Mona Gandhi’s Post

Two completely divergent advice I see for PMs from LinkedIn authors these days 🤔 Not yet decided what to believe One group says - PM as a discipline is already getting brick walled, and folks should stay away rather than trying to get in Other group - Is still trying to help folks get into the discipline, hence singing praises for it. I mean, I am a believer that PM discipline is SOOOOO ripe for disruption and jobs are going to shrink, like BIG time. Just that I thought there is runway left. Didn’t think the discipline was transforming so fast so soon, if I were to believe group 1. Curious, are you observing market changes confirming huge problems for PM positions and the brick walling call-outs? #productmanagement

MUST LEARN for PMs: First Principles Thinking If are a PM or an aspiring PM, I am sure you must have heard 'First Principles' umpteen times. But, what exactly is 'First Principles' thinking? Let's deep dive. 1️⃣ What is First Principles thinking? First principles thinking is about deconstructing or breaking down complex problems into their most basic, fundamental aspects. It requires questioning assumptions and rebuilding knowledge from the ground up. It helps you think all the problems/ideas from group zero as if nothing similar to it exists. 2️⃣ How does it work? [1] Identify and challenge assumptions Start by questioning everything you know about a problem. Ask "why" repeatedly until you reach the foundational truths. [2] Break down the problem Reduce the problem into its core components. Strip away the complexities to understand the basics. Reach the bare bones. [3] Reconstruct from ground-up: Use these basic elements to create new solutions, free from preconceived notions. 3️⃣ Why First Principles matters? First principles thinking empowers us to innovate and solve problems more effectively. It leads to innovative solutions that solves user problems, and not copy cats of existing products out there in the market. 4️⃣ How do you bring First Principles thinking in your day-to-day life as a PM? [1] Let go of your biases [2] Understand user needs and pain points at the fundamental level [3] Do not try to imitate or copy features that your competitors are building [4] Ask questions till you get clarity - challenge the assumptions Liked this? Follow Vishal Bagla for more. #FirstPrinciples #ProblemSolving #Leadership #ProductManagement

For fresh PMs new to Product Review Calls - Part 1 of 3 A critical and omnipresent element of exec oversight in review meetings: Do. You. Know. Your. Stuff. 1> What are the numbers? 2> How are the numbers computed? 3> How are the numbers stacking up? (good / bad) 4> Why are the numbers that way (good / bad)? 5> Who are the numbers? (anecdotes? qual?) 6> What next (will you do to improve the numbers)? 7> When will numbers be great? Understand this: You need to prep ahead - and it will be almost impossible to analyse this fully during the meeting, especially under stress. Be ready to ask where you need help: You don’t need to always have all the answers, but you definitely should know what you don’t know. --------- Bonus: You've probably guessed this isn’t really about numbers. You need to demonstrate you’re alive to the challenge. In fact you 're doing everything. humanly. possible. to. win. Bonus 2: Let empathy for execs guide you - this is a major unlock (more on this another day).

Did you know? There's a crucial skill that every Product Manager (PM) should have but no one talks about Theory of Mind. This powerful skill equips PMs to navigate complex stakeholder relationships, anticipate customer needs, and build better, more responsible products. It's not just a theory; it's a game-changer! Swipe through to learn how Theory of Mind can transform your PM approach! #Nolum #ResponsibleProductManagement #Skills

Did you know? There's a crucial skill that every Product Manager (PM) should have but no one talks about Theory of Mind. This powerful skill equips PMs to navigate complex stakeholder relationships, anticipate customer needs, and build better, more responsible products. It's not just a theory; it's a game-changer! Swipe through to learn how Theory of Mind can transform your PM approach! #Nolum #ResponsibleProductManagement #Skills

Prioritizing roadmaps is an art AND a science 🎯 Here's how top PMs do it: - Use frameworks (RICE 🔢, Value vs. Effort 📊, or MoSCoW 🧩) - Collaborate with stakeholders 🤝 - Focus on outcomes, not just outputs 🚀 Want your roadmap to wow? It's all in finding that balance. ✨ #ProductManagement

Are your projects rarely delivering value? Do your managers and team over-focus on delivery? Are decisions made based on opinions? Discover how to break these common anti-patterns in my November Lean PM workshop:

Are your projects rarely delivering value? Do your managers and team over-focus on delivery? Are decisions made based on opinions? Discover how to break these common anti-patterns in my November Lean PM workshop:

#weeklypmlogs - Building a feature without knowing the problem it solves is an incorrect approach. 'A customer needs it' -> But why? The PM must figure out the WHY themself. The solution cannot be crowdsourced or passed down second hand. Only then can it contribute to developing product sense. - It'd be more beneficial for a junior PM to understand behaviours, working style ownership areas and organisation of their partner teams and their members rather than stressing about delivery timelines. Requirements come and go but the team stays (more or less) - It's less about what you say and more about how it's perceived. Hence, be mindful of the person at the receiving end. For example, Thomas Erikson says 'red' personality type do not fear to speak their mind but it may be perceived as off-putting. Note to reader - I've recently gotten curious about what's the standard to measure a PMs performance in an org. Kindly point in the right direction if you can. #productmanagement

Great read!! Key takeaways - ~Right size items based on your historical data ~Use work item age as a leading indicator as you start work on an item #estimation #rightsize #agile #agilesoftwaredevelopment #agilecoaching #coaching #scrummaster #productmanagement #projectmanagement #management #leadership https://lnkd.in/gj2Wz6Pc