Philosophy

I’d like to share a few of the professional philosophies that I subscribe to, for additional context on my style and personality.

 

Social innovation

Being on an innovative, fast-moving, Product team can be intimidating! As PMs and POs, we can relieve some of the pressure if we view our role as finding the best ideas rather than having the best ideas. Our customers and colleagues are the best source of inspiration as we seek the most valuable problems to solve for the business.

 

Structured creativity

I believe that everyone can be creative given the right tools and support. A structured creative approach is critical to building a team that generates exciting ideas and value-oriented results. Combining strategies like limitation, exaggeration, SCAMPER, etc. with an optimistic and psychologically secure environment is the key to innovation.

 

Embrace failure

Nobody starts with all of the answers. It's important to be comfortable taking risks, being wrong, and celebrating the learning gained from those experiences.

 

Start with “Tell me more!”

Bias for action is the ante to play the Product game. The best Product teams are approachable partners who take a structured-creative approach to problem solving. When a customer or colleague brings a problem or an idea to us, our first response should be a sincere and enthusiastic “Tell me more!” Even if we’ve considered a problem or idea before, there is always value in capturing the perspective of the people around us.

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Grab-a-broom mentality

Everyone on the team (including myself) must be willing to grab a broom, and jump in to assist with work that may be outside of the typical scope, or unglamorous tasks, when the team or company needs help. PMs and POs need to be “T-shaped” professionals, with the ability to go deep in a specific area while having familiarity in the full stack of Product areas.