Product Hits: April 1, 2024

Every week, I share three great product resources from a variety of perspectives. Let's dive in!

​Failing to Design for Rollback is Designing for Failure by Victoria Wisot

Victoria Wisot, Partner at AKF, discusses why software needs to be designed for rollback. Wisot shares a case study on how PayPal’s previous failure to design for rollback led to detrimental consequences such as loss of market share, loss of customer confidence, and loss of revenue. Wisot stresses that prioritizing proper preparation can yield significant return on investment and mitigate potential failures in product development.

​Diving into AI/ML product management by Yiyang Hibner

Yiyang Hibner, Staff Product Manager at Stitch Fix, interviews multiple AI/ML PMs to break down their journeys into AI/ML product management as well as the challenges they face. Their discussion delves into the interdisciplinary nature of AI/ML product roles, the importance of technical expertise and first-principle thinking, and the need for adaptability.

​TikTok and the Sorting Hat by Eugene Wei

Eugene Wei, Head of Video at Oculus, walks through how TikTok’s algorithm functions like the sorting hat in Harry Potter, using machine learning to personalize content for users. Wei argues that TikTok's success challenges traditional social networks by offering a more efficient interest-based experience, and he highlights the various ways that TikTok can disrupt various industries beyond entertainment.

Behind the Scenes

Hey there, it's Clement! I was recently chatting with Sophie, our Growth Product Manager at Product Teacher, about a theme that kept coming up in my PM coaching calls.

I noticed quite a few PMs were approaching job searches in a less-than-effective way. They were sending in lots of “cold” applications, they were leaning too heavily on LinkedIn’s “easy apply” feature, and they were taking as many courses and certifications as possible to boost their profile.

In my coaching sessions, I advised my clients to think about the job search from the perspective of the PM hiring manager. By taking a “customer-focused lens” instead of a “candidate-focused lens”, I helped them course-correct their job search strategies.

After these calls, many of my clients thanked me for providing “career-changing advice” (their words, not mine). Some shared with me that they were previously unable to land interviews for 6+ months, but once they implemented my guidance, they started securing multiple interviews each week.

Sophie asked me whether I had compiled this knowledge into a video course or a written guide somewhere. I sheepishly said that I hadn’t… after all, I’ve been slammed with coaching calls for weeks on end now (which is why our “new client intake form” has an 8+ month waitlist, I’m honestly really sorry about that!).

I mentioned to Sophie that I really wanted to craft a comprehensive guide to PM job searches. I envisioned a polished guide with beautiful visuals, in-depth analyses, case studies, quotes, and more. But, no matter how many 14-hour weekends I worked, I still couldn’t find the time.

At this point, Sophie challenged my thinking. Why shouldn’t I ship something earlier rather than later? Why did it have to be an "amazing" guide, when good enough is good enough?

She emphasized the importance of helping people now, even if it meant shipping something raw with lots of rough edges.

And honestly, she’s right. I let perfection become the enemy of “good enough.”

So, over the last month, I’ve pulled together a set of rough bullet points based on 15+ PM job search coaching sessions, on top of dozens of chats with both PM candidates and PM hiring managers.

It's not the comprehensive guide I envisioned. But, these raw notes still contain actionable insights for navigating the current PM job landscape.

As a pilot test, I shared my notes in PDF form with about 10 PM candidates, and the overwhelming feedback was “this was really helpful, why didn’t you ship it earlier?”

Looking back, I wish I had.

I know the PM market is rough right now, so I've purposely made the PDF available at a reduced price. If this document would be helpful for you, you can find it here.

Transparently, I’m not super proud of my work here. It’s not as thoughtful, nuanced, or well-designed as I’d like it to be. But, product management isn’t about shipping perfection, after all!

If you’ve been working on a PM job search, I hope these insights enable you to run a more productive search. I'm rooting for your success!
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With love,
Clement

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