Malay Krishna’s Post

Great article with examples on how to monetize your products in India?

I recently read this riveting article on who killed the art of product management in India! And I loved it! Now, some context. I started my career 12 years back, when product as a function didn’t exist in India. Nor was fintech considered cool. And yet, that’s exactly what I was doing. And if I look back. I think I agree with Brian Chesky, for doing away with the traditional PM role. I mean, even back then. Product work was well divided between the Analytics, Cusotmer solution experts (pseudo UX designers), tech and Testing. So why did we need product as a function ? I feel it’s because, back then all of us cared equally about the success of the product! About the customer delight it would bring in. About how it would make the life of customers better and easier and more joyful. Somewhere down the line. With the whole posturing of “PMs are the CEO of the product”, the other departments probably started feeling sidelined. And so gradually started caring lesser and lesser about the success of the product. Such is the power of politics in the corporate world. But back to the article in The Ken ! The reason why the art of product management wasn’t sucked out of other divisions, was again thanks to the same reason. While the “CEOs of the product” were busy proving why they add value, the other divisions who cared enough about the products’ success went about “thinking out of the box”. Anyway. I filled up the survey at the end of the article to my candid best. And now I really cannot wait for edition 3 of this to come out. Because like the rest of you, I wanna know too. Is product management dead in the near future in India ?

Good Product Managers & Great Product Managers (Part-2) ✨Good PMs 6- Good PMs talk frequently to customers and they listen intently what customers say in order to develop their product hypothesis. 7- Good PMs inspire teams with their creative product ideas to get buy-in. 8- Good PMs seek to validate their ideas and instincts with trusted colleagues they often ask: ''Does this make sense?". 9- Good PMs are detail-obsessed, making sure that the product meets the desired quality bar for launch. 10- Good PMs are outstanding problem solvers. ⭐Great PMs 6- Great PMs additionally listen to what customers don't say and they anticipate where the industry overall is headed in order to develop their product hypothesis. 7- Great PMs know that buy-in isn't enough; you need passion and a sense of ownership to build great products. Great PMs facilitate discussions that get the entire team to come up with creative product ideas. 8- Great PMs make it as easy as possible for colleagues to push back on their ideas and instincts. They often ask: "What am i getting wrong?". 9- Great PMs pay this degree of attention to the entire customer experience: they know that the documentation, the API, the blog post, website, the canned responses, etc. are also the product. 10- Great PMs are outstanding problem preventers. Great PMs are discerning about which problems to prevent, which problems to solve, and which problems not to solve. #Productmanagement #GoodvsGreat

I screwed up so badlyyyyy one time. Ready for one of my stories? But before I tell the story, let's agree that competent product leaders are hard to find here in the MENA. Most talented product managers here in the MENA have had, or still have, a manager who doesn’t know anything about product. I discussed this with my friend Faisal AbdulJabbar last month. Most talented PMs here share the trait of suffering at least once under a non-product manager. Marty Cagan at his talk 5 years ago at PRODUCTIZED Conference said: “Don’t worry about the company; find a manager that you will work for, who has been there, done that at a good product company, and who is committed to coaching you for the next year or two.” I mean, how can you expect a director or head of product to build a product team and a killer product function if they haven’t done that themselves before? Now, let's go back to my story. In one of my past experiences, I had a manager who hadn’t done product before. A talented software engineer woke up one day and found himself leading a big product team. I was under the wrong impression; don't judge me for that, my product folks. One day, in one of our product discussions (Quarterly planning), I said, "I think we need to start and own more initiatives that reduce operations costs and drive our key metrics through the product and not the account management team. We need to be more of a product-led organization. I think we have a huge opportunity given the nature of our persona." He said, "We are already product-led here, Shehab. Let's not think about it" ---- He said that while the biggest team was the sales and account management team. ---- He said that while the product roadmapping was all about going to the sales and account management teams, collecting their features, and promising them a release date. ---- He said that while the product didn't even self-onboard our target customers. ---- He said that while PMs' performance was evaluated by stakeholders who don’t know product or product work. I'm talking finance and legal here, folks hahaha. At that point, I said, "I messed up. I screwed up. What the heck did I get myself into?" I knew I had to escape ASAP. What to learn from this (my random reflections as usual): 1. Do your due diligence on your manager before you accept any role. You have the right to learn and get coached my friend :) 2. If you want to be a good product leader who really understands product and your team, for goodness' sake, spend some years as an individual contributor—PM, senior PM, lead PM. End of Stroy ------------------------ 🔔 Hey, this is Shehab Beram, a product leader, PLG, and product discovery advisor, and the founder of VisionX®, the first personal branding studio for product leaders in the world. I share product insights every week. #ProductManagement #Leadership #MENA #startups #ProductManager #product

