TLDR Product Management 2024-09-24

Find out if you're about to release broken software (Sponsor)

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News & Trends

Taste is eating Silicon Valley (5 minute read)

As software becomes commoditized, taste — encompassing design, branding, and user experience — has emerged as the key differentiator for tech companies, influencing how products are perceived and adopted. Leaders must now master cultural relevance alongside technical innovation to succeed in this new era where taste is as crucial as functionality.

Founder mode, innovation, and why women are well positioned to lead (6 minute read)

This article discusses the differences between founder mode and manager mode in leadership, arguing that while manager mode is effective for scaling established companies, founder mode is crucial for innovation, particularly in early-stage startups or when facing disruptive changes like the introduction of GenAI. It also highlights how women leaders can successfully navigate founder mode by adopting a nurturing, collaborative approach while maintaining urgency and decisiveness.

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How to balance product discovery with product delivery (4 minute read)

Product discovery shouldn't be a separate phase or team, as that limits continuous learning and end-to-end responsibility. Balancing discovery with delivery leads to solutions users love, boosts business value, improves team morale, and makes product creation enjoyable.

Should your new feature be free or paid? (4 minute read)

Freemium strategies are powerful, but deciding whether new features should be free or paid requires careful consideration. Key factors include whether the feature drives retention, has virality, supports paid use cases, or is a commodity, while also balancing complexity and innovation to maintain competitiveness and brand perception.

Why platform product management is hard! (5 minute read)

Platform PMs must understand both the needs of their users and their users' end customers. This broader view enables building a platform that solves user needs while empowering them to address their customers' problems. By mastering this, platform teams can shift from being reactive to proactive, anticipating needs instead of merely responding to requests.

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The psychology behind McDonald's $2 billion self-serve kiosks (5 minute read)

The McDonald's app tracks spending to offer personalized kiosk deals, driving engagement and indulgent choices by removing judgment and encouraging quick decisions.

How to excel in your career: 5 important skills to have (6 minute read)

Solve tough problems with unconventional methods. Embrace disagreements as a way to stay grounded. Make timely, good decisions even if they're not perfect. Listen to understand, not to respond. Approach conflicts with a win/win mindset.

Product-led growth masterclass: how world class companies grow in 2024 (132 minute podcast)

Key lessons from this podcast include using the Product-Led Growth Iceberg Framework sequentially, optimizing 2-3 layers aligned with current goals, and recognizing that PLG might not always be the best go-to strategy, depending on factors like customer lifetime value and product complexity. Additionally, avoid over-relying on A/B testing or growth teams as a crutch and prioritize building trust early on through strong business understanding and consistent communication.

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Miscellaneous

You don't need to be a manager to have a successful career in the engineering industry (4 minute read)

The individual contributor path in engineering can be just as rewarding as a management path, offering similar compensation and leadership opportunities without the need to manage people. ICs can bring immense value by driving technical innovation, mentoring peers, and contributing to a company's success, especially as the demand for skilled engineers continues to grow.

The power of your voice (6 minute read)

We expect leaders to excel in communication, valuing those who speak and persuade effectively. Treat speaking as a skill — practice builds confidence and influence.

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Great questions to ask at PM interviews (from the interviewee) (2 minute read)

To stand out in PM interviews, candidates should adopt an evaluative mindset, prepare specific questions about team dynamics and challenges, and engage deeply to demonstrate curiosity and interest in the role.

Deep work (3 minute read)

Pitfalls of unproductive deep work include more than just failing to block calendar time.

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Thanks for reading,
Ellen Le & Sinan Zhang