"Product Management: From Meh to Awesome" Shiva Rajaraman, #ProductSF | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

Product managers should find joy in the small wins and embrace failure as a necessary part of the learning process.

Key Insights

• 😃 Product managers should find joy in small wins and user feedback to stay motivated and positive.
• 🥡 Embracing failure and taking risks is crucial for product managers to drive innovation and achieve great things.
• ❓ Being internationally focused can bring inspiration and create opportunities for product managers.
• 👤 User feedback and understanding different cultures are important considerations in product development.
• 👤 User experience and design should prioritize the needs and preferences of users.
• 🔨 Analytics tools should be simplified and provide actionable insights for product managers.
• 🏛️ Building a platform mindset enables product managers to unlock the full potential of their products.

Transcript

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Questions & Answers

Q: Why is finding joy in small things important for product managers?

Finding joy in small things helps product managers to stay positive and motivated, making it easier to tackle the challenges they face every day. It also allows them to appreciate the impact their product has on users.

Q: How can product managers embrace failure?

Product managers should view failure as a learning opportunity and not be afraid to take risks. By trying new things, even if they don't work, product managers can discover innovative solutions and make improvements to their products.

Q: Why is international focus and understanding different cultures important for product managers?

International focus allows product managers to expand their perspectives and find inspiration from diverse markets. Understanding different cultures helps them create products that are tailored to the needs and preferences of users from various countries.

Q: How can product managers incorporate user feedback into the product development process?

Product managers should prioritize user feedback and use it to drive product improvements. They can conduct user research, analyze user data, and actively seek feedback to understand user needs and make informed decisions.

Summary

In this video, the speaker discusses various aspects of being a product manager, including finding joy in the smallest things, the importance of breaking things to achieve greatness, the value of looking beyond your home country for inspiration, the significance of thinking of your product as a platform, the need to make every feature and aspect of your product awesome, the importance of failing and learning from those failures, and the impact of creating a positive user experience.

Questions & Answers

Q: What is one thing the speaker emphasizes as critical for product managers?

The speaker believes that finding joy in the smallest things, such as Easter eggs within the product or positive feedback from users, is essential for product managers.

Q: Why does the speaker believe it is important to break things?

The speaker thinks that great things are usually achieved by trying to break things. While this goes against the conventional teaching of not breaking stuff, the speaker advises product managers to embrace the mindset of pushing boundaries and taking risks in order to achieve greatness.

Q: Can you provide an example of when breaking things had a significant impact?

The speaker shares an example of a live event where YouTube had millions of concurrent streams, causing a significant surge in internet traffic. This event pushed the limits of internet infrastructure and demonstrated the importance of taking risks and pushing boundaries.

Q: How does the speaker emphasize the importance of looking beyond one's home country?

The speaker mentions that most of the delight and inspiration for a product does not come from the home country but from elsewhere. They highlight an example of YouTube analyzing queries from different countries and discovering trends that helped them shape their product strategy.

Q: What does the speaker recommend product managers do when focusing on different markets?

The speaker suggests that product managers should pay attention to the top ten countries for their product and even visit those countries if possible. By understanding different markets, product managers can have real impact and develop a more global perspective.

Q: How does the speaker suggest thinking about a product as a platform can change the way product managers approach their work?

The speaker shares an example of YouTube's shift in thinking about their Content ID feature. Instead of simply considering it as a rights management vehicle, they started thinking about it as a pulse on the usage and sharing of music. This shift in mindset allowed them to turn the data into a valuable product and have an impact on the music industry.

Q: Why does the speaker believe it is important to think of every feature as being awesome?

The speaker encourages product managers to have a high-quality bar for everything they do, including features that are typically seen as less exciting, such as ads. They highlight examples of creative and engaging ads that have gone viral and demonstrate the impact of making every aspect of a product awesome.

Q: What has YouTube's experience with translation initiatives taught them about failing and learning?

The speaker discusses YouTube's journey in trying different approaches to translation, from algorithmic translation to crowdsourcing. They highlight the importance of persistence and patience in learning from failed attempts and iterating until a successful solution is found.

Q: How does the speaker emphasize the importance of understanding and spending time with users?

The speaker shares an example of an indie musician who started by uploading a song on YouTube and eventually became successful through the platform. They emphasize the need for product managers to understand the impact of their product on users and the positive changes they enable in their lives.

Q: What is the speaker's advice to product managers when facing failures?

The speaker advises product managers to have a long-term perspective and develop a culture within their organizations that accepts and learns from failures. They encourage product managers to view failures as opportunities for growth and not to give up easily, citing the example of YouTube's relentless pursuit of success in different areas.

Takeaways

The video highlights several key takeaways for product managers. Firstly, finding joy in the smallest things within a product and cultivating them is essential. Second, breaking things and taking risks is crucial for achieving greatness. Third, looking beyond one's home country for inspiration can lead to valuable insights. Fourth, thinking of a product as a platform allows for greater impact. Fifth, making every aspect of a product awesome, including features that may seem less exciting, is important. Sixth, failing and learning from those failures is part of the journey towards success. Lastly, understanding and spending time with users is essential for creating a positive user experience.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Finding joy in small things, such as user feedback and product Easter eggs, is critical for product managers building a company or organization.

• Embracing failure and breaking things is essential for product managers to achieve great things and create meaningful products.

• Being internationally focused and understanding different cultures can be a source of inspiration and delight for product managers.