I’m often asked what the key to being “agile” really is, and over the years I’ve managed to come up with a clear and concise answer: accepting uncertainty is the key to agility. It is perhaps the single most fundamental culture change that companies must go through when making a true transition to Agile development, […]
Data v. Opinion: The Ultimate Battle
One of the challenges that we commonly run into as Product Managers is the battle between opinions and data. And though it would be nice to pretend that data always wins, and that there’s always truth in Jim Barksdale’s famous quote, “If we have data, let’s look at data. If all we have are opinions, let’s go with mine,” we know from practical experience that this is simply not the case. Let’s talk about some common situations where data bends to opinion…
“Agile” is More Than a Buzzword: Three Truths Behind the Manifesto
It’s become rather commonplace lately for people to dismiss “Agile” out of hand as an industry buzzword with no meaning or substance to it. And in some ways, the term has earned that reputation — mostly from people who use it regularly without really knowing what it means or how it changes an organization — […]
Sometimes Failure is the Best Result
As a Product Manager, it’s in our bones to always do the best job possible, to deliver the best product possible, and to satisfy the most customers possible. But what if I told you that by always succeeding, we’re actually hampering ourselves? While it might feel good to hit a home run every time you […]