Kassen Qian

The Lean Startup model has pretty much become the orthodoxy for launching a new product or company today: build an extremely rough version one, launch it, find some users, and then iterate on the product as quickly as you can (pivoting).

Amazon’s ‘working backwards process’ is a pretty fascinating example of an alternative to Lean Startup that works . It's simple to describe, but difficult to do. Amazon’s method for  betting on new products is to start from the customer experience and working backwards from that by writing a press release that literally announces the product a... See more

You’re a coach: Coaches understand that teams are composed of people and the interpersonal relationships between each member determine to a large extent the effectiveness of the team, what it is capable of producing as a unit. PMs too must inspire, motivate and convince their team to fight for Every Single Inch.

Good product managers err on the side of clarity vs. explaining the obvious. Bad product managers never explain the obvious. Good product managers define their job and their success. Bad product managers constantly want to be told what to do.

Another one of the biggest benefits of a written PR/FAQ is that it enables the team to truly understand the specific constraints and problems that would prevent a new product idea from being viable and aligning on them.

2. Planning - Continually challenge product-market fit and keep the team aligned on a 3-6 month, mid-term vision, of the product. Requires more EQ and stakeholder management.

Ownership: I can give you a problem statement, but you’re the one who determines what your job is. You don’t get driven around by the team; you figure out what the team needs, and you deliver that.