What is product management?

Listen to the podcast  by NotebookLM In my previous discussion about product management case interviews , I highlighted some key challenges in the hiring process. Building on those insights, I want to dive deeper into the broader challenges of hiring in today's job market. The Current Job Market Landscape: A Tale of Frustration Being in the Bay Area, I've observed that the job market is scary and sad. Wave after wave of layoffs has created an environment where companies and hiring managers clearly hold the upper hand. The stories I hear from job seekers paint a bleak picture of a system that seems fundamentally broken. I see countless job seekers complaining about: Being ghosted by recruiters Exhausting interview processes spanning several weeks Repeated rejections with generic responses like "we have decided to move forward with other candidates that have more relevant experience..." Why is this happening? Fear. Pure and simple. Hiring managers are suffering...

Listen to the podcast by NotebookLM Performing my civic duty When the jury duty summons arrived a couple of weeks ago, I was certain history would repeat itself—I would express my true opinions during selection and be excused, just like I was a decade ago. This time, however, fate had different plans. As a product manager, researcher, and tax-paying member of society, I couldn't help but scrutinize the entire process from the moment I set foot in the courthouse. The experience raised several red flags that left me questioning the efficiency and effectiveness of our judicial system. Upon arrival, I presented the letter instructing me to appear for jury duty and was promptly handed a paper form to fill out with my contact information. I wondered why this was necessary and how the information would be used. Tablet terminals stood idle nearby, clearly designed for electronic data collection but now gathering dust. Instead, a couple hundred paper forms were precariously stacked on a tab...

listen to the  Podcast  by NotebookLM "How would you design an elevator for a 50-story building" This was the case study question posed to my mentee during her interview for an e-commerce product manager role. Like many companies, the interviewer was trying to evaluate her product craft and ability to think on her feet. But was this actually measuring what mattered for the job? In my decade(s) of product management experience, I've seen case study interviews used as both powerful evaluation tools and counterproductive time-wasters. The difference often comes down to one factor: relevance. I discussed my opinion on product craft in an  earlier post , so I won't delve into that topic here. Instead, I'll focus on the merits I find in case study interviews.  The Merits of Case Study Interviews A quick search on Perplexity for types of case study interviews for product managers yields the following categories: Product Design Product Improvement Product Strategy Metrics...

Listen to the podcast by NotebookLM You cannot be serious... When I think of craft, I think of artisans and craftspeople who spend years, if not decades, developing their skills to create a work of art. I'm referring to the years of apprenticeship, training, and generational knowledge transfer involved in creating a traditional Japanese katana or sword—heating, folding, hammering, tempering, and cooling metal.  There are many other examples, but you get my gist. Contrast this with popular concepts like the Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The MVP is a valid approach, don't get me wrong. I've launched multiple MVPs and nothing could be further from a work of art. They were incomplete, often inconvenient or counterintuitive, all in the name of delivering something viable to test an idea. They often died on their own because of those flaws or remained that way because users had no alternative. Now, "product craft"... I actively engaged with "product craft" a f...