Shivani Tewari

The product lifecycle is like a Bollywood movie: Starts with a bang, full of drama in the middle (bugs!), and ends with everyone wondering if there will be a sequel (new version) or if it's just a one-hit wonder. #productmanagerlife #productmanagement #productmanager #agile #productowner #officehumor #worklifebalance #softwareengineeringhumor #uxhumor #customercentric #productlifecycle #productlaunch #bugs #productdevelopment #newversion #bollywood #softwareengineeringhumor #productmanagerlife

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I recently had the incredible opportunity to shadow our CEO, Naveen Tewari, for a day alongside four other colleagues.  As someone who’s primarily focused on product management, I was excited to step into the world of leadership at the highest level—to see how big decisions are made, how priorities are juggled, and how life is balanced when every moment counts.    The day gave me all that and so much more! It was an action-packed day with new learnings in every interaction. But here are my top takeaways from the day:   1. Balancing Life - I witnessed how someone at a global CEO level maintains mental and physical balance amidst countless priorities. This balance is the foundation of how you operate every day and takes a large amount of discipline.  2. Making Tough Decisions - I learned that even when faced with the fear of the unknown, it’s possible to make difficult decisions and manage their consequences effectively.  3. Zooming In and Out - I observed how to strategically shift focus throughout the day, guiding various teams with just the right level of involvement.  4. Being Trustworthy - Above all, I saw the importance of being a good person—someone people can trust and rely on, at the end of the day.    My #ShadowNT experience reiterated that the journey to such a role, and living it daily, is anything but easy. But it has left me inspired, hopeful, and with a lot to reflect on as I work to build a life that makes a difference in the world. I will carry these learnings for the rest of my career.  💫 Glance InMobi

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The Ken has an empathetic article on the role of PMs in India. Highly recommended weekend read. However, I think the article goes beyond just empathy and romanticizes the role of a PM. For two reasons: 1. PMs must deliver measurable outcomes and healthy ROI. As must sales, finance, and operations folks. It’s foolish to assume that there is space in this hypercompetitive world for romanticizing Jobsian visions of the next iWhatever. 2. Almost all tech product companies in India are a copy of something that has worked in developed markets. The PMs job is to contextualize and optimize it for the Indian customer, regulations, and operating environment. A Product Marketer role, oversold as a Product Manager role. Two things we need to change: (1) Set realistic expectations with new hires. Don’t over-promise the role just to hire a rockstar. She’ll leave in a year’s time, and you’re back to square zero. (2) as PMs be prepared to do the hard grind in the initial years to figure out whether this is really for you. The Ken Praveen Gopal Krishnan Rohin Dharmakumar #productmanagement #productmarketing #expectations #careerchoices #careerpaths #metrics #ROI #stevejobs #reality

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Here’s a gratitude post to Deepak Krishnan for a catch-up session this morning. Deep thanks to you, Deepak! I asked him what is the single skill that distinguishes a great product manager from a good product manager. Below is a summary of his response which I found greatly helpful and profoundly impactful: Quickly developing a deep understanding of problems, rather than just scratching the surface, is crucial for creating effective solutions. Many individuals hastily move into the solution space without thoroughly comprehending the problem space, resulting in superficial solutions. To truly excel, one must cultivate curiosity and delve deep into the roots of the issue. Depth of thinking is the distinguishing factor between good and great managers. Great product solutions are born from rigorous analysis, thorough research, and a willingness to challenge assumptions. It's essential to: - Ask probing questions - Seek diverse perspectives - Analyze data and evidence - Identify underlying patterns and dynamics - Challenge assumptions and conventional wisdom By doing so, you'll develop a rich understanding of the problem, uncover hidden opportunities, channel assumptions and create innovative solutions that address the core issues. Depth of thinking is the key to unlocking exceptional problem-solving and remarkable product solutions. How do you develop depth of thinking? 1. Practice Active Curiosity: - Ask open-ended questions - Seek diverse perspectives - Explore unknown territories 2. Embrace Complexity: - Acknowledge nuances and ambiguities - Resist oversimplification - Embrace paradoxes and contradictions 3. Analyze Assumptions: - Identify implicit assumptions - Challenge conventional wisdom - Question your own biases 4. Seek Multiple Sources: - Consult diverse sources - Evaluate evidence and data - Synthesize information 5. Reflect and Introspect: - Regularly reflect on your thoughts - Examine your own thinking processes - Identify areas for improvement 6. Practice Critical Thinking: - Evaluate arguments and logic - Identify flaws and fallacies - Develop well-supported arguments 7. Learn from Failure: - Embrace failures as opportunities - Analyze mistakes and learn - Adapt and adjust your thinking 8. Engage in Meaningful Conversations: - Discuss with people from different backgrounds - Explore diverse topics and perspectives - Listen actively and empathetically Incorporate these practices into your daily life, develop a deeper thinking capacity, leading to more informed decision-making, creative problem-solving, and a more nuanced understanding of the world around you. Then bring that learning into the product craft. Deepak will be having sessions on product management every Saturday that seeks to help others master product craft through deep, structured, first principles mindset. Check his page for more details.

