Product Collective - 🏆 Best Product Management posts 2024

Our favorite posts of 2023

We’re at the top of the AI/LMM/chatbot hype cycle. Every biz publication is deliriously covering AI, alternating between the best thing since sliced bread and the end of the world as we know it. You’re probably feeling tremendous urgency to put AI products or features into your roadmap, regardless of whether they add value to your end users. For the last six months, many of Rich Mironov’s discussions with product leaders have been about how to apply good product fundamentals to AI. So, starting from first principles, Rich suggests you need a few different approaches depending on what you’re actually trying to accomplish by adding AI. Being explicit about your goal helps us define success and guesstimate effort. (via Rich Mironov)

Writing problem statements improves product thinking. A problem statement both captures and communicates a shared understanding of a problem. Capturing your understanding is maybe the wrong metaphor—distilling your understanding is probably better. It is the act of writing and rewriting the problem statement that increases your depth of understanding of the problem you want to address. Scott Sehlhorst reminds us that while there are multiple formats you can use to document a problem statement, there are four aspects of the problem you must clearly articulate. (via Scott Sehlhorst) 

 Continues below...

• New York Product Conference (New York City): April 18, 2024
• European edition of INDUSTRY: The Product Conference (Dublin, Ireland): June 17-19, 2024
• Global edition of INDUSTRY: The Product Conference (Cleveland, Ohio): September 23-25, 2024

Wild times at OpenAI

So… now Sam Altman is back as CEO of OpenAI. What a wild November. 

But recent reports suggest that the real reason that Altman was originally ousted in the first place may have been OpenAI’s advancements of its once-secretive Q* project – which was focused on achieving AGI (Artificial General Intelligence). Apparently, Q* is showing some real promise in solving math problems at a level we used to think was way off in the future. And that, in itself, may not seem like such a big deal. However, being able to perform math all on its own is thought to be the first big step at achieving AGI. If realized, an AGI can learn to accomplish any intellectual task that human beings or animals can perform.

And that… gets dicey. 

So, what does all this mean for us in the product world? Well, it's definitely something to think about. We're edging closer and closer to an AI that can understand and learn a bunch of different things, not just be super good at one specific task. This presents a lot of opportunities but also brings up even more concerns. There's a lot to consider, especially when it comes to the ethics and impact of such powerful technology. The folks at OpenAI themselves are having a bit of a moment, trying to figure out the best way forward. It's important to think about how this kind of tech could affect our products, our businesses, and even society as a whole.

But here's the thing: this is also a really exciting time to be in product management. We've got the chance to be part of shaping how this technology grows and how we use it. It's not just about making cool stuff; it's about making sure we're doing it in a way that's responsible and beneficial for everyone. Because the future… may be here sooner than we think. 

Oh no! Airbnb got rid of Product Managers! The sky is falling! There’s been a lot of talk recently about Airbnb getting rid of product managers. Doomsayers suggest that it’s the beginning of the end for Product Management and that no one really needs product managers after all. Jon Harmer shares that most people saying this are misinformed about what Brian Chesky actually said, taking the moment out of context and/or not product managers themselves. (via Jon Harmer)

Digital Transformation: What product managers need to know. The digital age has changed how we do business, and digital transformation is about using technology to redefine processes, products, and services to create more value for customers and organizations. It can take many forms, from automating mundane tasks to completely reimagining how a company operates. Lena Charles explores the different types of digital transformation you need to know about. From cloud computing to customer experience transformation, she looks at what each type of transformation entails and how it can help your business. (via Product Coalition) 

The roles product people play. If you’re like many product people, you’ve wondered why some things aren’t getting done, worried that you’re overstepping your bounds, or got irked that someone else is overstepping their bounds. A lot of this confusion comes from the complicated nature of product people's roles and titles. It doesn’t help matters that different organizations interpret those roles and titles differently. Kent McDonald defines product roles and titles, then explores roles and titles in external and internal product settings. (via Kent McDonald)

Practical AI Applications for Product Managers

Wednesday, December 6th @ 2:30 PM EST

Navigating the AI Era: Ethical Considerations and Redefining the Product Lifecycle

Wednesday, December 20 @ 01:00 PM EST