Weekly Product Hits: Agile Principles, Know Your Weaknesses, Enterprise Software Monetization
Product Hits: June 9, 2025Every week, I share three great product resources from a variety of perspectives. Let's dive in! The Right Principles of Agile by Noa Ganot Noa Ganot, founder of Infinify, explains that Agile succeeds when teams focus on core principles like flexible planning, continuous assessment, and early value delivery. She urges product managers to prioritize learning and adaptability, even if the broader organization isn’t fully agile. Know Your Weaknesses by Victor Cheng Victor Cheng, VP of Product at LivePerson, emphasizes that successful product managers recognize their weaknesses and intentionally build partnerships to fill those gaps. He highlights that career growth comes not from chasing prestige, but from aligning roles to natural strengths. Enterprise Software Monetization is Fat-Tailed by Nnamdi Iregbulem Nnamdi Iregbulem, Partner at Lightspeed Ventures, explains that enterprise software revenue follows a fat-tailed distribution, where a small number of "whale" customers drive the majority of revenue. He encourages PMs to prioritize broad customer acquisition with "land and expand" strategies, since initial small accounts often grow into outsized contributors over time. Behind the Scenes Hey there, it’s Clement! I've found that a surprising number of UX breakdowns don’t come from what a product says, but how much it says, and when that info is said. When users are flooded with options or explanations too early, even the best features can feel overwhelming. We want to design for user momentum, especially within the first 30 seconds of their product experience. What does the user need to take their very next step? Everything else (extra details, advanced settings, edge-case explanations) can wait. The best UX helps users make progress right away, while keeping deeper options available when they’re ready. A few patterns I’ve seen work well: collapse advanced options behind a “Show More” toggle, use tooltips that appear only when someone hovers or clicks, and place complex workflows behind clear signals like “Customize” or “Advanced Settings.” By leveraging these patterns, we're not just making the interface cleaner - in fact, what we're really doing is enabling focus for our users. For the current feature that you're working on: consider mapping out the first 30 seconds of the experience. What’s absolutely essential for forward progress? What can be layered in later? The point of good UX isn't "clean and minimalistic design." Instead, the real point of good UX is to guide our users to the right action at the right moment. What are some product experiences where you've had an amazing first 30 seconds? I'd love to hear from you! With love, Let's do more together!
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Product Teacher
In-depth essays and thought-provoking reads for product managers.
Product Hits: July 21, 2025 Every week, I share three great product resources from a variety of perspectives. Let's dive in! Networking, Reframed by Deb Liu Deb Liu, CEO of Ancestry.com, reframes networking as long-term community-building rooted in generosity and consistency, rather than selfish short-term transactions. When PMs invest early in authentic relationships, they can draw on that trust when it’s time to seek support. Avoid incepting negative ideas by Wes Kao Wes Kao, co-founder of...
Product Hits: June 30, 2025 Every week, I share three great product resources from a variety of perspectives. Let's dive in! Saying No Is a Strategy, Not a Sacrifice by Noa Ganot Noa Ganot, founder of Infinify, argues that trying to please everyone is the fastest path to mediocrity. She urges PMs to treat “no” as a strategic tool (not a reluctant compromise!) because focus and trade-offs are what make a product truly valuable to the right customers. 6 Principles for Structuring...
Product Hits: June 16, 2025 Every week, I share three great product resources from a variety of perspectives. Let's dive in! You’re more free than you think by Linda Zhang Linda Zhang, founder of Product Lessons, argues that remote and asynchronous work have unlocked new levels of career freedom. She encourages product managers to embrace flexibility, focus on learning, and build resilience by seeking out rejection. One Foot in Front of the Other by Deb Liu Deb Liu, CEO of Ancestry.com,...