Weekly Product Hits: Strategy Means Saying No, Structuring Teams, Leading through Speaking
Product Hits: June 30, 2025Every 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 Cross-Functional Teams by Victoria Wisot Victoria Wisot, partner at AKF Partners, challenges the assumption that dysfunction stems from execution. Often, the problem starts upstream in how teams are structured. She encourages PMs to rethink roles, goals, and reporting lines to unlock real accountability and faster delivery. Leadership = Public Speaking by Victor Cheng Victor Cheng, VP of Product at LivePerson, argues that leadership is rooted in communication, not execution. He encourages PMs to speak up about opportunities and problems: not to gain visibility, but to align teams and rally momentum. Behind the Scenes Hey there, it’s Clement! I’ve been reading stories from PMs leading remote teams lately, and one theme keeps coming up: being distributed means that we need to be more intentional, especially when we’re communicating and setting expectations. Here are a few keys I’ve seen make a big difference: Overcommunicate the context, not just the status. Make expectations hilariously clear. Misalignment often starts with vague goals or undefined success criteria. Write things down. Define what “done” looks like. Align on what decisions require async input vs. live discussion. Once you’ve aligned async, post it in the channel again - even if you think everyone already knows about it! Respect time zones & be sure to model boundaries. Remote doesn’t mean always-on. When leading across time zones, explicitly tell people when messages aren’t urgent. That modeling builds trust and gives people space to do deep work without burnout. Leading remote teams well doesn’t require fancy toolkits! Instead, focus on bringing clarity, empathy, and respect. That’s how strong product cultures are built, no matter where your team is sitting. 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 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,...
Product Hits: June 9, 2025 Every 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...