Sagnik Dey

👨🏻‍💻 Excited to share my second post in the product management series! In this latest entry, I delve into the "10 Skills Every Product Manager Should Cultivate" to thrive in this dynamic role. From strategic thinking and crafting compelling product visions to mastering market research and embracing a customer-centric approach, the skills required to excel as a product manager are diverse and essential. I also discuss the importance of technical expertise, Agile methodologies, and data-driven decision-making—skills that empower product managers to make informed decisions and maintain the competitiveness of their products. Leadership, problem-solving, and adaptability are key to effective product management. These qualities enable influencing without authority, navigating complex challenges, and adapting to changing market conditions. Dive into the complete blog to explore each skill in detail and learn how to apply them to enhance your product management expertise Let's discuss the most crucial or challenging skills for a product manager in the comments below! #productmanagement #productstrategy #productvision

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Over the weekend, I wrapped up an intense 8-day course on Improving Your Product Sense by Shreyas Doshi—and it was transformative. The class delivers highly actionable insights that sharpen your ability to think with clarity. In Product Management, much of our craft revolves around navigating ambiguity, and this course equips you with the tools to replace that ambiguity with confidence and focus. If you have been in the PM trenches for years and are serious about elevating your skills, I cannot recommend it enough. Thank you, Shreyas, for sharing your wisdom and pushing us to think and build better. Link: https://lnkd.in/gWizDt4g #ProductManagement #LifelongLearning #ImprovingYourProductSense

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Mistakes that I make as a #ProductManagement mentor/leader Mistake 11 Making product managers the focus of all discussions And not involving/enabling design, data science, business and engineering to contribute in discussions and drive strong collaboration and autonomous decision making within cross functional pods.

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Another Senior Product Manager at Amazon! Are you noticing the pattern it’s the same types of companies that are hiring product managers over and over again that are looking for the same types of experience. This should be a clue as to where the market is headed and why you may or may not getting any traction on your product manager job hunt. You can see the data on my LinkedIn feed. The majority (not all) of these product manager roles are in the following niches: Digital Payments Healthcare or Health Tech E-commerce Data Privacy Cybersecurity Growth AI Product Strategy and Roadmap Recently Funded Startup of First PM Hire (💰💰💰) Automotive Product Leader (ie Head or Director of Product Management) I have a resume template for each type of product manager role in Skool! https://lnkd.in/gtQjCfUH See you in Skool. https://lnkd.in/gtQjCfUH Don’t be late to Skool. https://lnkd.in/gtQjCfUH PS Are you curious how my team is able to get to these roles as fast as we do? You can find out the hack in Skool! https://lnkd.in/gtQjCfUH Don’t be late to Skool! https://lnkd.in/gtQjCfUH #productmanagement #productmanagementjobs #productmanagementcareers #productmanagementtransition #productgym #speedtolead

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When you say your product has Product Market Fit, it means your product has achieved PMF for specific segments of users, not everyone which you consider as your potential user. PMF is always segment specific, it is never generic. So next time you want to grow your product, understand which set of customers loved your product initially and find similar customers who have similar needs.

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Agree that majority of the traditional jobs will disappear, but Universal Basic Income alone won't solve for that reality. Humans need purpose and want to feel valued beyond just paying the bills. We need to create avenues for human contributions and creativity to continue to flourish. Without human contributions, AI is of no use (no training data, no predictions). Perhaps it's time to rethink value—should AI systems compensate for the human knowledge they're built on? Can we create systems where the benefits of AI and automation are shared more fairly across society? Could we reimagine our education systems with focus on community engagement and emotional intelligence? Could we rethink what work means and prioritize mental well-being in ways we haven’t done before? What else do you think we need to prepare for that era?

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Mistakes that I make as a #ProductManagement Mentor/ Leader Mistake #2 Setting the same mentoring/ working model for all the mentees And not taking their strengths, development areas, working style into consideration and not adjusting the mentoring/ working model for each person differently

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It’s a wrap! In the past 8 days, I had one of the most intense, humbling, and exhilarating 30 hours taking Shreyas Doshi’s Improving Your Product Sense course with 100+ accomplished and dedicated product and engineer leaders. I was deconstructed and then amalgamated. A few key highlights: 💡 Go back to the fundamentals. Product is a hard craft, but we can decompose it by going back to the fundamentals. Start by building a deep understanding of your users with motivation theory and cognitive empathy. 🚀 Product sense can be acquired. It’s not easy, but with the right input and consistent practice, you can improve over time, and the payoff is exponential.  💥 Product strategy requires creativity. Too many people mistake it as a purely analytical exercise. True excellence requires creative thinking.  🪴 Being top-notch at Product will also make you a better person. It requires deep introspection and empathy: you need to understand why you do what you do and feel the way you feel, and empathize and simulate how others (including but beyond your users) might think, feel, and act. I’m excited to apply the product lenses acquired from the course, to accelerate my career as a product leader, and to be a more insightful, deeply empathetic, and curious person. For those passionate about honing their product craft, I highly recommend this course. It's an investment in both professional and personal growth.

