There’s a Cold War that runs through almost every product team. The frontline folks—designers, PMs, engineers—are quietly frustrated. […]
Everyone on Your Team Is Right (And That’s the Problem)
In Praise of Guessing
Last night at the Lean Product Meetup someone asked me, “How do you set Key Results when you […]
Your Resolution Isn’t the Problem. Your Measurement Is.
It’s January, and millions of people have made the same resolution: “Eat better.” By February, most will have […]
What Sam Altman Just Taught Us About OKRs
Yesterday, Sam Altman declared a “code red” at OpenAI. According to leaked memos, he’s pausing advertising experiments, AI […]
KPIs Are Your Dashboard. OKRs Are Your GPS to Somewhere New.
I got asked again last week: “What’s the difference between KPIs and OKRs?” The person asking was a […]
Sketching With AI: Why Physical Thinking Still Matters in the Age of Generated Everything
Last week, I watched a product designer spend 45 minutes crafting the perfect prompt for DALL-E. “Make it […]
The Counterintuitive Hiring Strategy for the AI Era: Getting Maximum ROI from Minimal Headcount
Let’s be honest about where we are. Hiring freezes everywhere. Headcount reductions masquerading as “AI optimization.” An administration […]
Prototypes, Turf Wars, and Vibe Coding: Who Does What Now?
Designers and PMs have always stepped on each other’s toes, especially when it’s a user-centered PM and a […]
The Recovery OKR: Goals for Healing After Burnout
We usually think of OKRs as tools for growth: ambitious, aspirational, designed to push us beyond what we […]
What I’ve Learned from 15 Years of Doing OKRs
Fifteen years ago, I began experimenting with OKRs, starting at Zynga and then as I worked with startups […]
Metrics Are Easy—Impact Is Hard
Metrics are the corporate world’s comfort blanket: soft, familiar, and dangerously good at lulling us to sleep. We […]
Default Mode Is a Decision—Just Not Yours
You ever look up from your desk, your inbox, your endless errands, and think—“Wait, how did I end […]
Why Use Personal OKRs
Back in 2012, I stumbled onto Objectives and Key Results not as a corporate mandate, but as a […]
How to Use GenAI with OKRs (Without Letting It Think for You)
There’s a dangerous temptation with AI right now: outsourcing your thinking. Don’t. Your brain is still your most […]
When (and When Not) to Use AI in Digital Product Development
In Co-Intelligence, Ethan Mollick points out that we often turn to AI for a first draft to escape […]
From Jobs to Careers to a Calling
There was a time when I thought I’d be a painter. I went to art school, spent hours […]
Manage your Life Like You Manage a Product: Explore, Expand, Exploit, Exit—and Reflect
“Life doesn’t follow a straight path” is a cliché, but as my mama always says, “They’re called truisms […]
Decoupling OKRs: It’s Time to Let Go
OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are supposed to make everything faster, clearer, and more focused. And when you’re […]
Building a Strategy: Answering the Five Essential Questions
When it comes to building a successful strategy, start with clarity around your mission and vision. Your mission […]
The Importance of Giving Feedback Early: Don’t Let Resentment Fester
Giving feedback can be uncomfortable. But holding back and letting small frustrations simmer is far worse. When we […]
Getting Started with Outcome Thinking
One of the biggest challenges people face when adopting OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) is shifting from output […]
Switcheroo for Practicing Difficult Conversations
A great role-playing exercise for practicing difficult conversations is The Switcheroo, which helps participants step into different perspectives […]
Why We Struggle to Get Things Done: Common Pitfalls
We all have things we want to achieve—whether it’s personal goals like getting fit or professional milestones like […]
Building a Product Management Class
When I set out to create a course on product management three years ago, I knew it would […]
Five Effective Ways to Quiet a Room After a Workshop Exercise
Getting a room of workshop participants or students to settle down after a lively exercise can be tricky. […]
The Easiest Way to Start Working with OKRs
If you’ve ever found yourself knee-deep in a project and wondering, “What the hell are we really trying […]
What You Want isn’t Always What You Want
I was sitting on a patio with two of my dearest friends, polishing off a second bottle of […]
The Product Journey and the Product Portfolio
A product’s journey from inception to decline involves several distinct phases. Understanding these phases is crucial for anyone […]
Fast Ways to Estimate Capacity
Estimating the capacity of your organization or team quickly is crucial for setting realistic goals and effectively planning […]
Understanding Organizational Capacity: Why It Matters in OKR Practice
Setting goals is crucial for any organization, and one effective method for doing this is through OKRs (Objectives […]