Today, most companies, VC’s, and product teams are approaching the current generation of AI’s as if their core economics will… [Read More…] about Using AI vs. Finding Your Ground Truth Supremacy
Blog
2024: A Career-Making Year for Product Managers
For people like me who peddle ideas, New Years is our key season. It’s the time for us to declare… [Read More…] about 2024: A Career-Making Year for Product Managers
PM: Got ChatGPT FOMO? Here’s the Cure.
The tech world is all abuzz about how GPT is going to change the business of technology forever. I’m pretty… [Read More…] about PM: Got ChatGPT FOMO? Here’s the Cure.
Executing Continuous Product/Market Fit
If you build a house or manufacture a crate of shoelaces, you can pretty well predict how much you’ll earn.… [Read More…] about Executing Continuous Product/Market Fit
The One Metric for Innovation Accounting (and How to Use it)
‘Innovation Accounting’ is a loose term for the idea that companies need new metrics to manage innovation, the dominant competitive… [Read More…] about The One Metric for Innovation Accounting (and How to Use it)
3 Things I’ve Learned Teaching 700,000 Classes on Agile
I’m working to help people like you find a smoother, more enjoyable path to creating great products…
Stuff our MBA’s do at UVA Darden
I’m super interested in how we create the general manager of the future…
Stop Showing People Your Prototypes
Stop showing people your prototypes- it’s just not right. Sure, they’ll tell you they like them…
Love Letter to Silicon Valley MBA’s #2
Hey, After bringing up the whole digital literacy thing in my first letter, I thought I’d just tell you a little more about what I mean and how you can get there…
Love Letter to Silicon Valley MBA’s #1
Hey, I know it’s tough out there…
Goodbye, Management
Bob, I’ll call him Bob, is a good guy. A nice guy. A well-intentioned guy. I’ll start by saying that.
Inbal Reichman Cohen (Facebook) on Managing Privacy
Joining us today is Inbal Reichman Cohenwho is a Darden Alumni and most recently was a product manager at Facebook.
Ira Renfrew (iRobot) on Agile & Hardware
So, you make robots! Can you tell us a little bit about what you guys do at iRobot?
Duygu Karaboncuk (Amazon) on Lean UX
For our listeners who don’t know what Woot is, can you tell them a little bit about it?
Oren Root (VMWare) on Lean Enterprise
I’m here with Oren Root, senior product manager at VMWare to talk about the specifics challenges of managing enterprise or B2B products.
A Limerick for Lean Startup
There once was a founder named Macon
who venture money had taken…
Getting Buy-In vs. Getting Going
Here are a few questions I see:
‘How do I get buy-in?’
‘How do I get budget?’
Good questions, but …
Josh Andrews (Google) on Killing Complexity
Today you’re going to meet Josh Andrews, who is a product manager at Google. One of the products that Josh has worked on is Google Apps for Work…
Kiran Kadambi (EBay) on Innovating within an Existing System
One of the products that Kiran has worked on is Ebay for Work…
Top 3 things I loved about the last episode (S3E9) of HBO’s ‘Silicon Valley’
As an instructor, I feel like I spend a lot of time undoing the myth that all successful startups: …
The Secret Truth About Switching Your Enterprise Software Vendor
‘I’ve had it- we’re switching.’ ‘The salesperson from [the other leading vendor] is telling me [all our problems will be… [Read More…] about The Secret Truth About Switching Your Enterprise Software Vendor
3 Common Mistakes in Building User Personas
When businesses are pitching investors, too often you’ll see that slide in their deck describing the target user: a busy… [Read More…] about 3 Common Mistakes in Building User Personas
Using Agile IRL with Big Customers
When I visit enterprise/B2B companies to talk about agile and Venture Design, I often hear ‘Hey, this stuff is great,… [Read More…] about Using Agile IRL with Big Customers
The Lean Startup & The Singularity
Luminaries like Stephen Hawking & Elon Musk have expressed their deep concern about ‘the singularity’, a moment in the future… [Read More…] about The Lean Startup & The Singularity
Innovating Backwards & Forwards
Among other things, I’m an advisor to startup’s and ‘intrapreneurial’ ventures. I’m no sage, so what I can offer them is… [Read More…] about Innovating Backwards & Forwards
