Overcome Constraints through A Customized Approach

Product Management, in theory, sounds fascinating.

In reality, PMs don't really apply every textbook framework & principle out there.

It's the difference between a manual for driving a car and the way we actually tend to drive.

Driving school teaches you to put your hands in the 10 & 2 o clock positions on the steering wheel. Very few do. On the road, we're more concerned about being on time.

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E.g. People ask me whether I use a prioritization framework for every sprint.

No. In many cases, it's evident what needs to be done next based on business need or a contractual commitment. Running the tables, at times, is redundant.

People ask about frequency of experiments.

With lean teams, it's tough to design & execute several cycles. Sadly, we rarely have the luxury of time to conduct in-depth research.

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This is why I stress that working on an actual product, albeit small, trumps videos, courses & books.

PMs work with tons of constraints and need to move the product forward while navigating them.

Time, budget, people.

In many cases, we are forced to tailor principles to the product at hand and not the other way around.

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