Tradeshow talk

The topic of trade shows (conferences, conventions, etc.) seems to be on a lot of people’s minds lately. They (the trade shows) have become a fundamental part of many industries, especially for industries steeped in technology. However, in many ways they seem to be losing their mindshare if not their value all together. Art Petty [...]

Let them talk

I had a great opportunity to listen to Larry Weber, author of Marketing to the Social Web, who gave a keynote address at the SMP Conference last Thursday. He talked about a lot of great things including his insights on the history of the Internet, starting with different phases and technologies that have impacted its [...]

Podcast: The New Rules of Marketing and PR

A few months back I wrote a post about the best-selling book The New Rules of Marketing and PR by David Meerman Scott. David is a thought leadership and viral marketing strategist. He has written several ebooks that have been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times. He teaches people how to get noticed online through [...]

Five factors of leadership

I’ve stated before that product managers have to be leaders (in the true sense of the word) because they have the responsibility on their shoulders to get products out the door on time, with high quality and under budget. The kicker – and the reason they must be leaders – is the people they rely [...]

Time value of experience

Time value of money is a widely understood and accepted concept. At its most basic level the time value of money demonstrates that, all things being equal, it is better to have a fixed amount of money today, rather than an equal amount in the future. The concepts get more complex with topics such as [...]

Invest in the real assets – the people

In most organizations the word “asset” is linked to their technology IP, products or other items that end up on the balance sheet. The traditional accounting equation drives this mindset. So it’s no wonder that when organizations plan their investments they focus on improving their traditional assets and their bottom line.
In my recent article published [...]

The paradox of leadership

If you want to be a great leader, you have to be a great follower. I call this the paradox of leadership because it seems contradictory that a person who becomes a great leader would look to others for advice or have a high regard for other people. However, all the great leaders I have [...]

Help for product managers

I’ve noticed throughout my career as a product manager there are times when I have questions about what to do in certain situations, but am not sure who to ask. I recently found a new blog by Jeff Lash called Ask a Good Product Manager . Jeff wants to “make it easy for a product [...]

Leadership fuel

Most anything that requires energy needs fuel to burn. If you go for a long drive your car requires gasoline (or diesel, or nowadays electricity). If you run a marathon (or do any strenuous cardio-vascular activities) your body requires fuel to keep it going.
Ok, so I’ve stated the obvious. Here’s what I’m leading to: Working [...]

Live on purpose

One of the keys to effective leadership is being well-grounded in your personal life. A good friend of mine – Dr. Paul Jenkins (“Dr. Paul”) – has provided (and continues to provide) excellent life coaching. His work inspired me to write an article about effective leadership in product management that I titled “Lead on Purpose: [...]