Decision Making

Failing is an eventuality in software development. Not only do we fail, we are encouraged to fail iteratively. Let’s do it over and over again! And yet, the job of the product manager comes with a level of accountability and scrutiny that is unique. Product managers are asked to look after all facets of a […] Read more »

As product managers, we often talk in data points. For instance, we have X number of monthly active users, we want to grow subscriptions by X amount, this feature is expected to increase logins by X. However, when we start listing out data points, our listeners’ eyes begin to glaze over. As humans, we’re not […] Read more »

Product Warrior launches a weekly podcast, supported by Mind The Product, dedicated to supporting product managers in their decision making. The first episode, titled “Thinking big and small”, is out now, featuring guest John Cutler and host Dave Martin, chief product officer at Tes Global. John, a senior product manager and “all-round product junkie”, discusses […] Read more »

I recently had the opportunity to attend a roundtable discussion for product leaders in London. Under strict observation of the Chatham House rule, the group picked out a host of themes for discussion, and I’ve chosen the four topics which seemed to resonate universally, along with a selection of the considerations mentioned and the approaches […] Read more »

Prioritisation is a necessary evil of every product development lifecycle. Deciding what to build, where to focus limited resources and what customer segments to target are questions that face every organisation on a daily basis. With this being the case, why do companies prioritise so badly? Prioritisation is one of the most critical aspects of product […] Read more »

What is the compass that guides a product manager when making product decisions (new functionality, UX, UI)? How can these decisions be taken in an effective and efficient manner? This compass is known as product principles. […] Read more »

What are Mental Models? A mental model is any concept that helps explain, analyze, or navigate the world. As product managers, our mental models drive our decision-making, the way we communicate and collaborate with others, and how we prioritize. Without a good framework of mental models, you will be limited in all those areas. “What […] Read more »

David Hawdale is an Experience Architect with a background in experimental psychology and cognitive science. At ProductTank London, David unpacked the science of decision making and suggests that Product Managers can make their products more appealing by designing with the ‘moment of decision’ in mind. System 1 and System 2 What do we know about […] Read more »

William Owen (Founding Partner and Strategy Director at Made by Many) talks about his experience with clients like ITV and the BBC, and how the process of prototyping and making products in a Lean way changes culture at multiple levels within the organisation. Decision-Making and Culture Change Trying to introduce innovation within large organisations with a lot […] Read more »

August’s ProductTank on analytics and decision-making had everything – sex, drugs and racy pictures of hot plumbing action. Read on for an 18-rated recap. […] Read more »