The longer I’ve been in product, the more I realize that intuition doesn’t just come from data. It comes from living life with your eyes open. We often think of intuition as that voice that tells you to pause: “Something feels off,” “Not yet,” “Let’s wait.” And sometimes, that’s exactly what it is. It’s restraint. … Continue reading What nobody tells you about product intuition
Category: Product
Alignment sounds nice, but translation works.
I’ve stopped believing that alignment means everyone agrees. Most of the time, it just means everyone thinks they understood the same thing. In product conversations, we love to say, “Let’s get aligned.” It sounds mature. Kinda professional as well. But what we’re really saying is, “Let’s make sure we’re not talking about completely different things.” … Continue reading Alignment sounds nice, but translation works.
Search experience on YouTube
YouTube's primary Search experience is pretty good. They allow the ability to filter on top of the search results based on the video length, quality, duration, upload date, etc. However, they need to handle Search better in other areas within the app. YouTube Channels YouTube offers the ability to search within channels. However, there's a … Continue reading Search experience on YouTube
Product management wisdom and why context matters
If you're a PM, you're more likely to follow Silicon Valley PM thought leaders to learn about the latest trends in product management. You may even have taken up a few PM courses to learn a thing or two about best product management practices. I can relate. What I've observed being a part of the … Continue reading Product management wisdom and why context matters
My two cents on decision-making
When at a crossroads, we experience anxiety and feel overwhelmed about making a decision. Whether it be a small decision or a life-altering one, the way we perceive this scenario could be the same. Sometimes we fight the thought of what's morally acceptable and not. We invite many factors to determine if our decision is … Continue reading My two cents on decision-making
Work on things you want to get better at
One standard piece of advice I've heard from many is to work on things that we are good at and would excite us. The rationale behind this advice is to double down on things we have expertise in and experience a sense of satisfaction while working on familiar tasks. This is good advice, but I could … Continue reading Work on things you want to get better at
This is why product differentiation is tricky
When a company starts to make consistent revenue and earn a handful of customers, the most obvious next step is to beat the competition and lead the category. And they try to do it by building a differentiated product. What happens behind the scenes? Everyone in the room, right from the founder, PMs, sales lead, … Continue reading This is why product differentiation is tricky
The value of “I don’t know”
Every time a senior employee or manager explained an idea with immense passion, I used to play along. My response to them would be, "Sounds great," or "Makes sense!." I'd signal my agreement by instantly jumping to discuss the next steps. Once the discussion gets over, I'd feel weird. I'd ask myself - "Did you … Continue reading The value of “I don’t know”
Communicate your ideas clearly
No matter what role you're in, communication is integral. And with the increase in the number of companies that lean towards remote work, the importance of communication can't be stressed enough. Be it daily stand-ups, Slack messages, emails, or long decision-making meetings — you've got to ensure that your coworkers, stakeholders, or customers listen to … Continue reading Communicate your ideas clearly
Talk goals during product demos
Let’s say you’re selling live chat software to a customer support manager. You're aware of their business and the challenges with their customer support. So you structure your conversation around their problems and the magnificent solution you can offer. On the other hand, there’s another live chat software that offers similar features as you do. … Continue reading Talk goals during product demos
Akkshaya Varkhedi 