🍟4 best links of 2021 / PM Snacks #51

1️⃣ Anatomy of a good PRD (shared in PM Snacks #43)
Jul 2020 • 4 min read • #execution #shaping #delivery
I like the exhaustiveness of Square’s template but prefer Figma’s shorter version. You can also have a look at the template I crafted for comet and discover some by other companies. In any case, good product requirement documents should:
1/ Be centralised and easily accessible outside the product team
2/ Align people on the problem, the solution & launch criteria
3/ Stay short & show more than they tell (mockups, flows, …)
4/ Serve as a hub (the one place that links to everything related to the theme)

2️⃣ Prioritization Beyond Algorithms (shared in PM Snacks #49)
Apr 2021 • 3 min read • #execution #strategy #roadmap
Stop blindly using RICE or any other “magical” formula to prioritise items in spreadsheets. Sure, these frameworks facilitate better conversation with stakeholders & make it a bit more “unbiased”, but they lack context. Do read Rich Mironov’s take on this, to find out why. Spoiler:
1/ Strategy comes before scores (company to product strategy, OKRs)
2/ Acknowledge your team context (product’s stage, different kinds of work)
3/ Think like an investor: allocate fractions of your budget to various kinds of work & bets

3️⃣ Why do people hate product managers? (shared in PM Snacks #44)
Aug 2021 • 4 min read • #selfimprovement
If you are lucky, you might have just enjoyed a vacation and you’re well-rested… Keep calm for this breaking news: 1/ some people hate us, 2/ for good reasons. Learn more about our sins and what to do to avoid them. I’ve been an overstepper at times until I learned to empower the team (this article from PM Snacks #35 might help) & can still be a complexifier (when I’m passionate about a product). What about you?

4️⃣ OUTCOME BASED ROADMAPS (shared in PM Snacks #34)
Sept 2019 • 10 min read • #strategy #execution #mustread
This is a very good piece connecting the content shared in the last few weeks around product strategy. It starts with the company’s objectives, down to the “outcome” roadmap, giving specific advice & prompts to start. Bonus: a good piece on the differences between a feature & an outcome roadmap by Gibson Biddle & a recommended deep dive in how Malt & Jobteaser do it by Le Ticket (FR)

I’m Olivier Courtois, product maker for 10y+, currently building my startup (uKu), sometimes product coach & Startup advisor. Former VP Product comet & Product Director ManoMano.

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