PODCAST · technology
Product Thinking
by Kyle Evans
A podcast with a fresh perspective about the best in product thinking. From product management and UX design to psychology and philosophy. How can we bring it all together to make life, our products, and our user experiences better.
Episodes
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Saying "No" Effectively: 5 Ways to Say No As a Product Manager
Saying “no” is a big part of parenting and a big part of product management. We can’t do everything, whether that is buying every stuffed animal or building every feature request. But we can do more than simply say “no”. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly newsletter: Saying…
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The End of Product Management at Airbnb
Airbnb is done with product management? Maybe, but not so fast. In this episode we explore what they did and why it very much depends on what a company wants. Product management is always different at different companies, and often fills the void of whatever is needed. Sometimes that leans more...
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Winner Takes All: Book Review
Winner Takes All: Case Studies in how Online Marketplaces are Creating Modern Monopolies delves into the world of online marketplaces and how they are shaping the modern economy. It gives a brief history of digital marketplaces, starting with some of the earliest (like eBay and Craigslist) and…
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Messi, Estimating, Heatwaves, AI, and House of Suns: Monthly Wrap from June
Messi, AI, and House of Suns. What more do you need? Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. Here’s what you may have missed. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly newsletter: Messi, Estimating,...
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Why We're So Bad At Estimating: And What We Can Do About It
We, as humans, are bad at estimating. Everyone falls victim to the planning fallacy. We consistently underestimate the time it will take to complete something. Why do we underestimate? And what can we do about it? Listen as we explore. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly...
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Lessons in Thinking Long Term: Understanding Consequences of Short-Term Focus
This week we explore short-term and long-term thinking with an example from Covid-19. We’d have been much better served during the pandemic if the FDA hadn’t relaxed its rules for so long or had thought about the long-term consequences of their hand sanitizer policy. And we’d be better off as...
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The Alignment Problem: Machine Learning and Human Values - Book Review
The Alignment Problem by Brian Christian was an excellent read. If you are interested in AI—including its history, its future implications, and the philosophical ramifications—then this is a book for you. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly newsletter: The Alignment Problem:...
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Twitter, True Grit, and Giving Up On Your Dreams: Monthly Wrap from May
Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. Here’s what you may have missed. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly newsletter: Twitter, True Grit, and Giving Up On Your Dreams: Monthly Wrap from May…
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Product Failures From Twitter and Others: Learning From Past Mistakes
We have to understand the problems we’re solving, our users, and our business. If we don’t, we’ll create products that fail. Those products may be small feature sets, or they may be bet-the-company initiatives like Twitter Blue. Either way, we can all learn some lessons from these failures. Don't...
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Ingredients of a Roadmap: Like Cookies, You Need Some Key Elements
Like we love to say, a roadmap is not the project plan. It won’t include all the technical details for the next year. Nor should it. There is a time and place for those, but it is not the roadmap. Just like there is a time and place for nuts, but it is not in chocolate chip cookies. Don't forget…
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The Innovator's Handbook: Book Review
The Innovator’s Handbook provides a range of practical tools, strategies, and insights for anyone involved in the innovation process. It’s a fun read, and a well-designed book (it looks like a post-it note pad, so I love it). It’s a good one to add to our growing list of books about innovation....
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Skepticism, Martian Westerns, and Better Call Saul: Monthly Wrap from April
Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. Here’s what you may have missed. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly newsletter: Skepticism, Martian Westerns, and Better Call Saul: Monthly Wrap from...
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A Healthy Dose of Skepticism: Finding the Signal in the Noise
Healthy skepticism is an important ingredient to work and life. It keeps us from being manipulated or from making the wrong decision—whether that’s taking a job that seems too good to be true or building a product feature simply because the CEO is passionate about it. It is the first step to…
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Product Management and Engineering: How to Effectively Communicate and Work Together
Product managers and engineers often come from different backgrounds and have different perspectives. We need this for great product development. But it can lead to misunderstandings. Different groups value different things. But we can work together to create the right outcomes. It starts with...
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Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a Data-Driven World - Book Review
The world is awash in bullshit. Mostly the figurative kind. Which is why it is critical we’re able to discern between fact and bullshit, especially as the bullshit becomes increasing dressed in data. Which is why this month we’re reviewing the book Calling Bullshit: The Art of Skepticism in a...
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Decision Demons, TikTok, and Emoji Watches: March Monthly Wrap
Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. Here’s what you may have missed. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly newsletter: Decision Demons, TikTok, and Emoji Watches: March Monthly Wrap Or just...
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Why We Can't Have Nice Things: Curiosity, TikTok, and Free Speech
TikTok is an incredible platform for anyone to reach an audience, find their voice, and join a community. There isn’t anything else like it. Banning apps out of fear or lack of understanding is dystopian-level sci-fi. I like to think we’re better than that, but I’m not so sure. Which is why we...
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3 Lessons from Silicon Valley Bank: What The Rest of Us Can Learn from the Failure of SVB
Hopefully SVB will hold its spot as the second-largest bank failure for a long time. We don’t need bigger ones any time soon. But for those of us not running banks or working as founders or in finance, there are still some good things to learn. We can take courage knowing that no one really knows...