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As some of you may know, I run a book club at Gracenote a few times annually where we read books focusing on product management, strategy, and general business. For those interested, I've compiled a list of the best books we've covered and published it on Medium. You can find the full list here: https://lnkd.in/gfk3FgtS #BookClub #ProductManagement #BusinessStrategy #KnowledgeSharing

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🚗 Ever experienced the seamless transition of driving a car with automatic headlights that activate in the dark, or windshield wipers that spring to life at the first hint of rain? These aren't just convenient features—they symbolize a smarter, more intuitive driving experience. 🌟 At Amazon Pay, we're on a parallel journey to revolutionize your everyday transactions, making them as intuitive and effortless as your smartest car features. 🎥 In our latest campaign featuring the charismatic Ayushmann Khurrana, he showcases just how smart he feels using Amazon Pay. It’s not just about making payments; it’s about enhancing the entire experience to be more intuitive and user-friendly. Watch it out. 👏 A big shout out to the relentless efforts of the team who obsess over refining and perfecting the customer experience every day. Their dedication is making the smarter way to pay not just a possibility, but a reality. Kalyan Chitumalla, Venkatesh Harsha Nandula, Ratnakar Mani, Bhavik Sankesara, Chandan Chatterjee, Hariharan K.R, Tanmai Vully,Chandru R, Abhishek Attal, Jatinder Khurana, Anshul, Kunal, Aasif, Sankalp Talwar, Shubham, and more. Shout-out to the leadership of Mahendra Nerurkar, Anuradha Aggarwal, Rahat Patel, Vikas Bansal, Nirav Kamdar, Amit Jain to continually push the boundaries of what's possible in digital payments. Join us in celebrating this leap towards a more intuitive future. Because with Amazon Pay, it's not just paying. It's upgrading to a smarter way of life. #AmazonPay #Innovation #DigitalPayments #SmartTechnology #CustomerExperience #AyushmannKhurrana

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🚀 Exciting news: I'm now on Topmate to mentor aspiring Product Managers! After learning from incredible product leaders at eBay, Ajio, Amazon, and Paytm, I'm excited to pay it forward. I'm taking my informal PM coaching to Topmate to help more aspiring product managers. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜'𝗺 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴: 1️⃣ Practical insights from my product management journey 2️⃣ Personalized mentorship (I invest in each mentee's growth) 3️⃣ Dedicated support to help you achieve your PM career goals 𝗔 𝗳𝗲𝘄 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀: 1️⃣ I'm still a learner, just like you. Let's grow together. Perfection is a distant, evolving goal :) 2️⃣ Opening up limited slots to begin with, due to work and family commitments. 3️⃣ There's a modest fee per session, which goes directly to the Spastic Society Bangalore (my go-to place since IIMB volunteering days). If you're ready to accelerate your product management career, let's connect on Topmate! #ProductManagement #Mentorship #CareerGrowth #GivingBack https://lnkd.in/grEpxbhh

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🌟 Enhance Your PRD Skills with These Four Tips!🌟 As Product Managers, writing clear and effective Product Requirement Documents (PRDs) is crucial for aligning your team and ensuring successful product outcomes. I recently came across a fantastic article on Product Coalition that outlines four key tips for improving your PRDs: 1. Start with the Why: Clearly define the problem your product aims to solve and the value it brings to users. 2. Be Specific, Yet Flexible: Detail the requirements while allowing room for creative solutions and iterative improvements. 3. Collaborate Early and Often: Engage stakeholders from the beginning to gather diverse insights and foster a sense of ownership. 4. Use Visuals: Incorporate diagrams, mockups, and charts to make your PRDs more engaging and easier to understand. Dive into the full article for more in-depth insights: [Four Tips for Product Managers to Write Better Product Requirement Documents (PRDs)](https://lnkd.in/d772e_7K) Happy reading and refining your PRD game! 🚀 Gratitude to Shravan Tickoo for encouraging to write consistently. #ProductManagement #PRD #ProductDevelopment #TeamCollaboration #Leadership