I’ve just wrapped up a deep dive into Product Management through a fantastic course from Indian School of Business, and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned! 🚀 The course has really opened my eyes to the full product life cycle, highlighting the importance of a product mindset. It’s not just about the technical side of things—success in product development is about truly understanding customer needs, keeping an eye on market trends, and always focusing on the value your product brings to the table. That’s the foundation for creating solutions that actually resonate with people. 💡 One big takeaway was the idea of prioritizing impact over pricing when developing a product. It’s a bit of a shift from the usual way of thinking, but it really drives home how value creation can be a game changer. 🎯 Another critical point was mapping out the customer’s persona and journey while zeroing in on the problem your product solves. This step is so important for aligning your development process with real-world needs, and it really smooths out the user experience. 🌱 Innovation and growth management were also key. In today’s fast-paced world, staying innovative is crucial to staying competitive, and this part of the course offered great insights into how to balance that with strategic thinking. ⏳ Learning how to manage the product life cycle stood out to me as well. From launch to retirement, understanding the highs and lows of a product’s journey helps you make better decisions that keep things running smoothly. 📣 I also can’t forget the emphasis on marketing and brand strategy. It’s not just about making your product visible—it’s about shaping its role and influence in the market for long-term success. 🛠️ And lastly, the practical frameworks for product development were super useful. These structured approaches are perfect for taking an idea and turning it into a real, market-ready product. This course has really broadened my view of product management, and I’m looking forward to applying what I’ve learned to create products that genuinely make a difference!

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

I embarked on my Product Management journey under the guidance of the renowned Shravan Tickoo aka the #SwagWalaPM, where I delved into novel concepts and strategies. From the outset, I was introduced to the fundamental skills of a PM and the critical importance of adopting two distinct modes of thinking on Day 1 of the Cohort. ✈ First thing first, what is Product Management? 🙄 - Product Management is like being a chef who combines ingredients (art) and follows recipes (science) to make delicious dishes. But instead of food, you're crafting products!  - You need to really understand what bugs people (their pain points) and think creatively to fix them. It's all about making sure your product stays awesome as more and more people start using it. In this dynamic field, two modes of thinking stand out: #lateralthinking and #Verticalthinking. Lateral thinking encourages bold, experimental solutions to problems, fostering innovative user behaviour—think of the paradigm shift introduced by apps like #bumble . Conversely, Vertical thinking focuses on refining existing user experiences, leveraging established frameworks and insights, such as the precision of running #googleads -A truly exceptional Product Manager possesses T-shaped thinking, capable of both lateral exploration and vertical depth, ensuring a comprehensive approach to problem-solving tailored to the target audience. -At its core, a PM is the master of problem discovery, unwaveringly dedicated to understanding and addressing core issues. Meta-cognitive thinking becomes invaluable, empowering #productmanager to apply first principles and unlock optimal solutions. Now, let's dissect the essential skills for mastering PMing: 1. Curiosity: A perpetual hunger for learning and improvement. 2. Problem-solving: Meticulously uncovering pain points and conducting thorough problem discovery. 3. Bias: A double-edged sword, subject to debate, yet vital for informed decision-making. In the realm of perceived versus true value, success lies somewhat like: Perceived value < true value: Exemplary performance. Perceived value = true value: A commendable outcome. Perceived value > true value: A misstep with potential repercussions, including customer attrition and business loss. Hence, Embrace faster feedback loops, discerning the nuances of positive and negative feedback to prioritize improvements effectively.  In this iterative process, understanding both the champions and detractors (Good or bad actors) is key to refining the product and driving sustainable #growth I would like to thank my Mentors for their support Somi Singh, Dev Yadav and others for their guidance. #productmanagement #productmanager #artandproductmusings #firstprinciples #productinnovation #fun