8 Things You Can Do to Be More Innovative
Innovation: everybody wants some! Below are 8 practical tips anyone can apply. These ideas are meant to propel the kind… [Read More…] about 8 Things You Can Do to Be More Innovative
3 Steps Tips on Creating an Awesome Business Model Canvas
The Business Model Canvas’ chief virtue is its transparency, and that transparency helps create focus. That said, to create a… [Read More…] about 3 Steps Tips on Creating an Awesome Business Model Canvas
The Full Stack Product Team- 3 Sketches
In ‘7 ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR THE FULL STACK PRODUCT PERSON‘ I introduced this idea of a ‘full stack product person’:… [Read More…] about The Full Stack Product Team- 3 Sketches
Exit Flatsville – Using Storyboards to Energize Your Agile User Stories
If you don’t think through the experience you want customers to have, who will? If you have to make a… [Read More…] about Exit Flatsville – Using Storyboards to Energize Your Agile User Stories
7 Essential Skills for the Full Stack Product Person
We’re all creative and we want to be effective, doing work that matters. Long on a quest to be the… [Read More…] about 7 Essential Skills for the Full Stack Product Person
My Latest Lean Startup Adventure
I just (quietly) debuted a new product last week: Brand Lattice, a web-based tool for creating mood boards to better… [Read More…] about My Latest Lean Startup Adventure
Studs Terkel: Design Thinker
Like so many similar enterprises in design thinking, it began with an individual. His first book, ‘Division Street: America‘, explored… [Read More…] about Studs Terkel: Design Thinker
Animating User Acquisition with Storyboards in 6 Steps
My favorite framework for thinking about the customer lifecycle is “AIDA” (attention, interest, desire, action). I also like to add… [Read More…] about Animating User Acquisition with Storyboards in 6 Steps
Using Storyboards to Animate Customer Discovery
The increasingly popular rubric of ‘customer development’ encompasses the traditional disciplines of marketing, product management, and entrepreneurship. It re-segments and… [Read More…] about Using Storyboards to Animate Customer Discovery
Adventures in Intrapreneurship- 8 Tips
I’ve recently done a few workshops for ‘intrapreneurs’, folks at existing businesses who are rolling out new products and new… [Read More…] about Adventures in Intrapreneurship- 8 Tips
Updated Venture Design Template!
I’ve made the Venture Design process available for free through a combination of tutorials, templates and examples. The aforementioned page is one of… [Read More…] about Updated Venture Design Template!
Beyond Design Thinking- Think Like a Shrink!
I first met Nir Eyal at Stanford’s d.School and immediately engaged with his work on customer behavior. It has three… [Read More…] about Beyond Design Thinking- Think Like a Shrink!
The business plan is dead. Long live the business plan!
It’s like watching the fall of the Berllin Wall in slow motion: as popularity of the traditional business plan wanes,… [Read More…] about The business plan is dead. Long live the business plan!
Take a Closer Look at that Duct Tape- Customer Discovery Hacks
Duct tape is enjoying a well-deserved resurgence, much of it from rising interest in design thinking and rapid prototyping. Yet I’ve… [Read More…] about Take a Closer Look at that Duct Tape- Customer Discovery Hacks
Four Zombie Startups & How to Resuscitate Them
I’ve run a few startups and meet with many more through speaking events and community work related to my book.… [Read More…] about Four Zombie Startups & How to Resuscitate Them
6 Tips to Consulting as B2B ‘Concierge’ Vehicle
Several startup’s I’ve met are either: a) testing the market for a B2B product venture or b) doing consulting and… [Read More…] about 6 Tips to Consulting as B2B ‘Concierge’ Vehicle
Web Events on Disrupting Corporate IT and Enterprise Software
I enjoyed participating in a podcast and webinar with Cindy Solomon on disrupting corporate IT and enterprise software. Cindy’s the founder of the… [Read More…] about Web Events on Disrupting Corporate IT and Enterprise Software
Yellow Walkman Data & the Art of Customer Discovery
The practice of design thinking is part science, part art. This is my favorite example of how to find the happy place between the two.
