Alexander Gross

Gotta love lunchtime conversations around my house. These were just from today! This is what happens when you have two product people under one roof. - How to handle WCAG compliance recommendations - Dealing with scope creep - How to document assumptions around R&D for quarterly planning

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Kevin Yien shared the best definition of the job of a product manager I've heard: To turn the potential energy of your team (e.g., your engineers, designers, etc.) into as much realized value as possible. When people complain to me about product managers, and wish PMs didn't exist, that tells me they've never worked with a great PM. Great PMs help you do the best work of your lives. They help you spend more of your time doing the work you enjoy—coding, designing, building—and take on work that makes sure what you're building actually ships, delivers impact, and avoids surprises.

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Why attempts at great UX fail 🎙️Clip from “How to find underserved markets, "word-of-mouth" as a success metric, and what makes a product valuable? w/ Rob Petrozzo CPO of Rally Ep 118” Releasing April 1st ——————————————————— Hi! I'm Caden Damiano, I'm an interaction designer, collaboration coach, and lifelong student of the craft of product development. I believe that product development is a liberal art, meaning you must experience multiple disciplines and perspectives to know how to make something that customers tell their friends about. In short, I believe great products have free word-of-mouth marketing. Follow me here on LinkedIn for daily clips from my interviews with product professionals, and insights on making great products.

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It’s just easier to deflect and let “sh*t roll down hill”. John Cutler is right. More engaged IT team members aren’t enough to overcome systemic #culture and leadership issues. “Someone hired those PMs. Someone funded those companies. Someone set expectations for those PMs. A leader benefitted (or didn't from their work). Someone had the job to mentor those PMs, and share business context and the strategy (assuming one even existed).” #itleadership #projectleadership #projectmanagement #productleadership #productmanagement.

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I'm loving this debate between John Cutler and Ed Biden - both are thinkers and leaders I deeply admire. Zero-interest PMs were hired by zero-interest Product Leaders, who were probably hired by zero-interest CEOs. It's turtling all the way up 🐢 Are they all incompetent? Nah, they are just a product of the environment. It would've been foolish to not take advantage of the zero-interest capital. The key question is whether these people - at all levels from the CEO to the PMs - are capable of adapting to the current environment where profit margin and sustainability are key. Everyone needs to 'sober up' after years of being drunk and high with cash. Zero-interest leaders focus on acquisition at all costs. Sober leaders focus on bringing solid value that leads to retention and sustainable growth. Zero-interest leaders double, triple, even quadruple the size of their team. Sober leaders realize that team size != productivity, that spending hours in alignment meetings for a small feature isn't any fun. Running lean is the way forward. Zero-interest leaders build or even acquire aggressively, trying to capture as much market as possible. Sober leaders are thoughtful in choosing just 1 or 2 things to do. Zero-interest leaders care about framework and rules "This is the only correct way to do product." Sober leaders care about results, knowing that those frameworks and rules are merely vehicles to achieve results. Ultimately, sober leaders are accountable for business performance, not just acting like consultants in suits talking big words and making pretty slides. It's not easy to sober up - but it's adapt or die.

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Any product management advice that includes “maybe you need to educate your executive stakeholders about making better decisions” embeds an assumption that you can talk to executives like peers without getting immediately PIPped. It’s probably coming from a consultant or an executive who hasn’t been on the wrong side of a power dynamic in a looooong time. I’m not saying _never_ trust this kind of advice, but treat it like that one kitchen knife that’s a little too big and sharp. Use it carefully so you don’t lose a finger.

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When launching a new product I see alot of product managers wait until they're asked "how it's going", before thinking about what their metrics of success are. This is something that I learned as a new product manager when trying to get funding for my first product. Think about the metrics that are important both your company, as well as what is going delight the customer to the point that they're publicly championing your products and organization. #productmanagement #GTM #productlaunch #launchstrategy

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UX design is often underestimated, but it plays an important role in whether customers stick around or not. If your product is hard to use, even the most innovative features won’t keep users engaged. The challenge is getting leadership to see how UX directly affects business outcomes like retention and growth. Here’s what to keep in mind:  1️⃣ Retention insights: Are customers dropping off because the experience is clunky? Quantify those losses to strengthen your case.  2️⃣ Competitive edge: Are rivals gaining ground with better UX? Show how improving usability can help win back customers.  3️⃣ Team capacity: If your team is doing great work but overloaded, demonstrate how adding more designers will help you move faster and deliver more impactful products. Leaders are more likely to support UX improvements when they can see how it directly affects the business. Let the data speak for the value of design. How has investing in UX design impacted your product's success? Share your experience in the comments! #dearmelissa #productmanagement #ux #uxdesign #userexperience #productstrategy #growth #productthinking

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🚨 PSA: If you're not already following me on Twitter, you’re missing out on my real-time thoughts, hot takes, and behind-the-scenes moments from the world of [product management/business analysis/tech] 🔥 👉 Follow me here: https://lnkd.in/gVvR89gf Let's connect and keep the conversation going across platforms! 💬👋 #FollowMe #TwitterFam #ConnectWithMe #TechTalk #ProductManagement

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