Top PMs & Operators are getting PM roles at LinkedIn, Uber, Microsoft and lots of high-quality product firms even in 2024 and 2025 ❤️ Becoming a 1% operator is not a choice but a necessity now There are tons of product resources to begin your journey but how do you filter the noise and see the value 🔥 So here are the top resources for Vision, Strategy, Product Sense, Design, execution, growth and leadership to start your product journey Product Vision: The key responsibility of a product manager is to define and evangelize the vision for their product. - Good PM / Bad PM by Ben Horowitz of Andreessen Horowitz: https://lnkd.in/gH9vhmKe - Amazon Shareholder letter - 1997: https://lnkd.in/gxHiEjqg - Tesla master plan (Just between you and me): https://lnkd.in/g5zNSU9u Product Strategy: A compelling strategy details exactly how you'll dominate your market and is constantly refined until you find PM fit - The only thing that matters / PM Fit by Andreessen Horowitz: https://lnkd.in/dHYmqkRd - How Superhuman found PM Fit: https://lnkd.in/gT5xxcRx - Building Distribution by Andreessen Horowitz: https://lnkd.in/geggf9ZZ Design: A compelling product design delivers a useful, usable, and delightful experience - The Hierarchy of Engagement: https://lnkd.in/gYXQtVyb - The Hierarchy of User Friction by Sachin Rekhi: https://lnkd.in/geKPfdzU - Bad Managers Talk, Good Managers Write: https://lnkd.in/gaPXePhS Execution: Relentless execution ultimately determines whether you'll make your vision a reality - Metrics vs Experience by Julie Zhuo: https://lnkd.in/gChFXEsV - MVP is not a product but a process: https://lnkd.in/gVdkJZGJ Leadership: Developing your leadership skills is tantamount to success in the role - Don’t create a sense of urgency, foster a sense of purpose: https://lnkd.in/gYe9FN7z - Why Founders Fail: The Product CEO Paradox : https://lnkd.in/gVUWWyVy - How to be a Great Product Leader by Sachin Rekhi: https://lnkd.in/g7r5_sEj This list is a great starting point and besides this - here is a list of 100+ articles to learn from : https://lnkd.in/gzRQxymB My only request is to like and share this post so that it reaches the maximum aspirants For more awesome posts follow Shravan Tickoo ❤️ Yours Shravan bhaiya

I'm excited to kick off a new series in which I’ll draw parallels between Product Management/Entrepreneurship and Hindu Mythology. Each post will explore timeless stories, wisdom, and strategies from epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana. First Up: The Mahabharata of Decision-Making – How Arjuna’s Focus Can Help PMs Navigate Conflicting Choices The Mahabharata is more than just a war story; it’s a timeless guide on making tough decisions in complicated situations. Arjuna, one of its main characters, shows focus, clarity, and purpose even in chaos—qualities that are crucial for Product Managers today. Here’s how Arjuna’s story relates to the PM journey. The Dilemma of Kurukshetra At the start of the Kurukshetra war, Arjuna faces a crisis of purpose, torn between his duty as a warrior and his compassion for the family members opposing him. Overwhelmed and paralyzed by indecision, he finds guidance in Krishna, who reminds him of his core mission and duty. Similarly, Product Managers often face conflicting priorities, balancing stakeholder demands, user needs, and limited resources. When their focus wavers, like Arjuna, PMs can turn to mentors or advisors to help clarify their product’s vision. Stepping back to revisit core objectives helps PMs eliminate distractions and make clearer, purpose-driven decisions. The Sharpened 'Arrow' of Prioritization Arjuna’s singular focus on his target represents a PM’s need for prioritization. Just as Arjuna’s unwavering aim leads him to victory, a PM’s ability to focus on the most impactful goals ensures the product stays aligned with user needs and business objectives, even amidst numerous distractions and competing tasks. In a world of limited time and resources, successful PMs, like Arjuna, must learn to sharpen their focus on what truly drives results. The 'Chariot' of Data-Driven Insights Arjuna’s chariot, driven by Krishna, symbolizes data-driven insights guiding product decisions. Just as Krishna provides clarity, data helps PMs navigate ambiguity. Product analytics, user feedback, and market research are the guiding forces that drive product strategies forward, helping PMs maintain focus. To win the product battle, PMs must channel Arjuna’s clarity, data as their guide, and unwavering focus on user value. It’s a lesson from ancient wisdom that’s just as relevant today. What are your thoughts?

"How to become a full stack PM", by Anuj Rathi, Chief Product and Marketing Officer, Jupiter Money Key takeaways from the session: Holistic Product Building: -Focus on building products that resonate with users, understanding the product's purpose in the entire company journey. Strategic Product Launch: -Begin by comprehending the product's role within the company's overarching goals. -Navigate through a structured flow for a successful product: Opportunities, Research, Objectives, User Persona, Accepted Customer Belief (ACB) & Desired Customer Belief (DCB), User Flow and Design, and finally, a compelling Press Release. User-Centric Approach: -Delve into understanding user beliefs (ACB & DCB) and behaviors. -Prioritize understanding the demand and usage of the product in the market. Balancing Exploration and Exploitation: -Recognize the dynamics of when to explore new opportunities and when to exploit existing strengths. Decision-Making: -Product Managers (PdM's) should prioritize speed and quality in decision-making processes. Critical Focus: Inputs, Outputs, Outcomes: -Always keep in mind the crucial triad of Inputs, Outputs, and Outcomes when assessing the success and impact of a product. Thank you The Product Folks #insurjowithtpf