We hope this book, and the wisdom of the many product leaders we’ve interviewed, has helped you better understand what it means to be a product leader, and how they launch great products and build successful teams. In a perfect world we’d love this book to be a dynamic, ever-updating vessel of insights informed by your feedback and suggestions. Alas, this book will go to print, and these words will no longer be editable, but we will endeavor to continue to share our learnings at this book’s website.
Of course, product leadership is still a nascent role that will continue to evolve, and rapidly. It’s important therefore, to remember the following points.
These core principles of product management infuse everything a product leader does. From tactics to strategy, from startup to enterprise, product leaders are always asking whether this is valuable to the customer and the business, feasible to deliver, and delightful to use.
As many of our interviewees said, this is a role where being curious and having an appetite for new lessons is essential. Whether it’s keeping on top of the latest technology, consumer trends, or management ideas, a product leader cannot be complacent with the status quo, or they—and their products—risk being left behind. If the sales team’s mantra is “Always be closing,” then the product leader’s is “Always be learning.”
While the technological landscape is rapidly shifting, a fundamental part of the product leader’s toolkit is the soft skills of leadership and management. Luckily, these social sciences don’t move as fast, and they have thousands of years of history to fall back on. Don’t get stuck on the latest management trend in the latest, greatest startup. Leadership inspiration and lessons can come from the craziest places—from management theory to sports to jazz.
As we mentioned in the first part of the book, the Agile Manifesto says to value “responding to change over following a plan,” and nothing is more apt for the product leadership role. There is no silver bullet or magical process that is going to solve all the challenges facing us every day, but by embracing change, you set your team up with the flexibility to succeed, no matter what gets thrown at you.
You are not the CEO of your product. You are not Steve Jobs. You are not a lone genius designing a product from your ivory tower. Never forget that as a product leader you are only as good as your team, and setting them up for success and giving them the space to do their best is ultimately how you and your product will succeed.