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We are often stuck in the scenarios, when the made up Organizational Optics around product discovery/delivery becomes more taxing then the execution itself. What the middle management or upper middle management, with limited authority should do? Shreyas Doshi has suggested an approach for building two "worlds", within your boundary. This is indeed more work for you, and arguably very few of us are able to do this, and fewer attain mastery. Inside World: Your team/department/people around you. Here, prioritize protecting them from negativity. This might involve ignoring unproductive company processes. Outside World: The broader company. Adapt to existing structures, even if frustrating. Play the game and deliver what the company needs, even if it feels superficial. Having said that, the approach of two "worlds", gives you freedom to build in your inside peripheral, it also gives you that slice of happiness and containment. #leadership #communication #workplacehacks #careerdevelopment P.S. Check out Shreyash's talk in the comment for a deeper dive

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After many years in product I finally decided to take my first, and probably last, "PM course": Shreyas Doshi's Product Sense course: https://lnkd.in/g6Gm9YzU Why my last? I don't think I'll ever need to take another course after this. He asked our honest take, so here's mine: The premise of a PM course always felt ironic to me because doing product in theory is never *remotely close* to doing product in practice. Well, this is finally the course that is built for, and built by, product in practice. Name a product concept that you've banged your head against the wall trying to put into practice (I'll name a few: Product Sense, Product Strategy, Product Vision). You've already read 5 books, 10 medium articles, and listened to 12 podcasts, and still feel like doing it yourself is like grabbing water. Every one of those concepts (and more) has finally been decomposed, distilled, and packaged into something that can compare to working directly with a world-class product leader yourself. Do yourself a favor and take this course, there is nothing remotely close to it that I'm aware of in existence. Also: you will laugh - guarantee you'll experience at least 1 moment of catharsis as Shreyas Doshi skewers some aspect of the tech industry and our experience as product people within it.

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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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Call it the job market or more number of folks planning to move to product management. Lately, I've been getting quite a few DMs from people asking for advice on their product management journeys. It's honestly been both humbling and inspiring! That's why I've decided to start coaching on Topmate. Whether you're... ...trying to figure out how to land your first PM role ...wanting to sharpen your product development skills ...just needing another PM to brainstorm with ...I'm happy to chat. I want to share what I've learned – both the wins and the mistakes – and help you navigate your own path. Interested in connecting? Schedule a time here: https://lnkd.in/du32txYE And even if you don't want a formal session, feel free to reach out! I love connecting with this community. #ProductManagement #CareerMentorship #Topmate #ProfessionalGrowth

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I spent a part of the last weekend talking to some PM aspirants and conducting a few mock interviews. Several folks are worried about what to read and how to prep for PM interviews. Every day there seems to be a new question and a new framework on the internet - it can be tough to play catch up. IMHO, you need only the below resources to crack 99.9% of the toughest PM interviews. The rest 0.1% can sometimes be influenced by factors outside of your control and even Dettol does well to not worry too much about that. #productmanagement #productmanagementinterviews

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Continuing my series on Product Operations. How does the role differ from Program Management? The two functions collaborate frequently and in some orgs might have overlap on some initiatives. 🚀 Program Management: -Focuses on strategic objectives across multiple projects. -Manages a portfolio of related projects to achieve broader goals. -Coordinates interdependencies among projects, products, and strategic initiatives. 🔧 Product Operations: -Supports product managers and engineering teams by removing operational tasks from their plate. -Ensures consistent, repeatable processes for product and engineering teams. -Acts as the connective tissue holding product efforts together. In essence, while both roles are vital to the product lifecycle, Program Managers are the strategic orchestrators across projects, and Product Operations are the efficiency experts within product teams. Every company and organization is different. In some orgs Product Operations also bridges the gap between Tech and Business teams by taking on technical customer operation duties and becoming the technical implementation and escalations layer. So while the number of teams Product Ops supports may vary, the type of support they offer should be similar across teams. #productoperations

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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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During one of our chats, my mentor and friend Robert Lacis said - "Product Managers are like therapists" and this is the wildest analogy I have come across for PMs. But as he drew similarities between the two, it started to make sense. ▶ Asking questions: 👨‍⚕️ The therapist begins by asking questions such as "Why do you feel this way?" and "What triggered this emotion?" to help patients explore their feelings, outbursts, and anxiety and understand the underlying cause of the issue. 🤓 Product Managers ask the same questions to their customers like "Why do you need this solution?" or "What problem is it solving?" to get to the root cause of the pain points. ▶ Being empathetic: 👩‍⚕️ Therapists always listen to the patient's problems, show empathy, and try to gain the patient's perspective 👣 One of the virtues of a product manager is to have customer empathy and understand their issues by putting themselves in their shoes. ▶ Planning for the long haul: ✍ Therapists do not prescribe pills to temporarily solve the patient's issues. Instead, they help the patients address the root of the problem and guide them through it with exercises and routines. ⚒ Product Managers collaborate with customers to develop sustainable solutions that yield long-term results instead of applying quick fixes. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments. #productmanager #therapist #empathy #customercentricity #pm #productmindset

