Weekly Product Hits: Capitalization Costs, Complaints vs. Requests, Onboarding Yourself
Product Hits: March 31, 2025Every week, I share three great product resources from a variety of perspectives. Let's dive in! Capitalizing Software Development Costs by Heather Abbott Heather Abbott, partner at AKF Partners, examines the debate around capitalizing R&D costs in agile environments. Drawing on examples from major tech companies like Alphabet and Amazon, she highlights the long-term drawbacks of capitalization, arguing that it often delivers limited value in dynamic, iterative settings. Complaints vs. Requests by Victor Cheng Victor Cheng, VP of Product at LivePerson, argues that complaints create a power imbalance, often resulting in defensiveness or counter-complaints. Cheng instead advocates for replacing complaints with requests, which foster collaboration. By phrasing requests as questions, such as "Would you be willing to...?", PMs can create a more solution-focused dialogue that promotes mutual respect. Onboarding yourself by Wes Kao Wes Kao, co-founder of Maven, shares strategies for taking control of your own onboarding in a new role. She advises product managers to be proactive, uncover unspoken company norms, and quickly form a point of view to start contributing effectively from day one. Behind the ScenesHey there, it’s Clement! This week, let’s talk about product launches. Not the “checklist of tactics” kind of launch, but the kind that actually moves the needle. One mistake I see a lot of PMs make is treating launches as a single moment in time. A big reveal, a feature flag flip, maybe a blog post. And then… silence. But the most effective launches I’ve seen treat the process as a sequence of learning loops, not just a press release in isolation. Let me give you a few strategies that have worked well:
Great launches don’t happen by accident. They happen when you treat the whole arc (before, during, and after) as part of the product itself. How do you approach launches on your team? Got a favorite move that’s worked well? I’d love to hear what’s in your playbook. 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: April 28, 2025 Every week, I share three great product resources from a variety of perspectives. Let's dive in! Sales, not logistics by Wes Kao Wes Kao, co-founder of Maven, warns that jumping into logistics before securing buy-in is a critical communication mistake. She urges PMs to frame requests around impact and motivation first, using her "sales, not logistics" approach to drive action and influence stakeholders more effectively. Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery by...
Product Hits: April 21, 2025 Every week, I share three great product resources from a variety of perspectives. Let's dive in! PhDs Aren't Starting Companies Like They Used To by Nnamdi Iregbulem Nnamdi Iregbulem, Partner at Lightspeed Ventures, examines how the growing burden of knowledge and lack of division of labor discourage PhD-level talent from entrepreneurship. Therefore, PMs who work with PhDs like data scientists or ML researchers can attract and empower PhD talent by implementing...
Product Hits: April 14, 2025 Every week, I share three great product resources from a variety of perspectives. Let's dive in! Too detailed by Wes Kao Wes Kao, co-founder of Maven, emphasizes the importance of tailoring communication details to the audience and context. She advises PMs to reduce cognitive load by focusing on clarity and actionable takeaways. Aligning Teams Around Strategy by Victoria Wisot Victoria Wisot, Partner at AKF Partners, outlines seven practices to keep teams focused...