There are many different ways to get into product leadership, and as a designer you are better suited than most. You have a knack for details, problem solving, and organization. And those skills, believe it or not, make you better suited to get your start in product leadership than many other career paths. Over the course of my career I’ve been a designer, front-end engineer, and now, most recently, a product leader. I’m ready to demystify what it takes to become a product leader, share the steps I took, and provide advice so that you too may jump into product. It’s not a journey without it’s struggles but it’s ripe with opportunity and enjoyment!

1. Yes, Designer,
You Can Be a
Product Leader
Shay Howe
@shayhowe
http://learn.shayhowe.com

2. #sxproduct @shayhowe

3. #sxproduct @shayhowe

4. #sxproduct @shayhowe

5. #sxproduct @shayhowe

6. #sxproduct @shayhowe

7. #sxproduct @shayhowe

8. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Common Interest:
Build the Best
Product Possible

9. #sxproduct @shayhowe

10. #sxproduct @shayhowe

11. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Design Engineering
Business
Product
Leadership
© Martin Eriksson

12. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Product Leaders Embody:
Design
Engineering
Business

13. #sxproduct @shayhowe

14. #sxproduct @shayhowe

15. #sxproduct @shayhowe

16. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Expectations of Product Leaders:
Strategy
Prioritization
Execution

17. #sxproduct @shayhowe

18. #sxproduct @shayhowe

19. #sxproduct @shayhowe

20. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Make Friends,
Build Trust

21. #sxproduct @shayhowe

22. #sxproduct @shayhowe

23. #sxproduct @shayhowe

24. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Learn What Product
Leadership Means to
Your Organization
(It May Vary)

25. #sxproduct @shayhowe

26. #sxproduct @shayhowe

27. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Take Ownership
of a Problem

28. #sxproduct @shayhowe

29. #sxproduct @shayhowe

30. #sxproduct @shayhowe

31. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Strive not to be
success, but rather
to be of value.
– Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist
“

32. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Be the Voice
of Your Customer

33. #sxproduct @shayhowe

34. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Without sales, nobody would sell.
Without engineering, nobody
would build. Without support,
customers would riot. Without
product managers? Life would
be just fine (For a while).
– Ken Norton, Google Ventures
“

35. #sxproduct @shayhowe

36. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Lead by Influence
(Don’t Expect Authority)

37. #sxproduct @shayhowe

38. #sxproduct @shayhowe

39. #sxproduct @shayhowe

40. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Find Success
through Simplicity
(Don’t Try to Please Everyone)

41. #sxproduct @shayhowe

42. #sxproduct @shayhowe

43. #sxproduct @shayhowe

44. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Create a Shared
Understanding
(Over-Communicate)

45. #sxproduct @shayhowe

46. #sxproduct @shayhowe

47. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Don’t tell people how to
do things. Tell them
what needs done and let
them surprise you with
their results.
– General George Patton, United States Army
“

48. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Value Teams
Over Products

49. #sxproduct @shayhowe

50. #sxproduct @shayhowe

51. #sxproduct @shayhowe

52. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Believe in Yourself!

53. #sxproduct @shayhowe
Thank You!
@shayhowe
http://learn.shayhowe.com
Come say Hello!
Today at Noon
ACC Book Store (3rd Floor)