What we can learn about your product’s maturation, by observing the evolution of a garden through the seasons. — “Gardens are not made by singing ‘Oh, how beautiful,’ and sitting in the shade.” — Rudyard Kipling Drawing a comparison between product development and the seasonal evolution of a garden may seem far-fetched and require more abstract thinking than typical business articles, but bear with me. …

Balance the practicalities of product development with your real goals: inspiring customers and empowering sales. — First, focus on a vision Product leaders are often faced with conflicting priorities. Which product deserves your attention? Which features should we build in that product, and in what order? How should those features function? Who, out of all the people in this world, are the product’s potential customers? How should we price it? …

Seizing the day takes discipline, guts, and gratitude. But you’re a genie with powers untapped. So tap them. — Pause and Reflect Listen carefully. In the silence. You are living through echoes of billions of wishes and dreams of our ancestors. The wishes that life could be more accommodating, liberating, and inspiring. The dreams of a better world for their children, which have come to fruition through evolution, invention and disruption. Manifestation…

Skate toward your daily finish line with tactical precision by organizing and prioritizing your tasks — Like a Record, Baby Sometimes it feels like we’re professional stuntmen and women — spending our days juggling armfuls of balls while spinning in circles on an ice rink — centrifugal forces tugging on us. One lap down. Check. A few balls released from the juggle stack. Check. Check. …

Why the product adoption lifecycle applies to human interactions and how to authentically build advocates — for yourself. — Calling All Advocates Think of a product you love. What do you love about it? Do you love it enough to tell others about it? If so, you’re an advocate for that product. That business is lucky to have you. …

The case for hybrid work, and why transferring energy in person is so much more effective than through a camera. — March 18, 2020 was the last time I was in an office for an extended time. For the last two-and-a-half years I’ve been remote, working full time from home, with a few one-day business trips here and there. But nothing like last week. Last week, in mid-October 2022, I did…

Learn to fail, and you will never fail to learn. — Latte with an extra shot of humility, please Last spring I fell off my bike at a major intersection. I was 35 miles into a 40-mile training ride, distracted, and hungry. I pressed the ‘walk’ button at the red light, lost my balance, tried to unclip my bike cleat from my left pedal, and, instead, toppled over. …

Apply curiosity, mental fortitude, and stamina to every area of your life, like an endurance triathlete brings to the Ironman. — I could have quit that first race back in 2007 before I ever started. Four-foot waves crashed on the shores of the mid-Atlantic, washing grown men onto the sand after they failed to get past the breakers. I trembled on the beach, eying them — these triathletes who looked so…