26 tips about product management from the animal kingdom

1. WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
26 tips about product management from the animal kingdom

2. @lucyjspence

3. DEVELOP A THICK SKIN
SEEK HONEST FEEDBACK, RESPOND POSITIVELY & DON’T GET DISHEARTENED

4. IF YOU’RE NOT BUSY YOU’RE DOING IT WRONG
BUT JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE BUSY DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE DOING IT RIGHT

5. SPEED IS IMPORTANT
BUT YOU NEED AGILITY AS WELL OR YOU WILL MISS YOUR TARGET

6. HAVE A DRINK WHEN YOU GET THE CHANCE
USE THE TIME WHEN THE PACE SLOWS TO REVIVE & REFRESH YOURSELF

7. DON’T GET IN THE WAY OF A RAMPAGING
ELEPHANT
STEER IT FROM ITS BACK INSTEAD

8. BE CAPABLE IN ALL ENVIRONMENTS
YOU NEED TO BE COMFORTABLE IN BUSINESS, TECH AND DESIGN

9. “Success is a little like wrestling a gorilla. You don't quit when you're tired. You quit
when the gorilla is tired.”
- Robert Strauss

10. LOOK OUT FOR UNEXPECTED KILLERS
THINGS WILL CATCH YOU OFF GUARD – PROTECT YOURSELF IN PREPARATION

11. BE COLD BLOODED WHEN YOU NEED TO BE
BE RUTHLESS WITH PRIORITISATION AND SAYING NO

12. WHEN STUCK JUST GO WITH THE FLOW
JUST STARTING WILL DEVELOP YOUR THOUGHTS

13. ADAPT TO YOUR ENIRONMENT
DONT BE AFRAID TO BE DIFFERENT IF IT SERVES A PURPOSE

14. LOOK AT THINGS FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES
ASK OPINION FROM PEOPLE THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOU

15. KEEP ON THE LOOK OUT & WARN OTHERS
HAVE A BROAD FOCUS AND LOOK TO OTHER INDUSTRIES FOR DISRUPTION

16. TO FIND MAGIC YOU MAY NEED TO LOOK
IN UNEXPECTED PLACES
DEVELOP A SET OF RELIABLE TECHNIQUES FOR THINKING ABOUT PROBLEMS

17. HAVE FINGERS IN LOTS OF PIES
THE MORE ASPECTS OF A BUSINESS YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH, THE MORE
EFFICIENT YOU WILL BE

18. PROTECT WHAT IS IMPORTANT
WRITE TENETS SO YOU DONT GET LOST ALONG THE WAY

19. FIRST IMPRESSIONS ARE IMPORTANT
YOU WILL HAVE TO SELL IDEAS AND HOW YOU DO THAT IS AS IMPORTANT AS
THE IDEA ITSELF

20. GUIDE THE TEAM THROUGH THE DARK TO
ACHIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE
YES, IT WILL FEEL LIKE YOU ARE PULLING A FAT MAN ALONG AND HE WILL
GET ALL THE CREDIT BUT THAT IS THE JOB

21. TAKE TIME TO REACT
COMPLEX DECISIONS REQUIRE TIME – ASSESS THE COMPLEXITY OF A
DECISION BEOFRE TRYING TO MAKE IT

22. TEAMS CAN ACHIEVE THE IMPOSSIBLE
BUT EVERYONE NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND THEIR ROLE AND THE GOAL

23. DEAL WITH THE SPIKEY ISSUES
SPEND TIME WORKING OUT THE COMPLEX PARTS AND TACKLE THEM FIRST

24. PICK OVER THE CARCASSES
DO RETROSPECTIVES AND INCORPORATE THE LEARNINGS

25. BE YOUR OWN DOCTOR AND HEAL YOURSELF
KEEP TRACK OF HOW YOU ARE DOING – MONITOR MOTIVATION AND STRESS
LEVELS AND ADJUST YOUR WORKLOAD ACCORDINGLY

26. NOTHING IS PERFECT
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE THINGS THAT DON’T FIT. WORK WITH THEM

27. DONT BURN OUT
BURN OUT OFTEN DAMAGES RELATIONSHIPS AND ALWAYS SLOWS YOU DOWN SO
YOU MAY AS WELL SLOW DOWN BEFORE YOU BECOME A NIGHTMARE TO WORK WITH

28. BRANDING IS VERY INFLUENTIAL
ALIGN THE PRODUCT AND THE BRAND