My grandfather, Robert Grasty, was 16 years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed in 1941. Like the patriots of his era, he went straight to the Navy after his 18th birthday to voluntarily enroll. He was rejected due to a foot surgery. They said he couldn’t wear the boots. He was off the hook. But …Read more
Example: Is it better to be an individual contributor at Google or a leader at an unknown startup? It’s a career choice you may have to make. The answer will be highly personalized, but here are some key things to consider. Big company = learn your function. Startup = learn to build companies If …Read more
Eric Schmidt famously told Sheryl Sandberg “If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat. Just get on.” He was talking about companies, and specifically Google. But the advice goes for projects as well. Every company has a Project X or two, where Project X is a high-flying initiative that senior …Read more
People frequently ask what it takes to become a successful product manager. I tell them all the same thing. To start with, you need a basic level of skill across a wide range of topics. Engineering Design Marketing Sales Data and analytics Strategy and prioritization Communications and leadership Then, to become world-class you need …Read more
Building a happy and successful career takes time and energy. Try focusing on these four words to guide you in the right direction. Honest First, be honest with yourself. It’s amazing how easy it is to lie to ourselves. When you’re excited or upset, think carefully about your motivations, your loves, your fears, and your …Read more
Prep your physical space If you might invest years of your life at this job, take the extra 15 minutes to make sure you’re ready for the interview. Plan exactly where you are going to take the call. That means privacy, little background noise, and either a landline or good cell phone reception. Also, have …Read more
You say: I’m not feeling challenged in my role. They hear: My boss is giving the most important projects to other people and there is a reason for that. Alternative: I have gotten everything I can out of this role and am ready for something bigger. So I am exploring opportunities internally and externally and …Read more
This is the first post in a series about How to Build Product Chops, which aims to help new and aspiring product managers understand the key components of product management. Building a product customers love is about making it simple and compelling. Here are 3 keys to getting it right. 1. Clarify your value prop …Read more
There was a famous food test where critics were given three meals: chicken, grilled chicken, and Tuscan-seasoned balsamic chicken. The Tuscan chicken got the best ratings. But there was a twist. The three meals were identical except for the name. The critics’ brains literally told them that the Tuscan-seasoned balsamic chicken was tastier than the …Read more
There is something in the startup world, and elsewhere, that I see all the time. It seems like the right thing to do, but there is no better way to kill your chances: the generalist pitch. Here is a quote from an email I got recently: “I would be open to any position that would allow …Read more