Steve Johnson on product management

R2-D2 bleeps

2012-02-28T09:28:00.001-05:00

For the latest in Star Wars, go to www.deathstarpr.com

Tron and Duct Tape

2012-02-27T12:49:00.001-05:00

What are the only two things you need? WD-40 to make things move and Duct Tape to make them stop moving.But man! these Duct Tape rolls MOVE.

Source: www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHPRhJ4u0ss

Stop Stealing Dreams

2012-02-27T08:46:00.001-05:00

School was invented to create a constant stream of compliant factory workers to the growing businesses of the 1900s. It continues to do an excellent job at achieving this goal, but it's not a goal we need to achieve any longer.
In this 30,000 word manifesto, I imagine a different set of goals and start (I hope) a discussion about how we can reach them. One thing is certain: if we keep doing what we've been doing, we're going to keep getting what we've been getting.

via squidoo.com

I've tried of rears to figure out who Seth Godin is. Is he a marketing guy? His "Spreading the Ideavirus" is clearly a marketing book. But his others aren't necessarily. With "Stop Stealing Dreams" I realize that he's an "anti-mass" guy. In today's world, mass anything is a poor idea. Marketing to the masses, creating products for the masses, and now, creating schools for the masses.

In over 100 essays in his free ebook, he implores us to rethink mass education in the new world. Get it (free), read it, share it.

Logic+Emotion: How To Think And Communicate Visually

2012-02-26T08:48:00.001-05:00

Visual storytelling is nothing new. We only need to look to the earliest signs of humanity for proof—simple paintings on the walls of caves tell the story that people are a visual tribe. Today, it seems, communications must be visual in order to be compelling, as well as to compete with the massive amount of information available to us at any given moment (even Google acknowledged this in 2001 by introducing image search). Whether it’s a web video, infographic, or illustration, visual assets can communicate a wealth of information rapidly, and in ways that our brains process differently than other, more traditional mediums.

via darmano.typepad.com

The Joy of Books

2012-02-26T08:46:00.001-05:00

Source: www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKVcQnyEIT8

Beautiful!

The Whisper Channel

2012-02-25T01:46:00.001-05:00

Have you ever noticed the "vanity cards" at the end of The Big Bang Theory?I really liked this one.

"Our marketing tag line will be one word: "shhh."
Nice.

How to deliver innovation overnight | Daniel Pink

2012-02-24T23:16:00.001-05:00

One of the ideas in Drive that has spread the fastest and the widest is the FedEx Day. Invented by the folks at the Australian software company Atlassian, these one-day bursts of autonomy allow people to work on anything they want (as long as it’s not part of their regular job) — provided they show what they’ve created to their colleagues 24 hours later. Atlassian dubbed these innovation jamborees FedEx Days because participants have to deliver something overnight.

via danpink.com

What would you innovate if you had to start and finish in 24 hours? I think more companies could use some "Fedex Innovation Days."

What is your company doing to foster innovation?

The 10 key skills for the future of work — Online Collaboration

2012-02-24T10:43:00.001-05:00

The Palo Alto, Calif.–based nonprofit research center focuses on long-term forecasting and recently released a report titled “Future Work Skills 2020″ (available for free download here) that analyzes some of the key drivers reshaping work — including WebWorkerDaily’s greatest hits like connectivity, smart machines and new media — coming up not with specific, recommended professional paths but instead with broad skills that will help workers adapt to the changing career landscape. What are they?

via gigaom.com

What are the 10 key skills? Do you have them? Do your kids?

Google adds Esperanto as its 64th machine translatable language -- Engadget

2012-02-23T10:07:00.001-05:00

Esperanto isn't just something Microsoft uses to tease Google for abandoning video codecs, it's a legitimate, manufactured language. Created in the late 1800's by Dr. Ludwig L. Zamenhof, Esperanto was designed to be an easy to learn language that would help folks from all over the world understand each other.

via engadget.com

Now we just need to get those Americans to learn Esperanto instead of Spanish, and then get the Chinese on board... and then... and then.... Whew! This could take a while. (Anyone remember the USA metric conversion?)

Kinect Star Wars: Girly Vader

2012-02-22T20:38:00.001-05:00

via starwars.com

Clever ad for Star Wars on Kinect. Enjoy

What a product manager does vs what other think

2012-02-17T16:16:00.001-05:00

Star Wars 4 in Infographic

2012-02-16T16:19:00.001-05:00

Want to relive Star Wars: A New Hope quick, fast, and dirty? Then check out this amazing chart that maps out the entire movie in a series of easy-to-follow icons.

