Google has no faith in its ability to launch new products


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Back when I was a product manager for a large mobile network operator, we faced a constant problem. How do you launch a new product to the public? Most people are reluctant to try new things. Even in the exciting world of proto-smartphones, convincing someone to download, install, configure, and use a new app was difficult. Sure, we could run expensive advertising campaigns. Send hopeful text messages. Have a big celebrity endorsement. Or maybe get our customer service reps to push it. In the …

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The MTV Problem With Product Managment


There's a meme which makes its way around the 'net whenever a popular service makes a significant change. I've seen this said about Reddit, imgur, Twitter, Facebook, Xbox, Spotify, FourSquare - and just about every other modern product. It imagines a Product Manager thoughtfully contemplating the future direction of their service. In the 1990s, I was a teenager and my parents gave in to peer pressure and subscribed to cable TV. Like many kids my age, I raced home after school to watch MTV. …

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