Tonito .

Very often, as a Product Manager, you will discover that there is only one framework you will ever need: Common sense! How to use this long-forgotten framework? Let's start by saying that making decisions as a Product Manager, especially early in one's career, is a challenge. There is pressure on you to make the right call and lead the product and teams behind it to success. There are lots of factors to consider: • senior stakeholders' expectations, • promises made, • risk of failure, • cost of the decision, • time pressure, • conflicts of interest • goals pressure,    and countless others, no wonder making decisions can become simple: 𝗦𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗬 😱 A decision-paralysis ensues, and there seems to be no good option to take. Every choice has its drawback,s and each of the stakeholders lobbying for the best outcome for him/her has good arguments. Thus, what we as PMs and companies do is try to put the stress of decision away by putting frameworks and processes in place. Of course, there is NOTHING wrong with it. If you are forced to estimate if something is "Must have", "Should have", "Could have", and "Won't have" in the MoSCoW framework, that makes the prioritization process a bit better. If you can't release a ticket without a Jira ticket verified by QA staff, this will prevent unknown, undocumented parts of code from landing in the production version of the product, thus limiting the risk of a failed release. That's all fine and good. However, as time goes on and companies build more tools and processes in the software development process, the whole ordeal becomes bloated and often absurd. In such a setup, changing a button's color suddenly requires 3 months of work from a single developer (true story). This is where you come in - A Product Manager boldly using common sense as his/her guiding principle. This "framework" should trump all! Very often, it comes down to a combination of two elements: • courage to speak your mind, • focus on reaching your goal in a timely fashion. What do I mean by that? • Question when a simple outcome requires an unreasonable amount of effort • Step in to moderate a meeting that drags on and promises no outcome • Reject Stakeholder claims that are not supported by data • Add too many "Critical priorities" to "focus" at any given time • Ditch meetings where you are destined to say "thank you" at the end or simply: • Say "NO!" to anything that is just crazy in the eyes of a layman! Moreover, if the lack of common sense is a disease that is all over your company, there is only one cure: Leading by example. Moreover: Leading by example regardless of the pushback. Good luck! Is the common sense "framework" used a lot in your company? Please share in the comments :) #productmanagement #productmanager #frameworks

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✨Day 12: 30 Days of Product Management ✨ Happy Friday everyone! 🥳 Today, I’ve curated 5 FREE short Product Management courses from Treford. Each course is about an hour long, so you can easily dedicate some time to complete at least one this weekend. 🤗 As Product Managers, every new skill or perspective we pick up adds to our toolkit and makes us better at building products. Here’s the list:  🧪 QA essentials for PMs - https://lnkd.in/esGBVeRS  🤖 AI Product strategy - https://lnkd.in/eD-d6pRE  📊 Data and Event Tracking for FinTech Products - https://lnkd.in/eu2fCXXZ  ⚙️ Technical Product Management Fundamentals - https://lnkd.in/eWycd-is  🤝 Managing Cross-functional Teams as a Product Manager - https://lnkd.in/eqwmDEHD These courses are a great way to invest in your growth as a PM 🚀. You can also save/bookmark them for later or whenever you have some free time. Happy Learning! 💃 🙌 #day12 #30daysofproductmanagement #productmanager #productmanagement #buildinpublic #pmjourney

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Product Management is overhyped. That is what I told myself after doing (and failing at) it for the first 2 years. Turns out, I had no idea what a PM really did. After 12 years of seeing world-class PMs up close, I have a much better definition of the role. But, sadly, even today, more than 60% PMs are in the same boat: confused and clueless about "what does a PM do" Here’s the simplest mental model to think of a PM's role: A PM is responsible for finding answers to these questions. 1. Where do we want to go? 2. How will we get there? 3. What problems should we solve to get there? 4. Are all important people on the same page? 5. What solutions to build? How to deliver on time? 6. How do we know we're making progress? Let's understand in detail: 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗼 𝗪𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗼 A PM must create a clear vision so the entire team knows the destination. Build a deep understanding of the market, customer needs, and company’s goals. Regularly communicate the vision to ensure everyone knows it, agrees with it, and remembers it. Every successful product starts with a clear and ambitious vision 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗪𝗲 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 A PM needs to create a strategy to reach the vision. A PM should define what to focus on, what to avoid, target users, market trends, and strengths/weaknesses. Then, collaborate with teams to refine this strategy and adjust based on feedback and market changes. A well-defined strategy is crucial to success. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗪𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 Prioritizing the right problems is the only way to create value for users. Understand user's real needs, prioritize the critical ones that align with the vision. Do this continuously, not just annually. 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗢𝗻 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 Identify the people who can help you be successful. Ensure they're aligned. Communicate proactively and transparently. Involve relevant people in decisions, and iterate based on feedback. Regularly check if they're still aligned. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗧𝗼 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱? 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗼 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗢𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲? Brainstorm the best solutions and build those that have value for the user. Deliver on time to maximise impact. Users will use (and love) your product if it solves their problems 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗗𝗼 𝗪𝗲 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 It is not progress, if it can't be measured. Create clear metrics and success criteria. Review progress regularly to measure success / failure. When off track, adjust your roadmap or your goals or both. With every success / failure, ensure you learn and get better. Measuring success keeps everyone focused and accountable. -- Want more details? I am documenting everything I know about the PM role in a Google Doc (linked in the comments) You can access it for free, no email required, no pay wall. I will keep it updated as my understanding of the role keeps evolving.

