The Beautiful Mess

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TBM 335: "Simple" Dependency Coordination
A lot of teams approach dependencies like this:
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John Cutler
2
TBM 334: The Capacity Allocation Illusion
One of the big challenges of offering a customizable tool in the product space is that you risk reinforcing unhelpful practices.
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John Cutler
7
TBM 333: Lean Graph Theory
If you've followed my work over the years, you know that I frequently mention ideas from Lean, such as limiting work in progress, continuous…
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John Cutler
2
TBM 332: The Last Strategy Framework You'll Ever Need
Strategy isn't inherently hard because of frameworks or because we somehow lack a strategy definition. Yes, skill matters. Knowing which questions to…
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John Cutler
6
TBM 331: Strategy & Decisiveness
However, my basic observation is that while strategy involves making decisions, not all strategic decisions look decisive. A strategy might involve…
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John Cutler
4

December 2024

TBM 330: (Un)common Sense Playbook
I remember listening to a podcast a few years ago featuring a Netflix engineering manager who described how he turned around a struggling team.
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John Cutler
10
TBM 329: Deep vs. Broad Context Traps
I have been thinking a lot recently about the value (and risks) of deep vs. broad contextual exposure. Two risks come to mind
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John Cutler
3
TBM 328: Beyond Firmographic-Based ICPs
How does a product manager/leader new to a company (a startup) start to form a mental model around segmenting customers and gradually converging on an…
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John Cutler
1
TBM 327: Hot Takes and Parochial Altruism
I've encountered several examples lately where people involved in tech share caustic, divisive messages that combine 1) in-group signaling alongside 2…
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John Cutler
2
TBM 326: Adhocracies and Bureaucracies
Rapid-growth tech companies often operate as adhocracies—they do whatever it takes to grow, move quickly, etc. The 0-1 stage is characterized by a lot…
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John Cutler
5
TBM 325: Skeptoptimism – Thinking Slow, Acting Fast
Skeptoptimists assume shit will happen but are also optimistic that the team will eventually prevail.
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John Cutler
3

November 2024

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