Source: www.io9.com/5885304/star-wars-a-new-hope-told-entirely-as-an-infographic

It's one thing to be certified but...

2012-02-16T14:47:00.001-05:00

It must be great to be certifired.

(good webinar today from the team at Leadership Strategies).

Star Wars Characters React to the News of George Lucas’ Retirement | Death Star PR

2012-02-14T21:32:00.001-05:00

Princess Leia: George Lucas. Years ago you made some great movies called Star Wars. Now I beg you to help me in the struggle against the bad taste left in people’s mouths by the prequel movies. I regret that I am unable to convey my request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack, and I’m afraid my mission to bring you to our galaxy has failed. I have placed information vital to the survival of the Star Wars legacy into the memory systems of this R2 unit. They’re scripts for Episodes VII-IX, starring me. This is our most desperate hour. Help me, George Lucas. You’re my only hope.

via deathstarpr.com

(Now if we could just un-do the changes in the Blu-Ray versions.)

My Dad was on that Death Star.

2012-02-14T21:29:00.001-05:00

via fbcdn-sphotos-a.akamaihd.net

Source: www.deathstarPR.com

Five Leadership Mistakes Of The Galactic Empire - Forbes

2012-02-14T17:21:00.001-05:00

the Galactic Empire strikes me as a quintessential example of how not to effectively run an organization. Let’s take a look at five of the Empire’s biggest mistakes and see how you can avoid them in your own organization.

via forbes.com

Nothing like a great Star Wars analogy.

Amazing infographic about email

2012-02-13T16:50:00.001-05:00

Information overload

2012-02-02T13:17:00.001-05:00

Most marketers and product managers know this feeling: too much info, too little time. Mindjet offers this info-rich infographic on Information Overload.

via http://www.marketingtechblog.com/information-overload/

Requirements Aging

2012-01-28T08:10:00.001-05:00

source: dilbert.com/strips/comic/2012-01-28/

Time Capsule: Crossing the Cliché Chasm: Banished HIT Words for 2007 | HIStalk

2012-01-21T15:57:00.001-05:00

In its tremendous continuing service to humanity, Lake Superior State University has issued its 2007 list of words and phrases that should be banished from the English language (or American, anyway.) It exposes those overused and misused language extensions that might have been cute for about five minutes, but are just plain annoying now. Think mullet haircuts once hicks started wearing them (and, in some cases, never stopped.) Or, those oft-repeated but outdated bon mots like “Makin’ copies” or “Party on, Garth.”

via histalk2.com

Just as true in 2012.

Recommended album: "Losing the Paper Moon"--now available

2012-01-16T22:21:00.001-05:00

Many of you know that my son is a professional musician. His first solo album, "Losing the Paper Moon," is now available on iTunes, Amazon, and Bandcamp. If you like singer/songwriter-indie music, you'll want to give it a listen.

Friday fun: Manifesto for Half-Arsed Agile Software Development

2012-01-13T15:22:00.001-05:00

Read the:

Manifesto for Half-Arsed Agile Software Development

on halfarsedagilemanifesto.org

Friday fun: "I don't do that."

2012-01-07T07:39:00.001-05:00

source: http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2012-01-04/

Why Every Company Needs to be More Like IBM and Less Like Apple

2012-01-04T13:42:00.001-05:00

While Apple has been wildly successful, IBM’s Social Business is much more attainable and sustainable than what Fortune’s Adam Lashinsky describes as Apple’s genius led, culture of fear. For the genius is always, as Benjamin Disraeli and later Peter Drucker predicted, succeeded by a “lieutenant of Marines” who understands the business but nothing else. So the company is only left with an innovation vacuum.

In IBM’s social business culture, the genius lies in the 400,000 employees who are free to create circumstances that enable their associates to build on each other’s ideas. Its genius lies in fostering innovation through co-creation with its employees, suppliers, partners and customers. Remove one genius, and there are thousands more in the network to fill the vacuum.

Bottom line: IBM’s Social Business is creating real shareholder value.

via businessinsider.com

TEDxMidAtlantic 2011 - Bob Corrigan - Building the Encyclopedia of Life - YouTube

2011-12-22T08:55:00.001-05:00

via youtube.com

My pal Bob Corrigan speaks at TEDxMidAtlantic 2011 on the topic of product management.