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Who Killed Product Management in India? 🔎 This was the title of of a recent article by Praveen Gopal Krishnan on The Ken, he puts forth some interesting points (link the comments). One key point that stood out was someone saying - 90% of Product Manager roles have become redundant. Engineers, designers, and business professionals can now take on tasks once exclusive to PMs. Harsh? Maybe. True? To some extent. So, what does the future hold for PMs? I believe the future lies in the rise of the Full Stack Product Management and in everyone gaining a strong product sense. Let’s dive into details below. Article Insights: Product Management has shifted from a creative, intuitive role to a bureaucratic, data-driven one. Instead of creating innovative products, PMs are bogged down with frameworks, PRDs, and justifying decisions to stakeholders. AI is also automating many PM tasks, further pushing PMs toward obsolescence. Companies like Airbnb have even removed traditional PM roles, showing how product development can happen without them. Know thy Product: The core issue, in my view, is that we don’t truly understand what their product is. Too often, the "product" is mistaken for the app or the website—the enablers—rather than the value delivered to the customer. -> What’s the Real Product? Flipkart/Amazon: Not the app, but the goods they deliver 📦 Netflix: Not the platform, but the content 🎬 Zomato/Swiggy: It’s the food 🍔 Gmail/WhatsApp: The network effect they create 📱 The actual product is the core value, and whoever is owning it is the one owning the customer too. There are spaces where PMs can own the product, like in B2C tech (Gmail, YouTube) or B2B SaaS Applications; but in industries like e-commerce or D2C, the product isn't the app; it's the actual goods experience or service. Everyone Needs Product Sense: It’s not just PMs who need to get this. Whether you’re in business, ops, engineering, analytics, or business ops, having a product mindset is crucial to understanding the end value delivered to customers. Companies should encourage leaders and ICs alike to gain product exposure. Product sense helps you understand users, business impact, and how to solve real problems. Whats the moat for some wanting to be a PM or who is a PM: Enter the Full Stack Product Manager The future of PMs is Full Stack, blending creativity, data, and technical skills. The Full Stack PM can: Identify customer problems, Conduct discovery, Prototype and build solutions, Collaborate with engineers to build scalable products, Market and sell the product, Iterate based on feedback. AI and no-code tools are enabling this shift, allowing PMs to own the entire product lifecycle. What do you think of this? Share your views in the comments below and follow me (Vellanki Sriharsha) for more such insights. #ProductManagement #FullStackPM #AI #ProductLeadership #FutureOfWork

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Mistakes that I make as a #ProductManagement mentor/leader Mistake #10 Asking my mentees to pick up a problem/ project with urgency And not giving them the necessary context on the reason for urgency and helping them with re-prioritisation of the items currently in progress.

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🚀 Exciting News for Aspiring and Seasoned Product Managers! 🚀 I'm thrilled to announce the release of my new book, "Mastering Product Management: Proven Strategies, Tools, and Insights for Success in the Digital Age" Whether you're just starting your journey in product management or looking to refine your skills, this book is your comprehensive guide to navigating the complexities of product development and management effectively. 📖 In "Mastering Product Management," you'll discover: - Proven strategies for successful product lifecycle management - Techniques to foster innovation and creativity in your team - Insights on balancing user needs with business goals - Practical tips for decision-making and prioritizing features 🎥 Recently I came across this video message "If everything is going smooth then you are the slowest one." This statement challenges us to constantly seek improvement and innovation, rather than settling for the status quo. 🔗 https://amzn.to/3Q7Ecm5 Let's push the boundaries of what's possible in product management together! Grab your copy today and start transforming your product management approach. Join the conversation and let me know how this book helps you achieve your goals! #ProductManagement #Innovation #BookLaunch #CareerDevelopment #jobs #products

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“If you can’t set priorities in your life, you may lose an important event for nothing” Prioritizing for Product Managers is like giving specs to someone who’s always misplacing their glasses. Without a clear focus, you may end up with a blurry vision of success 👓 Balancing stakeholder demands with user needs is a tightrope walk. If you can’t juggle these priorities, no one’s getting what they want. And remember, PMs are here to solve user problems, not just to keep everyone happy 👀 When priorities clash, it’s your job to play referee and ensure the right problems get tackled first. Because in the end, it’s all about focusing on what truly matters. #prioritization #product

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Last week, I had the privilege of learning from THE Shreyas Doshi in the Product Sense course! It was more than a deep dive into product management; it was about debunking years of myths, challenging assumptions, sparking creativity, and pushing beyond the obvious to understand users and businesses. It was intense, it was challenging, and it was ENLIGHTENING ! I find myself revisiting the lessons as I work to put my learning into practice. This course is a treasure of learnings and I'd highly recommend it to all experienced PMs, founders and leaders.

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maybe one of the few posts that I ever will do, but the situation did demand it! Just completed the "Improve your product sense" course by Shreyas Doshi as part of the November 2024 cohort. Doubt if I have ever taken such a unique course steeped in learnings extracted from years of Shreyas' product experience. And these are not learnings in the usual sense / frameworks that are dime a dozen (which can be misinterpreted based on the reader's context). Instead, it is a well thought & laid out interaction with Shreyas himself over 8+ days through live interaction, intense lecture, pre-reads, peer discussions & AMAs. Highly recommend the course for senior product folks as it helps reinforce good habits, identify & overcome anti-patterns, unlearn & relearn the product craft & how to apply it contextually for high leverage outcomes! https://lnkd.in/gWjzF3aN

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