December 2023

Product Managers vs Product Leaders - Silicon Valley Product Group

For those that have been following along, I recently wrote about alternatives to product managers, and alternatives to product leaders as the context to understand the debates in the industry around the different styles of leadership (essentially empowerment vs command and control). One of the consequences of these articles, and the resulting discussions, is that...

Leaders, Make Curiosity the Core of Your Organizational Culture

Great corporate cultures are not just good for performance, but for the flourishing and engagement of the people who work in them and to deliver greater meaning and purpose. But oft overlooked is the central role that curiosity plays in crafting an organizational culture. To unlock the potential of their institutions and the people within them, great leaders need to demonstrate consistent curiosity in four key areas. First, they must be curious about the values and motivations of their employees in shaping and maintaining a corporate culture. Second, curiosity must be extended to customers to find out not just about your products and services but about “why” your customers love your organization. Third, leaders must reflect with open-mindedness and curiosity on their own roles, especially as they change. Finally, leaders must stay curious about the changing nature of their companies and contexts over time, and adjust their cultures accordingly.

Alternatives To Product Leaders - Silicon Valley Product Group

This is the second of two related articles talking about the alternatives to product managers and product leaders.  In the first article, I discussed how the product manager’s responsibilities of value and viability can, under the right conditions, be covered by other approaches. In this article, I wanted to talk about alternatives to covering the...

Alternatives To Product Managers - Silicon Valley Product Group

I doubt anyone is surprised to learn that many people have been asking me about Brian Chesky’s recent comments. I’ve been hesitant to write about this topic for two reasons:  First, I didn’t want to provide oxygen to this topic, as I consider this interview one that creates as many questions as it answers.  Second,...

November 2023

TBM 253: Don't Fix Things. Write a New Story

Some thoughts on why the push to “align on the problem” is often counterproductive, and why a better approach is to focus on breaking the narrative stalemate with a better story. Companies are filled with (often competing) narratives about what is broken, why, and what to do about it.