Apple fun: Santa loves Siri

2011-12-19T17:48:00.001-05:00

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qcmCUsw4EQ

You gotta love advertising that you want to share! Annoying advertisers please take note.

Happy Holidays to all.

25 areas of focus

2011-12-16T08:09:00.001-05:00

http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2011-12-11/

Video Thursday: Fax App Store

2011-12-15T08:28:00.001-05:00

Source: www.youtube.com/watch?v=120R2-phK0U

Friday fun: They can't hurt you…

2011-12-09T10:10:00.001-05:00

http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2011-12-07/

MCI Commercial with Leonard Nimoy, TOS Cast and Jonathan Frakes - YouTube

2011-12-04T10:46:00.001-05:00

via youtube.com

When advertisements are clever, we watch them. Is your marketing message this clever?

I knew I'd seen the Android logo before…

2011-12-02T11:44:00.001-05:00

Security, passwords, and the messiness of everyday experiences

2011-11-28T11:25:00.001-05:00

Passwords ensure that unauthorized people don’t get access to a system. But the mere fact that tools like 1Password exist to remove the need to remember passwords should tell us that we’re doing it wrong. Current password systems solve the problem from the wrong perspective: the system, not the user.

The problem runs even deeper. We’re not only solving the problem from the wrong perspective, we’re also introducing unnecessary complexity because of the way these systems are implemented.

via elezea.com

I've often remarked on the failure of passwords but didn't really understand why. Passwords are from the system's point of view, not the user. That is, no one wants a password (except maybe security wonks) but they want their information kept private.

Are passwords the wrong answer? Or are passwords buying criteria? Or both?

Thoughts?

TellMe vs Siri - YouTube

2011-11-26T07:43:00.001-05:00

via youtube.com

"TellMe" is the same as "Siri"? See a side-by-side comparison. Then buy an iPhone 4S.

Why do you win? Why do you lose?

2011-11-24T08:10:00.001-05:00

Today's Dilbert got me thinking about Win/Loss Analysis:

Source: http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2011-11-23/

Only 34% of product managers and 38% of product marketing managers claim responsibility for Win/Loss Analysis. See more in 2011 results at

http://www.pragmaticmarketing.com/publications/survey

If you haven't already, you can take this years survey at

https://survey.vovici.com/se.ashx?s=3877A9516B89506A

For more on Win/Loss, Alan Armstrong's piece at

http://onproductmanagement.net/2009/01/20/what’s-the-deal-with-winloss-analysis/

What tools do you use?

2011-11-23T07:55:00.001-05:00

Nice graphical depiction of what tools designers use.

http://www.fastcodesign.com/1665487/infographic-of-the-day-the-best-design-to...

What tools do you use?

Friday fun: how we really use our mobiles

2011-11-18T12:41:00.001-05:00

source: http://youtu.be/Kh2IXbi2ZCE

Deep fryer, cook top, warmer. Gads!

2011-11-11T14:27:00.001-05:00

via geekologie.com

What happens when you put three great ideas together? A mess!

A sofa bed is neither a good sofa or a good bed.

What examples of convergence (other than cell phones) do you consider successful?

Friday fun: Harry Potter 11-11-11

2011-11-11T11:11:00.001-05:00

Today is 11-11-11.

Armistice Day in Europe; Remembrance Day in the Commonwealth; Independence Day in Angola (1975); Veterans Day in the United States

And the final installment of the Harry Potter movies is out on bluray.

Things To Do When The Internet Is Down

2011-11-04T14:40:00.001-04:00

via 30.media.tumblr.com

Source: http://ohryankelley.com/post/12328210422/things-to-do-when-the-internet-is-do...

Technology - BlackBerry Vision of the Future #2 - YouTube

2011-11-01T14:23:00.001-04:00

via youtube.com

Even in the future, RIM devices are fat and not very power efficient. Some vision.

Those WERE the droids you were looking for!

2011-10-28T08:00:00.001-04:00

Innovation starts with a blank slate

2011-10-27T18:52:00.001-04:00

Innovation starts with a blank slate. Sure, you bring all you’ve learned, the tools to the table. But innovation cannot be proven by theorem, there’s no research that will tell you you’ve got a success on your hands. Rather you fly by your wits, your gut, you do what feels right instead of what looks right.

