Published inHeuristics from the trenches·PinnedMember-onlyLessons Learn’t Coaching: How to Interview Remotely.Doing remote interviews well is a muscle that takes practice. — COVID has accelerated a few things in this world, but one thing that is close to my heart is that companies are now running far more ‘remote’ interviews than they ever used to. Now with the great resignation and a swathe of companies tightening their belts, (and not just in…Interview8 min readInterview8 min read
Published inHeuristics from the trenches·PinnedAn introduction to Heuristics from the trenchesThis is a series, a very long time in the making. Over the past 10+ years, I've been capturing anecdotes, sayings and thoughts (over 100+ to date) that cross over between my personal life, my 20+year career in product management and general leadership, directly from personal experience as a product…Leadership2 min readLeadership2 min read
Published inHeuristics from the trenches·Mar 31Member-onlyThe impediment to action advances action.What I've learnt from Stoicism over the years as a product manager. — Those who know me know how important Stoicism has been to me personally over the years. Stoicism has helped me frame the many hurdles thrown across my path over the years, from being laid off at work to the slow, painful breakup of my marriage and coming to terms with…Product Management4 min readProduct Management4 min read
Published inHeuristics from the trenches·Mar 20Member-onlyDon’t be a dick.Don’t assume authority just because you have it. — I’ve just finished reading : Paddy Mayne: Lt Col Blair 'Paddy' Mayne, 1 Sas Regiment After seeing action in Syria with the Commandos, 'Paddy' Mayne joined the new unit that David Stirling was establishing,…amzn.eu A fascinating insight into the origins of the SAS in the Second world war. But also Into the mind of Paddy Mayne, an exceptional leader by all accounts and, I think, well worth studying.Leadership3 min readLeadership3 min read
Published inHeuristics from the trenches·Mar 2Member-onlyStop talking and start listening.My old boss, James Micklethwait, once told me, You don’t need to be the most knowledgeable person in the room, to make your voice heard. Stop talking, start listening. I still wrestle with it today in my coaching practice, but it is always consciously on my mind, and James helped…3 min read3 min read
Published inHeuristics from the trenches·Feb 25Member-onlyQuestions I have asked myself over the years since leaving corporate 9–5I’m writing this article in response to a question raised by Janet Daniels-Thomas, who kindly responded to a comment I made on a recent article from: Sean Kernan I’m Feeling A Bit Lost An honest reflection on the situation.medium.com To catch you up. The questions were: Who are you when your work does not define you? Who are your people? Although…Coaching7 min readCoaching7 min read
Published inHeuristics from the trenches·Dec 19, 2022Member-onlyHow can Occam’s razor help product managers?All things being equal, the simplest solution. Is often the best solution. I first heard about Occam’s razor from Sheena Peirse, a friend and colleague at ITV, many moons ago. As mental models go, it’s pretty dammed good for filtering out noise and complexity. Occam's razor - Wikipedia Occam's razor, Ockham's razor, Occam's razor ( Latin: novacula Occami), also known as the principle of parsimony or the…en.wikipedia.orgProduct Management2 min readProduct Management2 min read
Published inHeuristics from the trenches·Oct 27, 2022Member-onlyif you’re spinning too many plates, put some down.A favourite quote from my dad.Leadership1 min readLeadership1 min read
Published inHeuristics from the trenches·Oct 5, 2022Member-onlyLook in the bucket before you kick the bucket over.Have you ever started a new role or project to make big, transformational changes? Agile or digital transformation projects especially. The tech stack is a spaghetti junction of Conway’s law. The organisational culture is anything from straight-up toxic to rigid old working methods delivering feature factories, not outcome-based product development. …Product Management2 min readProduct Management2 min read
Published inHeuristics from the trenches·Sep 23, 2022Member-onlyWho are you when your work does not define you?Who are you, and what do you do? How many times have you heard this when you meet someone new? What was your first thought when you read it? More often than not, I find folks say: ‘I am a [X] role at company [Y]’ – sometimes “I’m a parent…Coaching3 min readCoaching3 min read
