Hi folks! Thanks for all the great feedback and here is the full article I have been sending out in pieces over the last month. The Most Perfect Moment: Kickoff Meeting The idea, funding, people and will to achieve are in one room. The product manager is the ring master, coordinating lions, acrobats and magicians […]
No one you need shows up. This can happen for a variety of reasons. Best thing is to reschedule. If that does not work, you can have 2 kickoff meetings, or an “executive kickoff” with a only execs, dev and a marketing (maybe operations). Hijacked. There often you will have someone who want to pick […]
What is the single most important thing? Why are we making this product? What does it mean for immediate goals and for the company overall. Extra credit points if you can connect the work to a good feeling for all who participate. Feelings are more interesting than ideas which are more interesting than tasks. So, […]
Kabuki Theater is made up of stories, staging and words that have not changes in 100s of years. The attendee always knows the outcome. So should you when you run a large scale kick off meeting. Your Goal – Nothing new should happen in the kickoff meeting All your heavy lifting such as approach, teams, […]
This is a short series on kickoffs. The idea, funding, people and will to achieve are in one room. The product manager is the ring master, coordinating lions, acrobats and magicians to proceed into the shining future of on time, quality software product that users want and like. If the meeting succeeds, you are off […]
Get Off my Lawn! Agile Punks! All Agile roles support product managers. I have seen many recent articles about Agile’s many force-fit job titles. Ah Agile! I knew ye when you were actually less conformist than SDLC. So, over the next few posts I will reflect on Agile roles and product management. Product Owner – […]
3) Creative Games When I was a kid, and we walked past an empty store, my mother would always ask me what kind of store I would put there and why. This is fun to think about when you pass stores, but also when you visit new neighborhoods. What is missing? What are the people […]
2) Jokes and Silly Thinking Having fun and joking around are one of the main reasons I love the arts and software. I love thinking of completely ridiculous awesome products. Examples include: Edible Doughnut Neck Pillow Avon Lady for Art and Craft Supplies Handbag Sachets Augmented Reality Helmut For trying on clothes Another fun game […]
1 Metaphors – the “Magic Wand” of storytelling (see what I did there?) In this short series I will go through some exercises and experiments that can boost creativity and help you “tell the story” as a product manager, entrepreneur or funder. I worked in the theater when I was younger and it has been […]
Talent is nurtured in solitude … A creation of importance can only be produced when its author isolates himself, it is a child of solitude.” ~ Johann Wolfgang Von Göethe Failure is the new black. However, for creative people, failure means something more personal and robust. It is not one way to succeed, it’s the […]