Making It Right: Product Management For A Startup World

Instead of dealing with the political ramifications of not hearing people out, take the time to respond thoughtfully whenever someone gives feedback (no matter how invalid) or sends an idea along.

The problem is that feedback sessions can get out of hand quickly, because we’re just not very good at providing (or receiving) feedback. We are prone to seeing the negative parts of someone’s ideas first, so we often jump straight into the teardown. This puts the person on the receiving end in defensive mode right away, which usually starts a negative spiral into unhelpful arguments and distrust.

Product management is one of the most exhausting, exhilarating, stressful, and rewarding careers out there. It’s not for the faint of heart. It’s for people who want to move mountains. It swallows some whole, but others derive endless invigoration and passion from the pace and the impact and the glory and the huge potential for failure as well as success. There’s no other job like it, and this is a book to help you make it your job.

Instead of asking what problem you should solve, ask what problem you wish someone else would solve for you.