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174 articles in Product Management
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Give it five minutes
The habit of dismissing ideas before fully considering them is toxic. Great ideas need time to marinate. Don't be a knee-jerk dismisser — give ideas five minutes before reacting.
Classic Articles·3 min read·Jun 1, 2012
Full ArticleProduct Management
How to Get Startup Ideas
The best startup ideas come from noticing problems you have yourself, not from trying to think of startup ideas. Live in the future, then build what's missing.
Classic Articles·36 min read·Jun 1, 2012
Full ArticleProduct Management
Startup = Growth
A startup is a company designed to grow fast. The only essential thing is growth. Everything else follows from that.
Classic Articles·26 min read·Jun 1, 2012
Full ArticleProduct Management
Good Product Manager/Bad Product Manager
The classic guide distinguishing the habits and mindsets of effective vs ineffective product managers, covering everything from market knowledge to team dynamics.
Classic Articles·3 min read·Jun 1, 2012
Full ArticleProduct Management
Product Metrics That Matter: Beyond Vanity Metrics
Eric Ries on the difference between vanity metrics (total signups, page views) and actionable metrics (activation rate, retention, revenue per user). Vanity metrics tell a flattering story but don't help you make decisions. Introduces the pirate metrics framework (AARRR): Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Revenue, Referral. Changed how startups measure success.
Harvard Business Review·8 min read·Feb 1, 2010
Full ArticleProduct Management
Minimum Viable Product: a guide
The MVP is the version of a new product which allows a team to collect the maximum amount of validated learning about customers with the least effort.
Classic Articles·9 min read·Jun 1, 2009
Full ArticleProduct Management
Maker's Schedule, Manager's Schedule
Why programmers and creative workers need long, uninterrupted blocks of time, and how meetings destroy their productivity in ways managers don't understand.
Classic Articles·6 min read·Jun 1, 2009
Full ArticleProduct Management
The New User Story Backlog is a Map
Why a flat product backlog doesn't work and how user story mapping gives teams a shared understanding of the big picture while still breaking work into small deliverable pieces.
Classic Articles·16 min read·Jun 1, 2008
Full ArticleProduct Management
Product-Market Fit: The Only Metric That Matters Early On
Andreessen's influential essay argues that the single most important factor for startup success is finding product-market fit—being in a good market with a product that satisfies it. The essay reframes startup priorities, placing market selection above team quality or product elegance.
Classic Articles·10 min read·Jun 25, 2007
Full ArticleProduct Management
Strategy Letter V
Smart companies try to commoditize their products' complements. Understanding this principle explains most strategic decisions in the tech industry.
Classic Articles·14 min read·Jun 1, 2002
Full ArticleProduct Management
The Law of Leaky Abstractions
All non-trivial abstractions are leaky. Understanding this law explains why you need to know the underlying technology, not just the abstraction on top of it.
Classic Articles·11 min read·Jun 1, 2002
Full ArticleProduct Management
The Joel Test: 12 Steps to Better Code
A quick, 12-question test to rate the quality of a software team. Each yes answer scores a point, and a score of 12 is perfect. Most software teams score 2 or 3.
Classic Articles·19 min read·Jun 1, 2000
Full ArticleProduct Management
Things You Should Never Do, Part I
Why rewriting code from scratch is almost always a strategic mistake. The classic argument against the grand rewrite, using Netscape's downfall as the cautionary tale.
Classic Articles·7 min read·Jun 1, 2000
Full ArticleProduct Management
Management Time: Who's Got the Monkey?
One of HBR's two best-selling reprints ever. Using the vivid monkey on your back metaphor, Oncken and Wass reveal why managers are always running out of time while subordinates run out of work — and provide five rules for effective delegation. Includes commentary by Stephen R. Covey.
Classic Articles·15 min read·Nov 1, 1999