Getting things done Part 1: When you don’t have authority
I’ve spent my career trying to get things done or change things with no authority, no budget and no reports. Sometimes you have to make it work when all you have is charm, determination,...
Blog
My favorite posts of 2016
2016 was a big year for me. I was asked to lead and transform the Product Consulting team at 3Pillar. It’s been great to bring such a talented, adaptable and fun group of people...
When we meet in person, I may not look in your eyes
When I was seven, I passed out. Understandably my parents and doctors were concerned so they ran a battery of tests. Eventually I was diagnosed with ADHD because I didn’t make eye contact with the...
The problem with big bang design
It starts with a really fancy deck in your inbox. I’ve received these as both an internal head of UX and as a product consultant. The deck is lovely, comprehensive, well written and detailed....
Research vs Experimentation
I’m not much into to fishing but the few times I’ve gone out on a charter with friends it’s been pretty fun. This might be because the captain knows where the good spots are...
Why you should use outside product managers
Note: This was originally published on the 3Pillar blog and has been republished with permission An engineering candidate asked me why a product development services company like us has product managers. I loved the...
Talking planning with Peter Morville
Recently I sat down with Peter Morville to have a fascinating conversation about planning for his new book. Peter is a very accomplished information architect and author of Information Architecture for the World Wide Web,...
Conducting great customer interviews (Take 3 podcast)
Interviewing customers is one of my favorite things to do. I like learning about them, their lives and discovering how my clients can help them. Even if that means that what I learn is...
10 books to help you make your company and product better
The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses Eric Ries It’s a must read at my company and we’re not alone. Lean Customer Development: Building Products Your Customers...
Pre-Mortems are great for kickoffs
The first few weeks of any product development effort are tricky. You are trying to figure out what you’re doing and how to work together. The expectations are always high and the timeline short....
