How to be a badass Product Leader
Yes, in today’s time you sometimes have to be one to create great products.
The world is changing and evolving like never before. The tech industry is re-defining the laws of business, physics, and also magic. From vegan meat to planning a staycation on Mars (Airbnb check this) people all around the world are creating pure magic when it comes to products and services.
Now the muggles (customers) might be awed by the spells these tech giants are casting but only the wizards know the amount of work, skill, dedication, hustle, chai (and sometime a sutta) goes behind the scene.
Product managers have a massive role to play in how things are getting created and also the expectations are sky high on delivery. So, I feel that today’s Product managers need to badass, rough, touch, adamant and basically be a mix of a rhino, an elephant and a dolphin.
Some unconventional traits which I feel should become, one day, trademarks of a great Product Leader:
Be brave enough to not get inspired. Originality is still king.
Yes, I said it. Getting inspired is good but an outdated thing. Bold and badass product guys need to think the hell out of their brain, get out their creative juices and create products and services unseen and unheard of. Inspiration should motivate you to learn more and grow as a product leader, but do not let it translate into your product. The users have access to millions of apps and its easy for them to spot an inspired product vs an original product. Aim for originality rather than inspiration.
Have a lean body and a product
Coming straight to the point, if you feel a feature is an added baggage to any release, kill it! Fight for what you feel is right, back it with data and logic and let your communication skills do the rest. Having a LEAN product is a golden rule that should be a no nonsense and a number 1 priority of any product leader. Less is beautiful, less is also data friendly.
No map, no jungle safari. Roadmap is holy script
I will never approach my angry wife without an action plan, I will never cheer up my crying baby without a toy, and I will never smoke my cigarette without a chai. That is how important a PRODUCT ROADMAP is. Be very very clear and bullish on defining the roadmap and make the lives of your stakeholders, developers easy. They will thank you later.
Walk before running, you need a PRD
Usain bolt and Virat Kohli might be blessed with great genes but what use are genes if you don’t plan your diet, exercise, and daily routine. that routine is your PRD document. A good sports coach will always have a written regime ready for the athletes, and so should a product leader. You need to lay down everything on a proper document and create an MVP of the product on paper. This act as a single reference point to all developers and UI/UX team.
Know when to Ignore your users.
Users are everything for a tech company. The products are shaped in a way as to guide and serve users and all our strategies are built around user retention, acquisition, and growth. But, that does not mean that everything a user says is always right. In the end, as a product leader you are the best judge of what you want to create and how you want your user’s behavior to be like. Shape your users and not let them shape your product. Don’t let anyone else drive your car while you are sitting in the backseat. It is not a great feeling.
Talk less in Zoom/Google/etc meetings.
This is a golden rule and a mark of a strong personality. Be silent in most of your meeting and HEAR to what people have to say. I am not suggesting that you doze off or watch a series on Netflix while your peers and team members are having a crucial discussion, all I am suggesting is to patiently hear what people have to say and then speak what you feel is right. Hear, assimilate, analyze and then speak.
Be involved in GTM meetings.
One of the finest directors of Indian cinema was Satyajit Ray. Apart form directing he used to be involved in music, casting, sound, and writing of his movies. His involvement was 360 degree, and this is what made all the difference. A great movie if not promoted properly will go unnoticed. So, Marketing strategy is one area which should officially get introduced in the PM ecosystem, and badass product leaders should be involved in GTM and others post deployment aspect of their products.
The reason why I was able to write this post is simple; PM as a position is every evolving and there are no fixed rules to have a successful career in this domain. Innovation and a passion for creating global products is what drives a great PM.
Having a bit of Badass elements in your method only indicates the passion that you have to this industry. So go ahead, light your bulb.
