Unorthodox PM tips: Automating user insights, unselling candidates, decision logs, more | Kevin Yien
20 Aug 2024 (1 month ago)
Kevin’s background
- Kevin Yen leads product for merchant experiences at Stripe.
- Prior to Stripe, he built the restaurant business and ecosystem teams at Square. (00:01:04)
- He was also head of product and design at Mutiny.
The story behind Kevin’s profile picture
- Kevin's profile picture was inspired by Chris Dixon's avatar and was created by his girlfriend in 2011 or 2012.
- Kevin once had a startup idea for a profile picture service with different tiers of service.
- Kevin believes that the purpose of product management is to convert the potential of a product team into realized value for the user. (00:04:11)
The role of a product manager
- Not every team needs a product manager, but the activities and outcomes typically associated with the role still need to be accomplished.
- When a company's employees are also its customers, there is less need for a product manager.
- When a company's employees are not its customers, or the company operates in a complex space, there is a greater need for a product manager.
Getting started in product management
- The best way to determine what role to start in to become a product manager is to consider the roles that product managers typically take on responsibilities from.
- Three foundational roles that can provide a good foundation for a career in product management are engineer, designer, and salesperson. (00:11:11)
- While some may view transitioning to product management as "settling," it is more constructive to view it as potentially excelling in a different area.
The importance of writing skills
- Product managers (PMs) should be skilled writers to effectively communicate and create clarity both within their teams and with external stakeholders.
- Writing is crucial for PMs as it helps them articulate their thoughts, solidify their understanding of a product, and ensure that their message is easily understood by others.
- Strong writing skills enable PMs to translate their thoughts into actionable plans and effectively communicate their vision to their team, ultimately maximizing the team's potential. (00:14:36)
Becoming a better writer
- To become a better writer, one should consume a lot of good writing, even if it means occasionally encountering poorly written pieces.
- Reading compelling writing that inspires action is crucial for developing one's own writing style.
- Varying sentence length and interrupting monotonous cadence can make writing more engaging and easier to read.
The PM’s role with engineering and design
- Product teams often underinvest in design, and a higher design-to-engineer ratio can significantly improve the quality of work. (00:19:46)
- Product managers (PMs) should focus on defining the problem space and setting constraints, allowing engineers and designers to work creatively within those boundaries.
- PMs should be deeply involved in the details of the final product to ensure it delivers value to the customer, even if it means pushing back deadlines or challenging internal processes.
Drawing the perimeter for your team
- Drawing the perimeter for a team means adding constraints to allow engineers and designers to find creative solutions.
- Constraints can include the target user, their needs, and the platforms the product will be available on. (00:29:17)
- Clearly defining priorities, such as speed over data consistency, provides valuable constraints for the team.
Feedback tips
- It is suggested that scheduling a meeting where participants read and provide feedback on a document in real-time is more effective than sending the document for asynchronous review.
- While some may object to more meetings, this method allows for focused work, immediate feedback, and faster iteration cycles.
- Real-time interaction during the meeting allows for immediate clarification and follow-up on comments, leading to a faster feedback loop and quicker progress. (00:34:24)
Decision logs and product sense
- Product sense can be developed by making decisions, documenting the rationale, and observing the outcomes.
- A decision log can be created by documenting decisions made by other teams or companies and revisiting them later to analyze the outcomes.
- Building a habit of decision logging can be achieved by starting small, such as dedicating 10 minutes per week to analyzing and documenting a decision, and gradually increasing the frequency.
Unorthodox hiring strategies
- Interviewing is a good opportunity to implement a decision log, where interviewers can record their questions, rationale for decisions, and later evaluate the accuracy of their assessments. (00:45:41)
- Reviewing the performance of new hires at 6, 12, and 18 months and comparing it to their initial scorecards can reveal flaws in the interviewing process.
- This practice of reviewing performance against initial assessments highlights areas for improvement in interviewing techniques.
The unsell email strategy
- The unsell email strategy involves sending candidates an email after the interview process but before the offer stage, highlighting potential concerns about the role or company.
- The email aims to address anxieties candidates may have, ensuring they are fully aware of any challenges or drawbacks before accepting an offer. (00:49:09)
- While this approach may initially lead to a higher percentage of candidates declining offers, it ultimately results in a better fit between the candidate and the company, leading to higher retention and job satisfaction.
Automating user research
- Product managers (PMs) need direct exposure to raw customer interactions and should not solely rely on processed reports or information from other departments.
- PMs can automate user research by using tools like UserInterviews.com to source and schedule interviews with ideal customer profiles.
- Sales teams can act as a research team, and tools like Gong can be used to set up alerts for specific terms or phrases mentioned in sales calls, which can then trigger automated workflows to schedule follow-up interviews with customers. (00:56:40)
AI in everyday life
- A seven-year-old, after being introduced to an AI image generation tool, used the word "draw" to describe the act of creating an image using the tool.
- The use of the word "draw" suggests that, to the child, there is no distinction between traditional artistic tools like crayons and AI image generation models.
- This experience suggests that children who grow up with AI tools as part of their everyday lives may have radically different perspectives on product development and technology in the future.
Lessons from failure
- A story is shared about being laid off from a product manager job at a startup while his wife was nine months pregnant. (01:06:42)
- It is important to differentiate between not being good at something and a company not needing a specific skill set at a particular time.
- People should evaluate what aspects of a job are within their control to change and what aspects are external factors that might indicate a need for a different environment.
Lightning round
- Autobiographies and memoirs are recommended as they provide insights into the lives and thought processes of respected individuals.
- "The Courage to Be Disliked" challenges readers to focus on what they can control and not dwell on external factors. (01:15:38)
- "The Paper Menagerie" is a highly recommended collection of sci-fi and fantasy essays.