Recently someone asked me, 'But what's the difference between our business and product strategy?'. I realised that this was a common question, especially when new product hires are onboarded at start-ups and have to articulate their value to the organisation. Having a...

I was trying to think of an analogy for this post. And then it came to me. Products launched to market should be compelling. They should quickly capture the hearts and minds of users (even an initial first adopter segment) and delight. When I moved my agency into...

In the dynamic realm of healthtech, where innovation merges with critical user needs, the role of a product designer is pivotal. Designing for healthtech products goes beyond aesthetics; it demands a deep understanding of user behavior, complex regulations, and a...

Building things is hard. It requires a certain mindset - taking risks, having a thick skin, resiliance, passion, stamina and emotional intelligence and empathy in being able to inspire people and bring them on that journey with you. If you’re embarking on your first...

As a product leader, manager or CPO, any new role can be daunting. Introducing G/A/I/N for product management.This is my lean / kick start framework I use when engaging with organisations and I’ve been sharing it with those I coach for a few years now. Today I’m...

In 2014 popular journaling app ‘Day One’ won a coveted Apple design award. In the years that followed, Apple gave Day One regular visibility and support in the app store. Then in 2020 that mysteriously stopped. In April of this year, Day One founder Paul Mayne...

I'm often asked by founders and CEOs who are trying to understand the world of product - 'What should I read?'. So I've put together a list of the top 10 product books.. If you're new to product, a founder who wants to understand what all those strategy sessions mean...

Over the years I've often encountered frustrated CEOs and founders trying to 'guess' an optimal price for their app, product or SaaS subscription. In truth there's a method to the madness and the "Goldilocks Effect", when understood correctly, can help inform your...

When Slack launched in 2013 the founders reached out to their network for as much feedback as possible. They wanted to understand criticism early and used it to iterate the product. Even when the userbase jumped to the 1000s they maintained this fanatical approach to...

It’s hard to believe that over 25 years ago I was using Macromedia’s (RIP 🤗) Dreamweaver to put together a website for my record label Predicaments. As a green 23 year old, having just secured funding for my business from the Princes Trust I didn’t have a team...

You’re a seasoned product manager, possibly at a senior level and have spent years honing your craft. You get into the minds of your users and are able to deliver great products that serve people’s needs and solve their problems. So what’s next? Is it a natural...

A few years ago I was working at Google as a Product Strategist on their ‘Grow with Google’ suite of products. Grow with Google is an incredible initiative that aims to upskill people all over the world to get new jobs or grow within their careers. As part of my...

The joys of the startup world! I've been in and out of it for over 20 years. In that time I've witnessed overnight unicorns, stupendous disasters, high value exits and countless other stories of great success and crushing failure. Imagine building a company and...

Last week I caught up with a friend who'd just received a substantial bonus from her employer - she's VP Product at one of the leading fintech disruptors. I imagined she'd called to tell me the good news, celebrate the wins of her team and so on. Instead she was...

Is your product going to be a success? Will your limited runway allow you to quickly develop and ship a bunch of stuff to see if the market bites? Every start-up wants to achieve product/market fit. Marc Andreessen defined the term as follows: “Product/market fit...

There are some great product pivot stories. Yelp started off almost as an ‘Instagram’ product - originally called ‘Stopp’ it allowed users to share photos and opinions about local businesses. Yelp pivoted when they realised that the reviews and recommendations were...

The software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry has experienced remarkable growth in recent years, empowering businesses with scalable and cost-effective solutions. The ability of AI algorithms to analyse vast amounts of data enables SaaS products to deliver personalised...

I’ve found it fascinating working in healthtech. Each day, week, month brings advances in innovation, product, surgery and treatments. The field of healthtech is evolving at an astonishing pace, transforming the way we approach healthcare. From cutting-edge medical...

In recent years, there has been a rise in the fractional Chief Product Officer (CPO) role. Fractional CPOs are experienced product executives who work part-time or on a project basis with multiple companies. This trend has become increasingly popular as more companies...

I’m not sure whether it was because I had a NatWest savings account as a kid or Jan Hammer’s evocative music but this ad always struck a chord with me. At 16 when I first saw this on TV I’d only worked in retail whilst still at school. NatWest’s portrayal of a young...

Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a customer satisfaction metric that measures the likelihood of a customer recommending a product or service to others. It is widely used in many industries and has become a popular way to measure customer satisfaction in digital products....

Even if you don’t dig coffee you’ll appreciate the passion behind the roasters, the baristas in the independent cafes and the love for the craft in creating that perfect brew. A while back, Applause hosted me as part of their Product Sessions Live series, to talk...

AI has blown up. Whilst the Metaverse might have been the biggest disappointment of 2022, AI and OpenAI / ChatGPT have seen huge adoption rates. So much so that their investors are now worried. What have we unleashed? Have a look at this incredible TikTok of a Porsche...

Just show me the kit ⬇️ When COVID🦠 took hold a few years’ ago (I’ll be doing a piece on that soon) we were thrust into new ways of working, for better or for worse. The traditional product conferences morphed into online sessions and in fact faciliated participation...