Thoughts Unravelled by Hugo Froes
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Taking time and handling the avalanche - Issue #29
Hats off to all those content creators that can produce valuable content every week. I'll admit it isn't always easy for me and I'm doing my best to make that commitment. I do think a lot about things pertaining to product development and product operations, …
We'll be back in September by Hugo Froes - Issue #28
I feel kind of silly for not thinking of this earlier, but this is generally a time of year where many people take some time off.Because of that, I'm going to be switching off the newsletter until September. (Should have switched off for all of August)I'll st…
Storytelling, its a challenge by Hugo Froes - Issue #27
There are books and articles that explore storytelling. All of them have great tips on storytelling, but my impression from what I have read or heard, is that they touch very superficially or don't explore the other side of personal comfort when trying to tel…
It’s not just about the tool by Marielle Velander - Issue #26
The tech stack, the toolbox, the vibrant market of solutions trying to drive more efficient product management and development…if you are in product operations it is part of your job to be familiar with it all, and to discern which solution would work best fo…
Superpower: Admitting you can't do everything - Issue #25
I believe I touched briefly on this topic in an earlier newsletter, but as I mentioned in the beginning, I felt it needed more attention because it seems to be overlooked too easily.Maybe you started a new job or new department and you want to prove your wort…
The impact of staying relevant by Hugo Froes - Issue #24
This week an old friend reached out to me asking if I was interested in freelance work or had anyone to recommend for a design job.With all the extras I have going on and my current focus on Product Operations, I've stopped taking on freelance design jobs, bu…
Why Perfection Won’t Get You Anywhere by Antonia Landi - Issue #23
In many aspects of our lives, we strive for perfection. The perfect house, the perfect partner, the perfect getaway… and since we spend so much of our lives doing it, we look for the perfect job, too. Looking at product management specifically, the quest for …
Going beyond prioritisation frameworks - Issue #22
Recently I started looking into the details of the more popular prioritisation frameworks and in my search, I found that each resource adds another framework and acronym.I even found a single resource that has 155 frameworks... I don't know about you, but I c…
Exploring the Product Portfolio - Issue #21
As I started out my exploration, I was pretty confident in my knowledge about product portfolios, considering that I have worked with various over the years.However, I thought I would ask both my teammates and peers in the industry how they saw Product Portfo…
Finding your place in the product org - Issue #20
In today's world of digital products, built on the premise that the industry and market is in a flux of constant change, finding our place can be challenging.On top of that, many of the roles are still being defined or in some cases, their definition is as in…
Constant context switching is a killer - Issue #19
I'm assuming that anyone reading this has experienced some level of context switching which is perfectly acceptable, the big problem is when we're forced to it constantly and for longer periods of time.This may happen because your scope has grown, but not you…
When to Introduce a ProductOps Function by Chris Compston - Issue #18
Over the last three years being in the ProductOps world, understanding where we fit in and add value, identifying the need and growing the team, as well as being part of the ProductOps community I've been mulling over when and where a function like this is mo…
When it rains it pours. Finding the balance between saying yes and no - Issue #17
It happens so often as we're trying to show our worth as professionals or of our team in the wider organisation.We may start saying yes to many things to show we are the right people who will bring value to the company. At first, it's easily manageable becaus…
Expertise without a purpose - Issue #16
I'm constantly marvelled by the amount of resources and opportunities that exist now-days in comparison to when I was starting out professionally.The quantity of books and how easy it is to access them, online blogs and publications, training, workshops, conf…
Be the active listener people deserve - Issue #15
Imagine the scenario of a regular conversation between two or more people. Both will add their point and hopefully build up the topic into an enriching interaction.Reality:One of the participants is very boring to listen to, either with their droning voice or…
The in-between spaces of work - Issue #14
What do I mean by in-between spaces of work? I see it as any type of work that falls in to one of the following categories:When you're winding down from one piece of work and before you start up on the next piece of work.When you're doing administrative work,…
My Product Operations reading suggestions - Issue #13
This list shows all the books that have helped me understand how to approach ways of working, change management, the design of product organisations and how product teams think. I've listed them in alphabetical order and not in order of value they have brough…
The importance of switching off - Issue #12
In the 80s and 90s, a culture was created around the constant hustle to succeed. Making money at any cost and being business savvy would get you anywhere even without formal education.Sharp style, consumerism and the double-breasted suits became a part of pop…
Should everyone be using OKRs? - Issue #11
I personally am a big fan of OKRs, but in recent months and using the How Might We method of looking at the same question from different angles, the question came up whether OKRs are always valuable.But before we get into answering that question, let's look a…
The only constant is change - Issue #10
This is by no means the first time I'm focusing on this topic of ever changing and complex product organisation and the perceived control we so badly seek to achieve.In two previous newsletters (links at the bottom), I discussed other aspects of this topic, b…