Building products is 20% strategy and 80% execution, so effective product teams need to be heavy on the execution skills.
But what about that other 20%? New areas still need to be explored, but most organizations don’t have enough work (or resources) for full-time researchers and strategists.
Making the most of that 20%
My clients know that they need to periodically explore new ideas without disrupting the production flow. They need to internalize the knowledge and learnings from these explorations, but rarely have the time to commit.
As an independent strategist, I love that I can be a partner with product managers in their organizations. When there are things to explore—whether a new market, a new feature on an existing product, or a whole new product from scratch—I can set up and run a project that keeps them informed with low amounts of time invested.
Let’s be thought partners
I love my job because I get to be a thought partner first and foremost. Product managers and I keep in touch, share knowledge about the industry, and chat about different directions companies could take.