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
Category: Product
Short reads on product management, marketing and sales, self-awareness, and 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
Documentation – a foolproof way to fall in love with the problem
As a product manager, when you discover a problem, you're more likely to believe that you've uncovered the symptoms. It may be because many customers talk about the same problem, so you assume you're aware of the details. For example, imagine you’re building design software. Some customers tell you that they want your software to … Continue reading Documentation – a foolproof way to fall in love with the problem
Rethink your user onboarding – Lessons from Descript, Basecamp, and Superhuman
Let's say you're signing up for a product. You see a welcome message on your screen. And that's followed by a few steps on how to set up the product. You roll your eyes and think to yourself that this is going to require a lot of effort. Now, one of these three things can … Continue reading Rethink your user onboarding – Lessons from Descript, Basecamp, and Superhuman
Be considerate while sharing knowledge
Let's say you share an interesting post with your friend. You're excited to know what they think about it. They say, "I'll check it out!" but you never hear them talk about it later. Similarly, in marketing, you email your blog links to your prospects/customers, expecting them to open, click, and read it. And when … Continue reading Be considerate while sharing knowledge
Tired of note-taking apps
I'm tired of note-taking apps. It's not because of limited choices. But it's the other way around. There are so many note-taking apps you could try but end up sticking to none. At least, that's my story. It's a perfect example of the paradox of choice. I used to wonder why people keep building so many … Continue reading Tired of note-taking apps