Product Habits - When to pivot your business

The Future of Work Is Happening Now. Is IT Ready?

When shelter-in-place orders went into effect last year, just about every organization—from schools to retailers to enterprises—had to learn how to operate remotely. IT teams were suddenly front and center, and their role in keeping organizations up and running became impossible to ignore. More than 80% of IT workers say their jobs have become more complex over the past year. Are they ready for the future of work? Here are my thoughts.

When To Pivot Your Business

I recently joined Gavin Hammar for an episode of his podcast, Unscalable. We talked in-depth about my co-founder Marie and me pivoting from building FYI to launching Nira. I cover a lot, including the moment we realized we needed to pivot the company and what we could've done differently along the way. If you're thinking about a pivot for your business, give this a listen. 

Walking Away From a Venture Fund

After getting millions of dollars in investment commitments, Steve Schlafman decided to walk away from the new venture fund he was on the verge of launching. He wrote about the reasons why he made this difficult decision, and it's refreshingly honest. When I read it, I couldn't help but think about how important it is to have the courage to stop doing things that feel out of alignment. Our most important decisions in life are rarely easy—but when we choose intentionally, we'll always be glad we did in the end. 

How Miro Navigated Explosive Growth to 20 Million Users

Over the past 15 months, Miro has grown from 3 million to 20 million users, and the company's headcount has tripled to 900 employees. This kind of explosive growth doesn't come without its challenges but often leads to innovative management solutions. One of the processes they built across their product teams is the "Product Alignment Framework." Regardless of what growth stage your company is at, this framework might be worth implementing for clarity around product discoveries and retros.

Using Video Games To Learn About Product Onboarding

I like the premise of this article: Video games can teach us some essential lessons about product onboarding. Ryan Shih covers three big ones: don't front-load your onboarding, build in the sense of progression and achievement, and make it indistinguishable from the actual product. I think the final point is critical and often overlooked by product designers. How does this change the way you think about your product's onboarding flow? 

The Most Important Thing To Communicate on Your Website

There is a trend in marketing to put your product's main value prop in the headline on your website. While it isn't a bad idea, that kind of headline doesn't always tell first-time visitors what your product is. One idea: swap your header and sub-header. It's worth testing how that small switch changes people's initial perceptions of your product. 

Steve Jobs Stole His Best Idea Ever

In 1997, after Jobs returned to Apple but wasn't yet the CEO, he spoke at an employee town hall about making Apple a great brand. Using Nike as an example, he made this critical point: Don't ever talk about the product in your marketing. Stealing a page out of Nike's playbook, Apple's marketing took a turn toward aspirational with the slogan, "Think Different." And the rest, of course, is history.

The Addiction to Acquisition-Based Growth

We've become dangerously addicted to acquisition-based growth. Most startups don't think enough about monetization or retention even though they are more efficient and effective ways to drive growth. If you're focusing predominantly on acquisition, it's time to reconsider your growth strategy. Your company will be better for it in the long run.