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GPT is a power tool. Judgment is still the main Product manager job. I’ve been reviewing a lot of PRDs recently, and I’ve noticed something worrying. Some product managers are now using GPT to drive their thinking instead of support it. The result? Documents that check every box of a PRD template… but are full of confusion. To a junior PM, it looks polished. To an experienced eye, it’s mostly noise. To be clear: GPT is extremely powerful. We use it daily. But like any power tool, the outcome depends on the craftsperson. When GPT leads, it can produce confident structure without correct substance—and that’s hard to detect if you’re early in your career. Where GPT shines -Evidence gathering: pull prior art, benchmarks, and user quotes. -Synthesis: compress interviews/notes into themes and edge cases. -Exploration: generate alternative framings, risks, and test scenarios. -Communication: first drafts of release notes, FAQs, checklists. What you should not outsource -Problem definition: who is the user, what’s the job, what hurts now. -Context + constraints: compliance, data realities, org priorities. -Prioritization and trade-offs: what we will not build and why. Decision ownership: success metrics, guardrails, and accountability. A simple review test I use Few sentence problem (no AI): if you can’t state it cleanly, you’re not ready to draft. Evidence trace: every user scenario ties to a source or observation. Decisions > templates: I look for rationale, not headings. GPT should amplify your clarity, not simulate it. If the first time you feel “clear” is after the AI draft, that’s a warning sign. To young professionals (PMs and beyond): master the thinking, then use GPT to accelerate it. Tools compound good judgment; they can’t replace it. — Curious to hear how other product teams are seeing the impact of AI in their world.

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PM Interviews can be long. Really long. If you’re preparing for Product Management interviews at top tech companies… Be ready for 5–7 rounds covering product sense, strategy, analytics, tech, and execution. ⏳ It can take weeks to go through the full process & every company has its own structure. That’s why your prep needs to be holistic, not just focused on one type of question. ✅Master the core PM skill set: product sense, strategy, analytics, execution. ✅Be ready for both case-based & open-ended questions. ✅Expect technical depth even if you’re not coding. ✅Simulate multi-round prep: practice like you’re running a long-distance race, not a sprint. Use this as your roadmap to build the full stack of PM skills before you start interviewing. 💡If you want to crack interviews and land PM roles at top-tech companies in India or abroad, I teach all of this (and more) in my AI Product Management Course. Apply Here: https://lnkd.in/gN5aytKe Malay Krishna

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The weirdest truth of PM no one teaches. Nobody actually knows what PMs do. Each function sees the PM role differently, unless you define it. To eng, you might look like a project manager; to sales, support; to leadership, a mini CEO or a feature-factory operator. Here are 9 weird truths of product management and how to make each your strength: 1. No one agrees what “PM” is by default ↳ Define your PM charter and decision rights with your manager and EMs, then translate the same outcome for exec (trade-offs), eng (constraints), and sales (talk-track). 2. If they can’t see it, it won’t count ↳ Show the change: churn 18% → 16%; onboarding drop-off 42% → 33%, and share an early signal: trial → sales call +2.4 pts. 3. Meetings decide your fate before they happen ↳ Socialise the narrative with pre-reads and 1:1s so the meeting is used to confirm instead of debate. 4. Backlog mastery is valued less than business clarity ↳ Lead with a simple spine: problem → bet → metric → result, pairing with your EM so delivery hygiene doesn’t drown the story. 5. Quiet wins get lost in the noise ↳ Bundle small wins into visible quarterly arcs and include kills/deferrals that saved time and money. 6. You influence more than you control ↳ Map stakeholders, tailor depth by audience, and escalate with options instead of complaints. 7. Strategy beats speed in the long run ↳ Spend real time with customers, market, and competition, and let EMs co-own delivery hygiene where it makes sense. 8. The team’s story matters as much as yours ↳ Coach engineers to pitch the “why” in 20 seconds, starting async (Loom/20-sec script) before rotating live share-outs. 9. Optics shape promotions ↳ Choose fewer, bigger bets with clear success criteria, share interim signals, and make ownership legible by naming collaborators and your role. If your lagging metrics need time, demo a leading signal each week. PMs don’t just ship features. We make business value visible. Which of these do you think is the weirdest PM truth? ♻ Repost to help more PMs make impact visible. ➕ Follow Liam Darmody for more.

