Thanks again for taking time out of your day to read the newsletter. It means so much.
What’s next for TBM in 2023? I’ll have news on my new gig in a couple weeks (I’m very excited, it will be a big change of pace), but here are three things I will be focusing on this year:
Actionability
Product advice diversity
Weirdos (like me)
Actionability
The first thing on my mind is actionability, which I have struggled with for many years. I love creating and sharing templates, models, and frameworks (like this, this, this, this, and this). But I also like writing about patterns, dynamics, puzzles, and messes. I'm very hesitant about giving context-free "actionable" advice, partly because I've seen firsthand how easily this type of advice gets misinterpreted in the real world of companies. The post-mix for the last three years is around 62.5% mess (100 posts) and 37.5% tools (60 posts). Some posts, like Navigating the Product Leadership Fog and Verticals, Horizontals, and Dimensions, are a hybrid, so it is a spectrum.
Today I received some great feedback about my recent post on NPS.
I have now started to see myself reading you less and getting less value as time passes. Some of it is what I need at this stage of my career, but the other is that you're focusing more and more on all the problems and less on how those problems are to be solved.
Yes, I should have spent another couple of hours writing about alternatives to NPS, and the post would have been more actionable. But realistically, I didn't have time. I spend between an hour and three hours weekly writing the weekly post. Layering on 200-500 words of actionable "do this now" advice would add another hour or so. As a reminder, I had (and will continue to have) a full-time job. So I have a dilemma on my hands.
Some people like the mess—that's why they read. Other people want clear, actionable steps to address the mess (which sometimes exist but often don't and almost certainly involve context, extra nuance, and time). Some options I am considering:
Doing two newsletters and stagger them (biweekly release)
Coming up with a new format for posts that forces me to provide some actionable advice. If this takes longer, I might need to release it bi-weekly.
Doing a year of actionable posts for fun and a change of pace.
Any thoughts are appreciated. Please reach out.
Product Advice Diversity
Next, I am concerned that available product advice lacks diversity and disproportionately represents particular worldviews and belief systems. I recently met with someone new to product management from an underrepresented group in tech. They asked if it was necessary to follow the advice of [some well-known product advice giver] to be successful in product management. They described not being able to relate to the advice and the style of the advice—that it clashed with their beliefs—but didn't know if the advice represented the "reality of tech" (in particular at famous tech companies). It was heartbreaking to hear.
One of the benefits of my prior role (at Amplitude) was meeting with hugely diverse teams from around the world. I learned that there are many ways to achieve the same outcome and that no particular company or region has a lock on the "best" way to do things. Leadership styles, management styles, and collaboration styles are very diverse. I passed along some recommendations of companies that fit their style better, but I wish I could have done more.
Emily Patterson is doing great things to help with her project In The Lab. Check it out to volunteer, participate, hire, or donate. I have some ideas that I will explore in 2023 to address this problem—including making sure I don't contribute to the problem!
Weirdos Unite
Finally, it is becoming increasingly clear that there is an audience out there—an audience I attract because I'm one of them/you—that I would best describe as sensitive, systems thinking, not-Type-A, collectivist, alternative agenda, and not mainstream tech. Others have used the word neurodivergent, which I am open to, but don't know much about.
In many posts, including Integrator Burden, Pyramid of Leadership Self/Other Awareness, The Messifesto, Working With Very Confident People (Who Dismiss You), and Look Before Leaping, I have explored challenges and opportunities unique to this audience.
This is going to get heavy for a sec. If none of this resonates, please skip ahead. You can still benefit from my newsletter, so don't get scared away. I respect and admire you for who you are. Imagine how boring work would be if everyone was wired the same way? Ok…
People (me included) with this wiring seem to gravitate to glue roles, facilitator roles, and complexity unraveling roles. We're "not practical", "not normal", we "don't bring solutions" (we do, just not in typical ways), we "overcomplicate things" (we don't, we're more strategic and thoughtful), we "don't go through normal channels", and we're tough to put in a box. The bulk of mainstream tech advice brands us weird—they like us around because we somehow help—but ultimately, they don't get us.
This is going to get heavy for a second. But you know what?
For 2023 I say fuck that.
(Sorry, got a little carried away! But hey, it’s my newsletter)
We deserve to have a community and peers as well. Trust me; we're out there. We shouldn't operate alone. We believe in healthy environments, healthy teams, and helping people—so by "fuck that!" I'm not proposing we stop trying to be the best team members or stop trying to help. Instead, we need a support network and shouldn't feel marginalized.
What does this mean for the newsletter? That's a good question. Part of being weird this way realizes that the world is filled with diverse views and perspectives, and we don't want to impose. Options include:
A side community
Another newsletter
A big warning sign (a trigger warning) for people who get annoyed by us
And with that…all the best for 2023. I appreciate you all so much, and am honored to be taking this journey through life, career, and product with you all.
Don't hesitate to contact me or comment below if you have any thoughts.
Thank you.
Proud "weirdo" here. Excited about connecting in a community of other weirdos.
I've heard so much feedback that amounts to stop doing things in your list. Not valued for strategic thinking because people only see ability to pursue details. Asked to reduce messages to a couple bullet points that are then dismissed when people don't understand the conclusion. Once a coworker told me they hadn't realized what I was contributing until I'd left. I gravitate towards situations that are undefined and poorly understood, that need someone to wrangle complexity, diagnose disarray, and map a path forward. I excel at elements of product management that need insight and the application of principles. I don't do well in situations where a company has a system and is looking for someone who's good at carrying out a defined process or procedure. I find ideas coming out of non-product-management communities as or more useful than information circulating inside it.
The story of my working life since 1992 is described in your paragraph "People (me included) with this wiring seem to gravitate to glue roles, facilitator roles, and complexity unraveling roles. We're "not practical", "not normal", we "don't bring solutions" (we do, just not in typical ways), we "overcomplicate things" (we don't, we're more strategic and thoughtful), we "don't go through normal channels", and we're tough to put in a box."
I’d even suggest to go for “less (explicitly) actionable”. As you noted, context free advice is hard (impossible) or probably harmful (when read naively).
I really like you exploring the problems/mess. This gives so much insights! As well this is always _implicitly_ actionable, as understanding is always the first and biggest step.