There is stagnation at the major labels because there’s no innovation. They’re dying because they’re not selling anything new. Despite having tons of money, they take no risk. This is what is hurting them more than P2P and the breaking of their distribution monopoly. One great thing about art is we want the original, we want the Beatles, not an imitator, sign the original and you can win for years. But you’ve got to take the risk. And now that music is more business than art, no one wants to.

via lefsetz.com

Innovation starts with a blank slate. Nice.

A brilliant view of a near future

2011-10-27T12:00:00.001-04:00

Source: youtu.be/a6cNdhOKwi0

I love these videos. However, the delta between this vision and today's technology astounds me.

Things Siri says: Windows

2011-10-26T19:04:00.001-04:00

Ah, the iPhone 4S...

2011-10-25T20:08:00.001-04:00

Source: http://geekandpoke.typepad.com/geekandpoke/2011/10/the-just-dont-understand-us-part-ii.html

brainmates – product management people » Blog Archive » Carve Out “Think” Time

2011-10-24T07:52:00.001-04:00

Product managers are often overwhelmed by day-to-day operational and tactical responsibilities. Urgent tasks such as reporting, solving urgent customer queries, responding to the sales groups, and reviewing marketing collateral are constantly on the product manager’s agenda. Product managers repeatedly say that they have little time to focus on the important, more strategic activities that generate real value for the business.

Whilst it’s almost impossible to stop supporting the product at the operational level, it’s vital that product managers carve out “think” time in their working week or month.

via brainmates.com.au

Nice post by Adrienne on finding time to do product management. At least once a week, take time to think.

The Star Wars prequel in Legos

2011-10-23T08:28:00.001-04:00

See on www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_HTMMkSx-M

Handy map of the United States showing the scariest thing in every single state

2011-10-21T11:40:00.001-04:00

If you travel a lot throughout the United States, you might lose track of which menace you should be irrationally paranoid about in each particular state. Is Maine the one with Lobster People, or is that New Hampshire? Now you'll never get confused again, thanks to this amazingly informative map from Pleated Jeans. [via Laughing Squid]

via io9.com

"The trouble with quotes on the internet...

2011-10-21T08:33:00.001-04:00

...is that it's difficult to determine whether or not they are genuine."

--Abraham Lincoln

An idea...

2011-10-20T15:48:00.001-04:00

Source: http://www.ponderabout.com

138438.strip.gif 640×199 pixels

2011-10-20T15:35:00.001-04:00

via dilbert.com

"Flying cars and whatnot." Nice.

iPhone 4S: What can you say to Siri? | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

2011-10-15T12:56:00.001-04:00

TUAW tracked down a set of example phrases that the new Siri voice assistant is capable of understanding. It turns out that Siri can handle many categories of voice interaction.

via tuaw.com

Tell Siri who your mom, dad, and wife are, and then you can say "Call Dad." Nice.

Are You A Snarketer? | The Marketing Tea Party

2011-10-13T17:28:00.001-04:00

I’ve got an even bigger problem: My audience is more narrow than the typical business audience. The target audience for my book is a group of business people known as Snarketers. Are you a Snarketer?

You are if you meet three qualifications: 1) You have an interest in marketing; 2) You have an unusually high degree of intelligence; and 3) You have a warped sense of humor.

via marketingteaparty.com

What a great new word! "Hello, I'm a Snarketer."

Netflix Drops Qwikster, DVDs and Streaming Will Stay Together

2011-10-10T09:25:00.001-04:00

Netflix has decided to abandon its plan to split the streaming and DVD company in two and instead will keep both integrated in one service at Netflix.com.

via lifehacker.com

Honestly, I'm not sure that splitting these two was a mistake but it certainly has been a PR nightmare for Netflix. I wonder how much the exec team is connected with its customers. Not much, is my guess.

Fun: What is the link?

2011-10-04T20:16:00.001-04:00

Have I managed enough?

2011-10-02T10:01:00.001-04:00

http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2011-10-02/

Video Thursday: we take you now to the side of a building in Germany

2011-09-28T17:23:00.001-04:00

www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVTga6GmbGw

Thanks to Stephen for sharing!

Great Leadership: Don’t Be “That Guy” as a Manager

2011-09-24T08:08:00.001-04:00

That guy is usually described as basically full on himself, socially clueless, arrogant, a jerk, completely lacking self-awareness, and gets drunk a lot. That guy references always include a list of specific examples of behaviors, in an effort to hopefully educate that guy readers (because there are so damn many of them).

via greatleadershipbydan.com

Are you "that guy"? Or is your boss? Click the link to find out.

