Hiring good product people can be a challenge, particularly because I feel that no product management role is exactly the same, with the needs and expectations of a product role varying per organisation (largely dependent on the product or the incumbent view of product management within an organisation).

I was therefore excited to come across “Hiring Product Managers: Using Product EQ to go beyond culture and skills”, a book by product management consultant Kate Leto. Having hired for many product roles — at all experience levels — Leto shares valuable insights and tips with respect to hiring product people.

Human and technical skills

In…

Creating inclusive products is at the heart of “Building for everyone”, a great book written by Annie Jean-Baptiste. Jean-Baptiste is the Head of Product Inclusion at Google and has been at the forefront of making the web work for underserved communities.

Annie Jean-Baptiste — Taken from: A Day in the Life of Google’s Head of Inclusion

At the beginning of “Building for everyone” Jean-Baptiste summarises what her work (and this book) is all about: “When we don’t fit in or when products or services do not feel as though they were built for us, we feel excluded, frustrated, disappointed, or…

My summary of Sessions before using it? I expect a platform where I can share live content, for others to engage with — similar to Clubhouse or lu.ma.

How does Sessions explain itself in the first minute? When I go to https://sessionslive.com/ I see at a glance that this site sells tickets, for different acts. Can’t tell whether these are tickets for live events or for prerecorded concerts.

How does Sessions work? I can see how users can get tickets for live streams of artists sessions. Not sure how the different social aspects — “crew” — and gamification elements —…

In my experience as a product leader I’ve observed product managers consistently doing many different things and that has been a quality I’ve always admired and looked out for in candidates. I’ve found that developing a wide range of skills has led me to expertly find similar qualities in the people I hire.

For example, I get excited when I meet with product people who feel just as comfortable writing user stories as they do speaking with customers, can implement the right level of process and love delving into the data.*

* I recommend checking out this assessment tool created…

My summary of Sojo before using it? I believe Sojo is a app focused on sustainable clothing; helping people resell their clothes or repair them.

How does Sojo explain itself in the first minute? “Clothing alterations and repairs, made easy” is what it says on Sojo’s landing screen, followed by a “Get started!” button.

How does Sojo work? In Step 1, users select and order what alteration or repair they need done.

My summary of Clockwise before using it? I expect a product that helps me manage my calendar and my tasks.

How does Clockwise explain itself in the first minute? “Escape the cha0s of work and find your focus with Clockwise” reads the main strap-line on https://www.getclockwise.com/. I then read that Clockwise is a smart calendar assistant, and there’s the promise that Clockwise will free up my time.

How does Clockwise work? …

Reading the great recommendation by Richard Rumelt — author of “Good Strategy, Bad Strategy” — encouraged me to pick up “How To Be Strategic”. This book came out in October last year, written by Fred Pelard, who specialises in strategic thinking and works with a range of business on their strategies. In “How To Be Strategic”, Pelard covers the strategic process, complemented with useful techniques from strategy experts like Barbara Minto and Eric Ries.

I personally found the first half of the book the most helpful. In its chapters Pelard describes how being strategic is a mindset, it’s a way…

My summary of Faire before using it? I think Faire is a marketplace not too dissimilar to eBay, Depop or Etsy. The biggest difference being that Fairy is a B2B marketplace, so I expect more of a focus on wholesale and product categories geared towards businesses.

How does Faire explain itself in the first minute? When I go to the Faire website it says “Your one-stop shop for wholesale” on its homepage, above the fold. This strap line is followed by two calls to action: “sign up to the shop” and “apply as a brand”. …