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Tired of churning out endless product artifacts?
In this episode, Itamar Gilad reveals how to slash PM busywork and focus on what really moves the needle.
Itamar is one of my favorite voices in PM. He was a PM at Google and Microsoft and more recently has been a coach and author of Evidence Guided.
In our conversation, we cover:
The Confidence Meter Framework | 07:51
Itamar’s View on Airbnb’s PM Style | 15:25
Itamar’s View on Products Owners | 26:22
How can PMs Make Their Artifact More Lightweight | 38:41
Collaborating with Engineers | 57:21
Itamar’s PM Journey at Google | 01:20:09
Itamar’s Advice for PMs in the Job Market | 01:28:16
Here are the Key Takeaways
Some of the key lessons from our conversation:
1. Most Product Ideas Are Bad, But That's Normal
Even in successful companies, only about one in three ideas tested actually succeed.
This isn't a failure of product managers, but a reality of innovation.
Itamar talks about Marty Cagan’s 4 Product Risks to test and validate ideas quickly, rather than assuming all ideas will work.
2. Use The Confidence Meter for Evidence-Guided Decision Making
Itamar explains his visual framework that helps assess the strength of product ideas.
It ranges from very low confidence (blue) to full confidence (red), with a scale of 0 to 10.
Different types of evidence are placed along the meter, from opinions at the low end to A/B experiments at the high end.
The framework encourages PMs to seek more substantial evidence before proceeding with ideas. While the exact numbers can be adjusted, the principle of valuing hard evidence over opinions remains constant.
By using the Confidence Meter, PMs can make more informed decisions and avoid overcommitting to unproven ideas.
3. Make Your PM Artifacts Lightweight
Itamar highlights how PMs can shift away from heavyweight PM documents to more agile artifacts. For example: PRDs should evolve from exhaustive specifications to flexible conversation starters.
The emphasis is on the discovery process and conversations behind the artifact, rather than the document itself.
This approach allows for more agile product development and better team alignment.
4. Empower Engineers as True Product Partners
Itamar emphasizes involving engineers in research, discovery, and outcome tracking, not just coding.
Tools like the GIST board can keep engineers engaged with the broader product context. While, Regular cross-functional meetings can help align the team on goals and progress.
This collaborative approach often leads to more innovative solutions and higher team engagement.
5. Navigate the PM Job Market with a Brand
In the current challenging job market, Itamar advises experienced PMs to develop unique specialties or skillsets to stand out and aspiring managers to be passionate building products and have strong collaborative skills.
Some of the tips that Itamar shared:
Be prepared to discuss salary expectations early, especially if coming from high-paying tech companies.
Create opportunities to solve real problems through side projects or volunteering to gain practical experience.
Build a personal brand through content creation or speaking can help differentiate you in the market.
Check out the full episode for more details!
Enter the Giveaway
Like and comment the video on YouTube. If you also subscribe to the channel, review on Apple, and send the screenshots, one of the lucky people who responds will receive $100.
Referenced
Itamar’s book: Evidence Guided
Itamar’s favorite newsletter: SVPG
Itamar’s favorite books:
Inspired by Marty Cagan
The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Where to find Itamar
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Up Next
We have some great podcasts coming from Diego Granados, Wes Bush, and Gagan Biyani. I’m so excited to share them with all of you.
In the newsletter, check out this week’s latest piece if you haven’t yet: The Evolution of Product-Led Growth (PLG) in 2024.
Look out for these pieces up next:
How Real PMs Get Jobs in this Market
How Lempire Grows
What Your Biggest Weakness Really Is
I think you’re going to love them,
Aakash