Web Designers vs Web Developers

2011-09-23T12:31:00.001-04:00

Nice infographic with a nice tie-in to create a free website.

"Web Designers vs Web Developers" is brought to you by Wix.com
Use creative design to make a Free Website

Participating in your dysfunction

2011-09-22T15:04:00.003-04:00

Got my new shirt from http://productmanagersthoughtoftheday.com/

Have you ordered yours?

What other "thoughts of the day" should my pal Jim put on a shirt?

How about:

Yeh, I've got your requirement right here!
Every great dream begins with a dreamer.
You do not lead by hitting people over the head—that’s assault, not leadership.
The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.

Participating in your dysfunction

2011-09-22T15:04:00.001-04:00

Got my new shirt from http://productmanagersthoughtoftheday.com/

Have you ordered yours?

What other "thoughts of the day" should my pal Jim put on a shirt?

How about:

Yeh, I've got your requirement right here!
Every great dream begins with a dreamer.
You do not lead by hitting people over the head—that’s assault, not leadership.
The right to be heard does not automatically include the right to be taken seriously.

There is no try

2011-09-22T09:55:00.001-04:00

Netflixocrites | The Marketing Tea Party

2011-09-22T09:39:00.001-04:00

I can’t even begin to count the number of tweets I’ve seen in the past week or so harping on Netflix’s stock price drop on its announcements of customer attrition and reorganizaton.

Is the firm’s actions the right move or the wrong move?

via marketingteaparty.com

I too think that Netflix made the right decision to split DVDs from streaming. Yes, they made some mistakes (who checked on Qwikster availability?) but overall, they made a hard strategic decision. And I think it's a good one. Thoughts?
PS. I'm not canceling either service. I'm canceling broadcast TV.

I might not be an author

2011-09-21T07:47:00.001-04:00

The Author’s Guild is suing the University of Michigan and other college libraries because of their selfish, heinous plan to digitize and freely share old books for which authors cannot be found.

The Author’s Guild, which does not speak for me, nor for any author I know or possibly have ever met, says that this plan could lead to a “potentially catastrophic, widespread dissemination” of books.

Catastrophic?

It’s catastrophic to share dusty books for which the author cannot be found? Why?

Either books are a cultural treasure, part of our heritage and discourse and worthy of discussion, or they are merely a way to make a living. If being an author means that you view the distribution of your work (after you’re so far gone as to be unfindable) as catastrophic, I’m probably not an author.

Count me out.

via thedominoproject.com

It’s catastrophic to share dusty books for which the author cannot be found? Some things become so obvious when you take the opposite view.

Top 10 Things You Never Want to Hear at Work | BNET

2011-09-20T17:12:00.001-04:00

We’ve got a crisis on our hands. Don’t be fooled by the implication of shared responsibility. That’s just a euphemism. Make no mistake; you’re on the receiving end of the message because you’re the one they’re counting on to handle the crisis or die trying.

via bnet.com

Some good ones here. What would you add to the list of "things you never want to hear at work"?

An Incredible Way To Teach Music Using iPads In The Classroom [Video] - Edudemic

2011-09-18T09:46:00.001-04:00

What happens when you take a classroom of students, add 24 iPads as well as sound recording gear and then throw in a live band? A pretty catchy song that gives you hope for the future of music in the digital age.

Sounding like a professionally recorded and mixed track, Neil Johnston of Store Van Music (UK), created the song in a british classroom as you can see in the video below. The song has gotten so much acclaim that it’s actually now on sale at iTunes (iTunes link).

via edudemic.com

And isn't this what education is about?

Video fun: 'Webcam 101 for Seniors' Couple Enjoying Fame

2011-09-18T09:30:00.001-04:00

I'm guessing that these poor folks are using Windows. But then, my dad keeps screwing up his Mac too, so maybe it's just technology moving too fast.

Is it real?

An accidental video of an older couple fussing with a webcam has become a viral video sensation and the star couple are having fun with their new-found fame.

" Webcam 101 for Seniors" features Bruce and Esther Huffman and was posted to YouTube by their granddaughter. The clip has received over 1.8 million page views in just a few days.

Go to myfoxdc.com for the complete story.

Star Wars Star Destroyer. 43,000 individual LEGO pieces.

2011-09-14T13:17:00.001-04:00

Amazing what Star Wars fans will do in their spare time.

http://www.obviouswinner.com/obvwin/2011/9/13/this-43000-lego-part-venator-class-star-destroyer-is-freakin.html

(I'm totally in a Star Wars mood this week!)

