Kassen Qian

The PR/FAQ process merely increases the odds that your product would succeed; it doesn’t guarantee it.

You’re the product: The product your team builds and ships is the most faithful representation of your success as a PM.

We expect every product manager to be actively talking with customers and really spending a lot of time understanding customers. But it’s not just a product management thing. Engineers are expected to be talking with customers as well.

You’re a router: Act as a traffic cop and bring the right info to the right people.

Users constitute an essential source of information, up to and including their interactions with prototypes and as paying customers.

Three consistent themes for identifying winning product organizations:

The Walt Disney Company inspired Airbnb’s founders, especially the storyboarding technique used by animators. Airbnb, the product, isn't our app. The product is staying at a guest’s home.

Execution & Impact: You know what needs to be done now and what can wait, and you focus the team on the key priorities. You define progress and impact, measure them, and maximize results.