Saying “no” is a big part of parenting and a big part of product management. We can’t do everything, whether that is buying every stuffed animal or building every feature request. But we can do more than simply say “no”.Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Saying "No" Effectively: 5 Ways to Say No As a Product Manager Or just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

Airbnb is done with product management? Maybe, but not so fast. In this episode we explore what they did and why it very much depends on what a company wants.Product management is always different at different companies, and often fills the void of whatever is needed. Sometimes that leans more toward discovery and user experience. Sometimes it leans toward more technical. And sometimes it leans more toward business outcomes and general management. None of these are wrong, and the role always encompasses parts of all of it. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: The End of Product Management at AirbnbOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

Winner Takes All: Case Studies in how Online Marketplaces are Creating Modern Monopolies delves into the world of online marketplaces and how they are shaping the modern economy. It gives a brief history of digital marketplaces, starting with some of the earliest (like eBay and Craigslist) and then goes through the evolution of those marketplaces. In this episode, we explore some key takeaways from the book.  Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Winner Takes All: Book Review Or just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

Messi, AI, and House of Suns. What more do you need? Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. Here’s what you may have missed.Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Messi, Estimating, Heatwaves, AI, and House of Suns: Monthly Wrap from June Or just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

We, as humans, are bad at estimating. Everyone falls victim to the planning fallacy. We consistently underestimate the time it will take to complete something. Why do we underestimate? And what can we do about it? Listen as we explore.Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Why We're So Bad At Estimating: And What We Can Do About ItOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

This week we explore short-term and long-term thinking with an example from Covid-19. We’d have been much better served during the pandemic if the FDA hadn’t relaxed its rules for so long or had thought about the long-term consequences of their hand sanitizer policy. And we’d be better off as product teams and organizations if we thought more about the long term while balancing our short-term needs. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Lessons in Thinking Long Term: Understanding Consequences of Short-Term Focus Or just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

The Alignment Problem by Brian Christian was an excellent read. If you are interested in AI—including its history, its future implications, and the philosophical ramifications—then this is a book for you. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values - Book ReviewOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. Here’s what you may have missed.Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Twitter, True Grit, and Giving Up On Your Dreams: Monthly Wrap from May Or just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

We have to understand the problems we’re solving, our users, and our business. If we don’t, we’ll create products that fail. Those products may be small feature sets, or they may be bet-the-company initiatives like Twitter Blue. Either way, we can all learn some lessons from these failures. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Product Failures From Twitter and Others: Learning From Past MistakesOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

Like we love to say, a roadmap is not the project plan. It won’t include all the technical details for the next year. Nor should it. There is a time and place for those, but it is not the roadmap. Just like there is a time and place for nuts, but it is not in chocolate chip cookies. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Ingredients of a Roadmap: Like Cookies, You Need Some Key ElementsOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

The Innovator’s Handbook provides a range of practical tools, strategies, and insights for anyone involved in the innovation process. It’s a fun read, and a well-designed book (it looks like a post-it note pad, so I love it). It’s a good one to add to our growing list of books about innovation.Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: The Innovator's Handbook: Book ReviewOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. Here’s what you may have missed.Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Skepticism, Martian Westerns, and Better Call Saul: Monthly Wrap from AprilOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

Healthy skepticism is an important ingredient to work and life. It keeps us from being manipulated or from making the wrong decision—whether that’s taking a job that seems too good to be true or building a product feature simply because the CEO is passionate about it. It is the first step to truth, which should be our main goal. It’s not about doubting everything, but about being humble enough to question assumptions until we can identify the truth. And then being willing to adjust as we get more information. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: A Healthy Dose of Skepticism: Finding the Signal in the NoiseOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

Product managers and engineers often come from different backgrounds and have different perspectives. We need this for great product development. But it can lead to misunderstandings. Different groups value different things. But we can work together to create the right outcomes. It starts with understanding each other better, respecting the way we work and what we each bring to the group, and building on our shared goals. By focusing on clear expectations, a shared understanding, an iterative feedback process, and building trust, product managers and engineers can foster a strong working relationship that drives successful product development and delivery.Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Product Management and Engineering: How to Effectively Communicate and Work TogetherOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

The world is awash in bullshit. Mostly the figurative kind. Which is why it is critical we’re able to discern between fact and bullshit, especially as the bullshit becomes increasing dressed in data.Which is why this month we’re reviewing the book Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World by Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West. This is a book that aims to equip us with the tools to critically evaluate data-driven claims and arguments that we encounter in various aspects of our lives. From our work to the news to the posts we see on social media. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World - Book ReviewOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. Here’s what you may have missed.Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Decision Demons, TikTok, and Emoji Watches: March Monthly WrapOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

TikTok is an incredible platform for anyone to reach an audience, find their voice, and join a community. There isn’t anything else like it. Banning apps out of fear or lack of understanding is dystopian-level sci-fi. I like to think we’re better than that, but I’m not so sure. Which is why we probably can’t have nice things… Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Why We Can't Have Nice Things: Curiosity, TikTok, and Free SpeechOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

Hopefully SVB will hold its spot as the second-largest bank failure for a long time. We don’t need bigger ones any time soon. But for those of us not running banks or working as founders or in finance, there are still some good things to learn. We can take courage knowing that no one really knows that much. We also need to diversify in most areas of our businesses and our lives. And watch out for the unintended consequences.Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: 3 Lessons from Silicon Valley Bank: What The Rest of Us Can Learn from the Failure of SVBOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

Balance is an active process. We can’t wait until we’re older to play outside, because it will be too late then. We need the sun while we’re growing up. We can’t wait until mid-terms are over because there will always be some sort of mid-term in our life. We need to find balance each day and each phase of our life. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Finding Whole-Life Balance: Avoiding Myopia and Burnout, and Actively Finding BalanceOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★

Life is incredibly hard. We can only choose to live well within the constraints we have. Which is what the book Life is Hard by Kieran Setiya explores. Often it will be less than the ideal that many would envision. But as we shift our mindset away from the idea of ourselves as failures, as projects that need completion, as people who need to be perfect, we can progress, empathize with each other, and create meaningful lives. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.ccWeekly newsletter: Life is Hard: Book ReviewOr just want to leave a tip: buy me a coffee?Twitter: @kylelarryevans and @producthinking and @prod_by_designTikTok: @producthinking and @kylelarryevans ★ Support this podcast ★