Addicted to Angry Birds

2011-09-12T18:28:00.001-04:00

Source: http://mashable.com/2011/09/11/angry-birds-infographic/

The Death Star...

2011-09-12T09:33:00.001-04:00

The Death Star looks bigger in the movies....

Star Wars on Blu-Ray, this Friday!

Your Silence Is Hurting Your Company - Nilofer Merchant - Harvard Business Review

2011-09-11T09:14:00.001-04:00

As companies are figuring out their tough problems — like which new markets to go into, or how to create the next generation products, or defend against a big-ass competitor — the thing that stop any of these good teams from being successful is not stupidity.

No, when an organization' problems are tough (and interesting problems are all tough) the issue is rarely stupid people. Rather, what limits success, growth, and winning is something more like blindness. Blindness, as in we don't know the whole context, or see an issue in its full complexity. As in, we are blind in not knowing what we don't know. Smart people know how to solve most problems and so when they are failing, it's usually the fact that we can't see what we can't see because we are experts and we stopped looking at it fresh a long time ago.

via blogs.hbr.org

Are you being quiet when you see a problem that can be solved? Nilofer Merchant always gets me thinking. Click the link above for the full article.

Jazz Hands at the Daily Standup

2011-09-11T09:01:00.001-04:00

While doing an Agile assessment in Des Moines, Iowa, we noticed a team would periodically do “jazz hands”. When we asked the ScrumMaster (Iteration Manager) what was going on, she said others within earshot of the daily standup complained about the team being too loud. In the past, whenever there was good news, the team would cheer and clap. As a result, in order to continue to show their excitement, the team members now all do “jazz hands”.

via thecriticalpath.info

Great story! Click the link for a video. Jazz Hands. What an idea!!

Friday fun: Curves

2011-09-10T09:11:00.001-04:00

from www.flickr.com/photos/mortaric/2883428993/

Counting down to Star Wars on Blu-ray, coming next week!

Dear Product Manager - An Advice Column

2011-09-02T13:33:00.001-04:00

Our company has a product that is sold to large corporations. We have few customers, and each one is significant in terms of the license fees we collect. During many of our sales, the prospects ask for features that aren’t in the product, and the management team has a big debate about how to accommodate this. We have accommodated requests in the past thinking they would be good new features to add, but they turned into one-offs that we pay to maintain but which are free to the customer. How do we deal with these requests, and how do we price for them?

via productmanagementchallenges.com

A nice post by Jacques Murphy on standardization vs customization.

30 Years of Music Sales in 60 Seconds

2011-09-02T07:00:00.001-04:00

http://videogoneviral.com/2011/08/30-years-of-music-sales-in-60-seconds/

Fatal Mistakes Boards & VP Sales Will Make In 2012 Planning

2011-08-30T08:02:00.001-04:00

For companies selling products worth less than $100,000-$250,000, the old school strategy of hiring more feet-on-the-street to drive revenue growth is failing more often. Or just fails.

via peaksalesrecruiting.com

An excellent post by Aaron Ross of Pebblestorm. Salespeople do not cause customer acquisition growth, they fulfill it; product marketing causes new customer acquisition and sales fulfills it.

If you're asking for sales people to do prospecting instead of follow-up on hot leads, then product marketing isn't doing its job. Check out Ross' advice to see if this new mindset will work for your company.

Friday fun: Where's Wall-E?

2011-08-26T07:15:00.001-04:00

No doubt you've encountered a fair number of robots and Androids in your science fiction journey. But can you spot Wall-E?

See the full-screen version (and crib sheet) at http://io9.com/5832673/lets-play-wheres-wall+e

How to Stop Working and Go Home At Night

2011-08-20T08:30:00.001-04:00

Many of us can't wait to pack up and head home at the end of a long workday: we count down the hours and as soon as our shift is up, we're out the door. For others, there's a stigma to leaving on time, or worse, we have a difficult time forcing ourselves to leave the office, whether or or not we love our work. Here are some ways to break the cycle of working late and get your evenings, and sanity, back.

via lifehacker.com

The typical product manager works 65+ hours a week. Many will appreciate these techniques for leaving work at work.

Friday fun: modem speed

2011-08-19T07:45:00.001-04:00

It's good to know how large a file is I suppose...

But seriously, when was the last time someone downloaded with a modem?

