Three great reads (3/13/2025)
Diversity, leadership blindspots, tracking opportunities, and the danger of LOTR.
Embracing diversity is product management (Ronke Majekodumni)
About eight years ago, Jason Fried (37Signals, Basecamp, Shape Up, etc.) said, “I believe a company is at its best when it reflects those it serves. If you fill a room with 20 random employees and 20 random customers, an outside observer should have trouble telling them apart.” That’s stuck with me. This article makes the slightly longer case, pointing to exactly how diversity can positively impact the product team. About 5 minutes. (link)
The 10 Biggest Leadership Blindspots Based on 10 Years of Research (Claire Lew)
This article dives into the common pitfalls that many leaders face, often without even realizing it. It sheds light on behaviors and mindsets hindering effectiveness and team performance. One surprising insight is that these blind spots frequently stem from an overemphasis on one's perspective, neglecting the impact on the team. I especially appreciate that the list was compiled from examining the thousands of managers who have gone through Canopy/Know Your Teams’ programs over the past decade. It's a great read to prompt self-reflection and identify areas for personal growth. About 7 minutes. (link)
Ask the Community: Tracking Opportunities Not Related to Your Outcome (Melissa Suzuno)
One of the most common challenges for PMs and orgs getting started doing more frequent discovery is handling problems/opportunities that don’t link directly to your current product vision. Obviously there’s a range (if you’re building a sales enablement tool, helping hangry BDRs might not be in your wheelhouse) but this article provides a thoughtful counterpoint that challenged my priors. It argues that focusing solely on outcome-based opportunities can lead to missed potential and a narrow view of what's valuable. Instead, it advocates for exploring opportunities that may not have a clear or immediate outcome but still offer value, such as learning, growth, or building relationships. About 4 minutes. (link)
Bonus!
Discworld Rules; And LOTR is brain-rot for technologists (Venkatesh Rao)
Almost 10 years ago, Venkatesh Rao wrote The Premium Mediocre Life of Maya Millennial, explained the world-view of my younger colleagues, and gave me a more accurate, empathic understanding of the world around me. In this essay, he explains why the increasingly central role Lord of the Rings fanboys are playing in our government and our lives is so dangerous:
I mean, I get why politicians and economists might identify with the story. They enjoy little to no direct technological agency, harbor ridiculous Chosen One conceits, and operate in domains — political narratives and the dismal pseudoscience of economics — that are natural intellectual monopolies or oligopolies. Domains that allow fantasies to be memed into existence (the technical term is hyperstitional theory-fictions) for a while before they come crashing down to earth in flames, demonstrating yet again that no, you do not in fact get to create your own reality; that “reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, does not go away.”
It’s only March, but I suspect this will be a best-read of 2025. About 25 minutes. (link)