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In my 13 years of experience in Product Management, working across startups and global MNCs, I have found that one of the most crucial skills in our field is the ability to communicate ideas clearly and structurally. Whether it’s presenting a new product idea, aligning cross-functional teams, or gathering feedback from users, how we articulate our thoughts can make all the difference. I would love to hear your thoughts. What skills do you find essential in Product Management? #ProductManagement #CommunicationSkills #Leadership #Collaboration #GrowthMindset

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Deepak Krishnan post on clearly demonstrates what’s wrong with promotion first mentality Post for your folks 🤔Associate Product Manager To Chief Product Officer - Mindset Over Time.🤔 APM - My very first product is going to make billions for my company and I will be promoted in the next 6 months. Maybe even a double promotion! PM - If only my designers, developers and business counterparts listened to me, our products would be successful and I could be senior PM by now. Senior PM - My senior management has no clue what to build. If I were senior management I would have made this company so successful. Group PM - Aargh the PMs reporting to me think they are Steve Jobs. My Senior Leadership think they are Steve Jobs. And yet nothing we ship makes any impact. I am making only PPTs, fighting fires and taking the blame for everyone’s screw up. Director Of Products - I get the game now. It’s not about the how I build products. It’s about making products optically successful, managing more products and people & keeping my senior leadership happy. Senior Director Of Products - How do I take control of the new and important charters coming up and make sure X and Y don’t get it so that I have the best optics. VP of Products - When will my CPO move on to the next company so I can become CPO. CPO - Time to start applying for CEO roles in other companies. My CEO ain’t moving any time soon. 😄This is just a humorous take on us product managers.😄 #productmanagement #productmanager

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Seasoned and aspiring product managers looking for insights into the product manager job roles and their salary ranges across cities, gender, company size, and experiences are put together in this report. I would say this report is close to real and have not seen any report closer to this. Highly encourage PMs to look at this report for career insights and their prospects. https://lnkd.in/gpSzPMDN #ProductManagersSalary #AspiringProductManagers #2024PMSalaryTrends

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Wrote an original piece on how proof of concept needs to be upgraded to something I'd like to call as Proof of Iconomics. [Iconic + Economics] Do give it a read. Feedback/suggestions are welcome. #medium #productmanagement

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Weekend Reading: How to become a consensus builder. Bhavana Hindupur outlines a framework to reach a group decision: 1️⃣ Gather possible options          --> List the pros and cons of each option   2️⃣ Agree on the criteria that are important for this case           --> Discuss *why* each criteria is important   3️⃣ Decide based on the criteria           --> A data-driven decision!   The trick is to get the group focused on decision criteria - keeping emotions out of the decision.   More tips and an example of consensus building are in the article 🤝 Link: https://lnkd.in/gKznMGUf #ProductManagement #TeamCollaboration #Leadership

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🚀 Had a fantastic time attending the 'Next level tactics for Product Managers and Product Leaders' hosted by Lane Shackleton and Shreyas Doshi 🌟 We explored three crucial topics for product success: Prioritization, Stakeholder Management, and Decision Making and uncovered a treasure trove of actionable tactics such as: 1️⃣ 💰 100-dollar voting exercise - https://lnkd.in/gvdr3R46 2️⃣ 📜 Decision sentence starters - https://lnkd.in/gRZ-yxRS 3️⃣ 🤝 Proactive stakeholder management - https://lnkd.in/gjDa5yk6 4️⃣ ⚡ Supercharging decision making - https://lnkd.in/gDuxEuAf My personal favourite is the 💵 100-dollar voting exercise, this prioritization exercise is unlike any other as it challenges the stakeholders to really think about prioritizing with limited resources and since votes can be cast anonymously it helps avoid biases. 🗒 Pro tip here is to have the $100 exercise individually for each of your strategy themes i.e. Quick wins, Big bets, Table stakes etc so that current painful issues/bugs do not skew decisions Feeling inspired and ready to include these insights into my product management toolkit! 💪 #ProductManagement #Prioritization #StakeholderManagement #DecisionMaking

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Sharing Deepak Krishnan's post with a funny take on product management. 🤔Associate Product Manager To Chief Product Officer - Mindset Over Time.🤔 APM - My very first product is going to make billions for my company and I will be promoted in the next 6 months. Maybe even a double promotion! PM - If only my designers, developers and business counterparts listened to me, our products would be successful and I could be senior PM by now. Senior PM - My senior management has no clue what to build. If I were senior management I would have made this company so successful. Group PM - Aargh the PMs reporting to me think they are Steve Jobs. My Senior Leadership think they are Steve Jobs. And yet nothing we ship makes any impact. I am making only PPTs, fighting fires and taking the blame for everyone’s screw up. Director Of Products - I get the game now. It’s not about the how I build products. It’s about making products optically successful, managing more products and people & keeping my senior leadership happy. Senior Director Of Products - How do I take control of the new and important charters coming up and make sure X and Y don’t get it so that I have the best optics. VP of Products - When will my CPO move on to the next company so I can become CPO. CPO - Time to start applying for CEO roles in other companies. My CEO ain’t moving any time soon. 😄This is just a humorous take on us product managers.😄 #productmanagement #productmanager

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