Less Hostess, More Sushi: 6 Future Freelancing Products
I’m working with a local college on some extension courses and the #1 thing they identified about my proposal was… [Read More…] about Less Hostess, More Sushi: 6 Future Freelancing Products
Waging Evolution: 6 Tips for Applying Design Thinking & Lean in Your Organization
I wrote these tips while I was prepping for a talk at the Silicon Valley Product Management Association. Most of… [Read More…] about Waging Evolution: 6 Tips for Applying Design Thinking & Lean in Your Organization
At Silicon Valley Product Mgmt. Association Wednesday (12/5)
>What I’m excited to be meeting with members of the SVPMA this coming Wednesday. I’m doing a talk on new… [Read More…] about At Silicon Valley Product Mgmt. Association Wednesday (12/5)
Applying Leading Ideas in Tech Product Development- a B2C Example
The videos below cover the second segment of a talk I’ve been doing- It Works When You Do It. If… [Read More…] about Applying Leading Ideas in Tech Product Development- a B2C Example
Applying Design Thinking & Lean Principals in B2B: A 4 Part Example
Prototyping is the process of building rough models to test and explain an idea. The pages here describe examples and resources around prototyping.
New Lean, Customer Development Templates!
The Stuff In support of the work on Venture Design I’ve been doing with my collaborators, I’ve formulated a new series… [Read More…] about New Lean, Customer Development Templates!
The Conference Call Quotient- A Lean Litmus Test?
Applying lean principals involves more doing vs. discussion than the habits and systems it replaces. Projects are organized as experiments… [Read More…] about The Conference Call Quotient- A Lean Litmus Test?
The end of megalomania in high tech branding?
Google has roughly a billion unique visitors and I would guess Nestle has somewhere between three to five billion unique buyers… [Read More…] about The end of megalomania in high tech branding?
High Tech Ideas on Main St.- Design Thinking & Lean for the Small Business
The videos below are the screencast version of a talk I recently did for the SC Chamber of Commerce. Our… [Read More…] about High Tech Ideas on Main St.- Design Thinking & Lean for the Small Business
Five Tips for Operating a ‘Lean’ Team
One of the most important things I learned working at a number of startup’s and running a few my own… [Read More…] about Five Tips for Operating a ‘Lean’ Team
BAVC Talk – Product Development for Creatives & Entrepreneurs
>About The Talk This is a talk I gave at the Bay Area Video Coalition (bavc.org) on July 25th, 2012.… [Read More…] about BAVC Talk – Product Development for Creatives & Entrepreneurs
Four Top Ideas in Tech Product Development- Design Thinking, Lean, Customer Development, & Agile
>Introduction The videos below cover the first segment of a talk I’ve been doing- Much Ado about Something. It covers… [Read More…] about Four Top Ideas in Tech Product Development- Design Thinking, Lean, Customer Development, & Agile
Designers are Tech’s Newest Superstars- Apply Design Thinking with Them
Prototyping is the process of building rough models to test and explain an idea. The pages here describe examples and resources around prototyping.
Hyper Lean Startups- Entrepreneurship & Innovation in Tanzania
The Four D’s: Fill the Void Between Lean Principals and Agile Development
What is this about? Introducing practical approaches for applying lean principals and agile development methods is one of the key… [Read More…] about The Four D’s: Fill the Void Between Lean Principals and Agile Development
The Daily Do’: An Agile Technique You Can Immediately Apply in any Department
This post describes a simple, effective agile-based technique we’ve used at Leonid to enhance effectiveness across the whole company: the ‘Daily Do’.… [Read More…] about The Daily Do’: An Agile Technique You Can Immediately Apply in any Department
Is Mass Tinkering the Real Startup Revolution?
The actual and perceived barriers to tinkering are falling. Awesome! What does this mean?
Linking Customer Development to the Agile Development Methodology
Around these parts (Silicon Valley), it’s widely accepted that, yes, it’s a good idea to go through a rigorous process… [Read More…] about Linking Customer Development to the Agile Development Methodology
It Works When You Do It!
I was a mentor at the Santa Cruz Tech Raising event last weekend, meeting with individuals and teams who were… [Read More…] about It Works When You Do It!
Storytelling
I just posted a paper on agile user stories applied to enterprise telephony on Leonid’s website (Leonid’s where I work).… [Read More…] about Storytelling
First Blog Post
I wrote this book for you. If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur, “intrapreneur”, or just want to know more about how… [Read More…] about First Blog Post