2011 Product Management Survey | Red Canary

2011-08-18T10:08:00.001-04:00

The Toronto Product Management Association (TPMA) and RedCanary.ca have joined forces to run their 2nd annual salary survey for the local Product Management community. Our objective is to provide you with information about compensation, as well as the most common responsibilities for product managers and other marketing professionals in the Southern Ontario area.

via redcanary.ca

Canadian product managers: Take a moment to respond to the Toronto product management association survey on product management roles and salaries. (You can also get some stats from the Pragmatic Marketing survey from earlier in the year at www.pragmaticmarketing.com/survey )

Video Thursday: Sonic goes viral

2011-08-18T08:31:00.001-04:00

Sonic has started a new video series. They're really funny, or at least cute. How important is humor for viral marketing? I think it must be the key element. Wonder what David Meerman Scott would say?

How many times have I had this meeting?

2011-08-18T08:19:00.001-04:00

http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2011-08-18/

Turning your salespeople into order takers | Revenue Journal

2011-08-17T19:15:00.001-04:00

Clueless managers set salespeople to work, cold-calling, then complain when the results are disappointing. Instead, marketing efforts should be bringing in pre-qualified, pre-sold leads - people who have already found the company, gotten most of their questions answered online, and are ready to buy as soon as their last few questions are answered to their satisfaction.

via revenuejournal.com

Another brilliant piece by Kristin Z. All product marketing managers should read now and take action tomorrow.

Lefsetz Letter » Blog Archive » Authenticity

2011-08-15T21:50:00.001-04:00

Let authenticity be your credo. Know that like Five Guys nothing great’s an overnight success. Get the formula right before you try to grow. And don’t change who you are once you’ve broken through, be humble and original, retain your rough edges, every concession to the mainstream works against you.

via lefsetz.com

Lefsetz is the word in music. But what he writes about bands can also be applied to almost any product endeavor--music, burgers, software. If you're not reading his blog, you probably should. He writes with authenticity--and so should we all.

How has mobile changed the workforce?

2011-08-15T08:15:00.001-04:00

http://www.marketingtechblog.com/technology/infographic-the-mobile-workstyle/

Deming’s 14 Points on Quality: Stop buying on price

2011-08-13T08:36:00.001-04:00

While most of us may not see a relationship between W. Edwards Deming and building software and new technology, only assembly line types of work that might be short sighted. I would offer that Jake Trueper’s presentation does a good tie out to UX for software and developing high quality products which engage teams, rally organizations and provide viable market offerings leveraging Deming and the auto industry as an example.

via spatiallyrelevant.org

Nice post from pal Jon on quality and price.

The Best Way To Develop A New Product | Fast Company

2011-08-12T18:24:00.001-04:00

Jeff started out trying to solve a problem. The technology was secondary. Most organizations develop a product and then ask marketing to figure out who may want it. There is no guarantee that anyone will.
How can you duplicate Jeff’s success even if you are not the first customer for your product?

via fastcompany.com

Need a good example of how problem first/tech second works out? Read this short piece in Fast Company. Thanks to Neil for sharing it with me.

Do Electronic Devices Really Need to Be Turned Off During Takeoff and Landing?

2011-08-12T10:42:00.001-04:00

When you fly on an airplane, FAA regulations require you to turn off and stow portable electronics, but is this really necessary? Sometimes I leave my phone on during take off ~~on purpose~~ by accident and nothing ever happens. Is this rule B.S. or is there really something to it?

via lifehacker.com

Good question and answer from LifeHacker. If you're curious....

Friday fun: Bye Daddy.

2011-08-12T08:14:00.001-04:00

http://megannomnom.tumblr.com/post/8497503257

Video Thursday: Blockbuster Video Store Museum

2011-08-11T08:09:00.001-04:00

Is your business model ready for a museum? How have recent industry changes affected you? And what are you doing differently in 2011 than you were in 2001?

You don't have to fool 'em

2011-08-09T07:29:00.001-04:00

Apparently, the warranty on my wife's Lexus is expiring. But I got this terribly official and someone frightening letter.

Sure looks like a legal document or a summons or something horrific. But no. It's just another "we want your money" message.

How much of your sales and marketing is about tricking people into buying, rather than selling a product or service that people actually want to buy? How much is about selling and telling and "pushing"?

Our Pragmatic Marketing seminars focus on creating products that people want to buy. And you know what happens when you do? You don't have to trick people with "fake" summons letters. Or try to convince them that they have a problem that they don't really have.

Don't sell; help people buy.