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Product Management is the ultimate catch-22. You need PM experience to land a PM role, but no one gives you a PM role because you don’t have PM experience. But here's the thing.. (Wrote PM 4 times in 1 sentence, tf lol) 99% of PMs didn’t get in through the front door either. Most had to take the long way around. (Of course, there are exceptions. If you’re from a Tier-1 MBA, product roles come to campus. These days, even Tier-1 engineering colleges get the title. But that’s maybe 2–5% of folks. If you are part of the rest like me, read on 😛) So how do people actually break in? From what I’ve seen, there are a few playbooks: 1. The Utility Player They start in another role but sneak into a product-based company. They shadow, contribute, and slowly earn their shot. Takes time, usually 2–3 years, but you build a strong base. 2. The Star Player These are domain experts who are so good at one thing that a team gets built around them. The lack of “PM” on the CV doesn’t matter, because their skill is the magnet. 3. The Academy Graduate Do a top MBA, work like crazy, and product roles open up. Probably the simplest route on paper, but MBA is the hardest to qualify for. (Equivalent of getting into La Masia xD) 4. The Early Signing Join a startup early, when everyone does everything. As the company grows, titles formalize and you suddenly become “the PM.” (Bonus: you might get a senior title too) (Spoiler: You might end up working on everything except Product) 5. The Bench Warmer to Starter Start as an Associate PM or Product Analyst. Easier in the past, harder today with competition, but still a legit way in if you can stand out. (Think Phil Dunphy out of the box to stand out :P) 6. The Trialist Rotational programs, apprenticeships, fellowships. Hard to crack with low acceptance rates, but they’re designed for folks with no direct experience. For me, Route 1 makes the most sense. Start in a role adjacent to product, learn the business, prove yourself, and transition. That way, you don’t just chase the “cool” sounding role. You also figure out if you even like building products. If you’re aiming for a PM role, pick one of these paths and commit. It won’t make the journey easy, but it will make it simple and structured. How did you become a PM? Was that your original plan? Kevin Thomas LinkedIn Guide to Creating

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What doesn’t get followed up on… doesn’t get done. 📌 Here’s the truth: As a Product Manager, you can write the most detailed PRD, set clear deadlines, even get a “Noted” 😁in response, and have an airtight roadmap… but without follow-up, tasks will quietly slip into the abyss of “almost done.” 🥴 A lack of follow-up sends a silent message that the task isn’t important. And in the whirlwind of competing priorities, silence often equals stagnation. 👌🏾 Following up isn’t about micromanaging; it’s about ensuring priorities stay priorities. One of the ways to remain the best Product Manager is not just by being good at starting things; you must also make sure you’re good at seeing things through. Quick follow-up tips that get results:📋 📍 Set clear checkpoints early Don’t just say “let’s sync later.” I believe you've heard so many “sync later” conversations that never happened, and that’s only because no timeline was set. Clearly define when (time) and how you’ll check in- daily stand-ups, weekly reviews, or mid-sprint touchpoints. 📍Ask specific questions To do this, you must make sure you clearly understand what is required to be done. Note: “Is QA signed off?” beats “How’s it going?” Clarity leaves no room for vague answers. 📍Close the loop publicly Use visible channels (Slack threads, Jira comments, stand-up updates) so accountability is shared. When progress is visible, momentum builds. Note: if this is not done well, it could be seen as calling out, and you don’t want to throw your engineers under the bus, as it may affect your engagement with them. 😁 So I’ll admonish you: the next time you assign, plan the follow-up at the same time. Because if it’s not followed up on, it’s probably not getting done. 😊 Have you ever had this experience, and how did you navigate it? 🤔

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