Mandar Karlekar

If you’re launching a new product or feature you’re going to have to navigate a minefield of risks. Those can be grouped across the various stages from idea to launch. It’s not about avoiding these risks completely but rather reducing their impact and their likelihood to occur. This process of de-risking is called ‘Discovery’ of which, a large part of it is validation. The two biggest factors to consider when launching a new product or feature. 1. Is this in the right strategic direction? 2. How can I measure success? Any new launch is a bet on value of which, nobody can guarantee success. Fail in the right direction and all you do is eliminate one option. Measuring it means tracking its impact and creating a baseline for improvement.

A chicken and egg situation in my opinion. But you can’t have one without the other. As a Product Manager you need to be proactive about both. Be vigilant and almost obsessive about what your customers are saying and what your data is telling you. More important than talking to customers is listening to them. More important than measuring data is in interpreting what it’s telling you. Both feedback and data will get you to discovering problems. Problems will lead you to opportunities, opportunities will lead you to the creation of value. In any case when balancing user feedback and analytics you’ve got to approach it with the right mindset. You’ve got to have the right processes and lastly you’ve got to have the right tooling.

Regardless of whether you're an exec or in Product. The size of your network does not matter. What matters is the quality of it. Build a network of people that can support what you do today and inspire you towards what you want to do tomorrow. It is important to note that your networking isn't just a connection. It's a relationship - One you must manage in order to maintain. If you're going to create a network, do so with the focus on adding value. Build trust and you'll ultimately gain value in return.

First look inwardly and assess before taking action. As a general rule give others the benefit of doubt. Most people don’t do things they don’t want to. Arm yourself with empathy and offer to help over seeking to complain. There are exceptions. Assess if you’re in an environment where this level of monitoring is necessary. Assess if is fair and consistent. Assess if it’s warranted. Assess the benefits and risks of autonomy. If indeed the monitoring is unnecessary and autonomy is of a benefit to yourself and the business, have an open and transparent conversation with your manager. Often the best way to go into this conversation is by understanding the managers point of view. Why are they doing this? Why do they feel they need to?

I rarely evaluate product managers on what they know or what they do. What they know at any given time, can change and so can what they do. Heres are the attributes I base my eval on. A lot of these are can be attributed to the Product Mindset. I have a score card in which I ask for a self assessment and I note my own. I work on bridging that gap. Accountability Discipline Empathy Communication / Storytelling Critical Thinking Conflict Resolution Flexibility and Adaptability Influence Customer Centricity Curiosity In my opinion all attributes of a great PM.

Doesn’t matter what anyone tells you, family first. Startup second. The way to balance both for success however is to ensure that you’re focusing on being productive over being busy. Have a plan on one valuable thing you want to get done each day, consider the rest as a bonus. Don’t overthink. Sometimes the only thing getting in your way is yourself. Trust in your instincts and back them up with research and data. Startups are highly stressful, volatile environments. Just like exams, cramming doesn’t necessarily mean success. Give your self the time and space mentally and physically to refocus and recharge. Balance comes from a moderated approach to everything important to you.