptability over scalability/stability
    • focus on dev culture
    • assume most of the initial (hacky) implementation will be thrown out
    • decide what to do fast/first, refine/polish/scale later