And I couldn’t have wrote this if I was hopelessAnd see I focus to provoke thisSo open wide for my opinionated opus Cee Lo, Reset (Outkast) Mikal and Sam discuss the most senior product leader’s responsibility to define a product strategy that is opinionate and flows from the company strategy, perspectives and insights from the … Continue reading E010 — Great Products Are Opinionated and Product Strategy Is Not Democratic →

What you got, heads or tails? (Yes)Street props or record sales? (Yes) J-Live, Yes Mikal and Sam discuss team members that commit without ‘committing’ how to deal with them, and why it’s so important Series: How do you build a ‘Product Team?’ Episode 9/13 Each episode of The Product Coach podcast answers to build a … Continue reading E009 — No Half-Commit, Product Teams Fully Buy In to And Align Every Decision Towards One Cohesive Product Outcome →

Bound by friendship, fueled and inspired by what’s at stake. Saviors, heroes? Nah. Just common contributors hopin’ that what we created inspires you to selflessly challenge and contribute.  Sincerely, anonymously, nobody De La Soul, Exodus Mikal and Sam discuss the challenge of team members and leaders who believe there is one right answer to a decision … Continue reading E008 — Product Teams Align Through Accessible Information, and Belief in Multiple Right Answers →

For non-conformists, one hitter quittersFor Tyson types and Che figuresLet’s get it together, come on let’s make it A Tribe Called Quest, The Space Program Mikal and Sam discuss tools for communicating the vision, priorities, and perspective that uniquely differentiates you and recommend going with the lightest weight alignment tool that gets the job done. … Continue reading E007 — Write the Outcome. Align on the Outcome. →

That every now and then you gotta ask yourselfDo you really wanna win or just look good losing? Phonte (Little Brother), Dreams Mikal and Sam discuss what it means when the only success is team success, why it’s important for teams not to treat deliverables (code bases, comp, specs) as a success metric, and finally why … Continue reading E006 — The Only Success is Team Success →

One thing that’s phenomenal was the day I decidedTo hold myself accountable for my behavior Royce da 5’9″, Hero Mikal and Sam discuss that the trust in the product team, corresponds with an accountability for team members to hold themselves to an atypically high standard. Series: How do you build a ‘Product Team?’ Episode 5/13 … Continue reading E005 — Product Team Members Must Hold Themselves to an Atypically High Standard →

Find your direction through introspectionAnd for my people out there I got a questionCan we be the sole controllers of our fate?Now who’s gonna take the weight? Gang Starr (Guru), Who’s Gonna Take the Weight? Mikal and Sam discuss who is on the ‘product team’ and the difference between “product risk” and what it means … Continue reading E004 — The Product Team has Skin in the Game (Job Risk) Regarding Product Outcomes →

But you can’t break the mold in by holding your breath Cee-Lo, Die Tryin Mikal and Sam discuss why empowered and accountable Product Teams are the first building blocks to great products. Series: How do you build a ‘Product Team?’ Episode 3/13 Each episode of The Product Coach podcast answers to build a larger thematic … Continue reading E003 — The First Building Blocks to Great Products →

The name is well kept, and the rep just gets bigga Gang Starr, The Rep Grows Bigga Mikal and Sam explore what product teams should aspire to, why a lot of what we think is great Product Teams are actually Optimization Teams, and the law of increasing returns. Series: How do you build a ‘Product … Continue reading E002 — ‘Product Teams’ Pursue the Law of Increasing Returns →

Slow down! You’re still a amateur What separates the pro from the amateur is stamina KRS-One. “Health, Wealth, Self.” KRS-One Mikal and Sam introduce The Product Coach Podcast, quick wins, and what’s wrong with product today. Series: How do you build a ‘Product Team?’ Each episode of The Product Coach podcast answers to build a … Continue reading E001 — Great Products come from ‘Product Teams’ →