Anne Steiner’s Post

We recently started a weekly column called "Hard Boiled Software". It covers the social and technical intersections of product and engineering. A common theme in our work at Nerd/Noir is bringing these worlds into closer harmony. (The hard boiled bit is a nod to the film noir genre, so you can expect a bit of grit and cynicism in the posts.) And it's not just me. Our collaborator Anne Steiner just published our first guest post on different kinds of product orgs. More to follow. It's a team effort. Basically, we got tired of pushing out a sales and marketing-focused newsletter. Boring! Instead, we've refocused on sharing learnings, tools, thoughts, and occasional rants... actually useful content. It's also much more enjoyable to write :) We'd love to have you join the conversation. Just click the "Subscribe to newsletter" link in my profile above. Hope to see you there! #leadership #strategy #product #engineeering

Don’t let the fear of failing hold you back from ever trying.   At a certain point you’ve read enough books, watched enough productivity videos, and now you just need to try executing. And guess what! The first data pipeline you write will likely be bad. Your first YouTube video won't likely be good. The first article you write probably won't be great. But if you make a conscious effort to improve, you will.

I hate most cheat sheets. They look like they’ll help… But when you’re in the trenches, they leave you stranded. No real guidance. No actionable steps. Just fluff. So yeah… I’m writing one. But it’s different. This one WORKS. Because when you’re building a business, you don’t have time for nonsense. You need speed. You need validation. You need real feedback—fast. That’s what this cheat sheet delivers: ↳ Market validation: Stop guessing. ↳ Pretotyping: Test fast, fail fast, learn faster. ↳ Skin in the game: Get emails, money, or time. ↳ RICE scoring: Build only what truly matters. This isn’t for people who like to “feel good.” It’s for people who want results. Fast. But I’m not sharing it here. That would be too easy for you! Why? Because it’s only for the serious. If you’re ready to validate your idea, DM me your email. I’ll send it straight to you. ### 🔔 Follow me, Danail, for tips on product & venture building. 🔥 Camplight | Your Digital Venture Builder to get inspired. ❤️ Trust your instincts, and build for impact! #VentureBuilding #MarketValidation #IdeaValidation #Innovation #ProductDevelopment #DigitalTransformation #DigitalAcceleration P.S. We’re also building a full Pre-MVP Playbook to help you go from idea to launch. Want early access? Let me know.

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How do I write good comments? This is how you can write too. Any time I read any post I try to think differently from the author. Challenge the assumptions. Write the other side of the story. If even one person other than the author likes your comment, and if the topic aligns with your business, consider converting the comment into a post. Here’s why this is beneficial: 1. You will come up with fresh content daily. 2. You will engage more deeply with the material. 3. You will build a habit of critical thinking. Think of it as a productivity hack. Write better comments. Think differently. Get more content. Follow and hit the bell to never miss the post. P.S Do you have a weekend plan with your friends?

I can’t turn water into wine (tbf for me it would be a flat white anyway), but this book is helping me crack the code to turning what we think is impossible into possible ...   If there's one read that'll flip your perception of logic on its head this year, it's ‘Alchemy’ by Rory Sutherland. This book is a masterclass in the unconventional wisdom that drives success in marketing and business.   Here's what I’ve uncovered:   🥸 Embrace the irrational! Logic isn't always the answer. Sometimes, the most illogical solutions create the biggest impacts. 🧐⁠ ⁠Perception is reality! Learn how changing perspectives can transform the value and reception of your products or services. 🤔 ⁠The power of 'why not?' Challenge the status quo by asking why things can't be different, opening doors to innovative ideas. 📖 ⁠Narrative beats numbers! Discover how storytelling can influence decisions way more effectively than data. 🪄Magic in the mundane! Find the extraordinary in the ordinary by looking at everyday problems through a lens of wonder.   ‘Alchemy’ is a permission slip to think differently, go against the grain and trust your instinct.    Read anything lately that has changed or challenged your thinking?

Just spent 10 minutes wading through another article full of "synergy" and "paradigm shifts" 🙄 Thought we lost this in the 90s. But buried in all that corporate talk was a gem about building self-reinforcing growth cycles. Why would you bury that? It made me think - how often do we miss good ideas because they're wrapped in buzzword bingo? And more importantly - are we guilty of this ourselves? So, I've banned corporate speak. We talk like humans. About real problems. With real solutions. The best ideas are only good if they are explained clearly. Agree? Or am I being harsh on the corporate writing style? P.S. The gold nugget in that article? Growth loops. Here's the simple version: Create a system where: - Happy customers bring you more customers - Every sale makes your product/service better - Better product = even happier customers And that's the cycle. And when I think about it - our best customers have come through this. #DigitalDavids #eCommerceWOW #RealTalk

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Invest in Success by clicking the picture substack.com