Friday fun: Commitment to excellece

2011-08-01T06:58:00.001-04:00

I suspect if you are truly committed to excellence, you might check to see that you spelled it correctly.

Evolution of Computer Languages [Infographic] | Tech the Plunge

2011-07-29T12:34:00.001-04:00

Programming has come a long way since I first started in the 70′s. The pain of writing a FORTRAN program, keypunching the cards, submitteding them for a run and then inevitably finding about 18 syntax errors and starting all over again is not a fond remembrance.

via jeffthomastech.com

A pretty good infographic on the evolution of programming languages. It's interesting to see the code snippets--some you can read and some are just incomprehensible.

Friday fun: Market secret

2011-07-29T08:33:00.001-04:00

http://dilbert.com/strips/comic/2011-07-16

How to Stop Sales from Doodling when you Talk

2011-07-28T07:57:00.001-04:00

Chris Reid writes,

As a Product Manager, you typically spend your time performing Strategic activities (probably not enough time) and Tactical/Technical activities (probably far too much time). In fact, I'd wager that you spend so much time doing Tactical/Technical activities that it's what you're most comfortable doing, and that you find yourself slipping into technical jargon whenever you talk with your co-workers.

There's nothing wrong with technical jargon - until it comes time to train your Sales team on the latest version of your product. If you are training your Sales Engineers, or Tech Support, talking technical is what they need, and is also what they most easily understand. Your Sales team, on the other hand, are quite likely to run screaming out of the office once they realize that they're stuck in a meeting room with you for an hour, and you are going to do nothing but spout technical mumbo-jumbo at them.

It's critically important to realize that your Sales team doesn't want to hear the technical details of what's been created, no matter how cool you think they might be. What your Sales team wants for you to do is arm them with the knowledge they need to win deals.

What is that information, you ask? That's easy - it's the Market Problems you discovered when you first started researching what should go into your latest release. Those Market Problems aren't just for your consumption, or for explaining to R&D what you're trying to achieve - they are the little nuggets of gold that your Sales team is dying for you to tell them. I'd suggest that a Sales training meeting should look like the following:

1. Review what the new product version is, when it will be in Beta, and when it will be released to the public

2. Review (as high-level bullet points) the Market Problems the new product version fixes

3. Review each Market Problem in detail:

a) The Problem itself

b) How much prospects will value your solution

c) What sort of solution (if any) your competitors have for this Problem

d) How to position your solution to the Problem against your competitor's solution to the Problem

4. Give a quick, sub-5 minute demo (in total) of the new features, and make sure that you emphasize how easy to use the new features are

5. Answer any questions the Sales team may have

6. E-mail a summary PDF to the Sales team - this PDF should include the description of the Market Problems, the solution found in the new version of your product, how to position the new version of your product against your competitors, and should also list the answers to the top 3-5 questions that were asked during the training session

That's not so bad, now is it? Trust me - if you train your Sales team by showing them the Market Problems your latest version fixes, they'll immediately see the value in the product, and will have exactly what they need to close new deals.

Contact Chris at Chris Reid <creid@n-able.com>

Video Thursday: Bach in the Woods

2011-07-28T07:38:00.001-04:00

An amazing show of patience and vision! Enjoy!

Friday fun: The The Map of America As Seen by a New Yorker

2011-07-15T07:23:00.001-04:00

Source: http://www.funnyordie.com/articles/a106c8188f/the-map-of-america-as-seen-by-a...

The Top 7 Product Management Mistakes- And How To Avoid Them

2011-06-17T15:05:00.001-04:00

Bad products are everywhere. Products that simply aren’t useful, don’t work right, are too difficult to learn, or that take forever to sell. Little wonder, as there are so many things that have to go right in order to create a successful product. There are, however, some pitfalls that occur so frequently and are so damaging that we believe they are at the root of the vast majority of bad products.

via katelynfriedson.com

Good tips and ideas here. Enjoy!

Agile: organization, movement, or philosophy? | All About Agile

2011-06-17T08:11:00.001-04:00

No. I may want it to be a philosophy, and it may be my personal philosophy. But it is not a philosophy that is recognized by the general population. Nor even a philosophy as recognized by the IT industry nor software developers. It is a movement.

via allaboutagile.com

Interesting thoughts on agile. For some it's a religion; for some, a philosophy. What do you think?

Friday fun: 10 Words You Need to Stop Misspelling

2011-06-17T07:44:00.001-04:00

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/misspelling