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Finding Whole-Life Balance: Avoiding Myopia and Burnout, and Actively Finding Balance
Balance is an active process. We can’t wait until we’re older to play outside, because it will be too late then. We need the sun while we’re growing up. We can’t wait until mid-terms are over because there will always be some sort of mid-term in our life. We need to find balance each day and each...
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Life is Hard: Book Review
Life is incredibly hard. We can only choose to live well within the constraints we have. Which is what the book Life is Hard by Kieran Setiya explores. Often it will be less than the ideal that many would envision. But as we shift our mindset away from the idea of ourselves as failures, as…
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Product Roadmaps, Mechanical Watches, and the Science of Fun
Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. Here’s what you may have missed. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly newsletter: Product Roadmaps, Mechanical Watches, and the Science of Fun Or just…
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The Messiness of Doing The Work: What Some Managers Don't Understand
The creation process is always messy. We can’t avoid it. As we work to dig and uncover the right things to do, those of us doing the work are often down in the hole shoveling mud. But that is how we eventually get to the right thing. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly...
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Product Roadmaps: What Are They Good For
A roadmap won’t fix everything (and is often the source of its own problems), but having a product vision and strategy that you can communicate, prioritize against, and ultimately deliver on through your roadmap, will make you a much better product manager and a better product organization. So…
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Zone to Win: Book Review
This month we’re reviewing the book Zone to Win by Geoffrey Moore. Last month we reviewed the book Crossing the Chasm by the same author. It offers good insight into the need for separating zones in an organization. Using the three horizons framework, it makes sense to allow different types of...
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Shower Thoughts, Inner Circles, Networks and Prioritization
Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. Here’s what you may have missed. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly newsletter: Airplane Seat Switching and The Endowment Effect Or just want to leave a...
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Airplane Seat Switching and The Endowment Effect: Having Empathy and Understanding Our Own Fallacies
Loss aversion, or the endowment effect, is a cognitive bias that describes why, for individuals, the pain of losing is psychologically twice as powerful as the pleasure of gaining. Once you recognize the endowment effect or loss aversion, you will begin to see it more frequently. From switching...
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Product Prioritization: A Strategic Framework for Building the Right Thing
Working on the right thing is one of the most important aspects of product development. It is one of the key roles of product management. So understanding the right framework for getting our priorities correct is critical for all product managers and product teams. We can’t overlook the broader...
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Crossing the Chasm: Book Review
Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore is a classic for good reason. The principles are as relevant today as they were 20 years ago. And while the companies continually change, the need to understand that our marketing, sales, and product development need to adapt in order to meet the needs of the...
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Taylor Swift, Quiet Quitting, Ninja Turtles and Books: Monthly Wrap from December
Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. Here’s what you may have missed. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly newsletter: Taylor Swift, Quiet Quitting, Ninja Turtles and Books Or just want to...
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Top Books of 2022: A Look Back at our Favorite Product and Non-Product Books
With 2022 coming to a close, we’re finally ready to put this rollercoaster of a year behind us. But before we do, we need to back at some of the best books we reviewed from this past year, along with a few others we’ve read and recommended for outside of the office. Don't forget to subscribe at...
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ChatGPT and Cautious Optimism: Imminent Job Killer? Probably Not.
While ChatGPT and the underlying AI aren’t necessarily the imminent threats that many have called them, they have the potential to reshape our industry and many industries in ways we won’t be able to predict. So hold on to your butts. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly...
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Four Thousand Weeks: Book Review
If you feel you're in conflict, or simply feel you are always trying to get more done that you’ll ever be able to, you should definitely pick up a copy of Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. Hopefully, it will change your perspective as much as it has changed…
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Reggae, Holiday Gifts, Blue Checks, and Van Gogh: Monthly Wrap from November
Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. From Reggae albums to holiday gifts to blue checks on Twitter. Here’s what you may have missed in November. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly…
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10 Gift Ideas for Product Managers and Designers
The holiday season is upon us once again (I know, I’m struggling to believe it too). But that means egg nog, sugar cookies, and giving gifts. You may find yourself looking for ideas for holiday gifts for those special people in your life. Or struggling with ideas for your own gift list. And if…
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Elon, Twitter, and Blue Checks: Product Feature Critique
To create an excellent product or product feature, two things are critical: An understanding of your users An understanding of the problem Without these elements, you will miss the mark most of the time. Elon Musk has been putting on masterclass so far at Twitter (and on Twitter) in everything…
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The Laws of Creativity: Book Review
Creativity is a critical part of our jobs and our lives. Yet it is often misunderstood. In his new book, The Laws of Creativity, founder Joey Cofone identifies 39 laws of creativity and discusses how each law applies to different scenarios in our lives and how we can harness these laws and ideas…
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Underpants Gnomes, Chess Cheating, and The Laws of Creativity: Monthly Wrap from October
Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. Here’s what you may have missed. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly newsletter: Underpants Gnomes, Chess Cheating, and The Laws of Creativity: Monthly...
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Sales Commitments vs. Product Commitments: Maybe We're Not So Different After All
I initially balked at the idea that sales and product/engineering should be treated the same. Then I realized that it is exactly what we are always asking for. We want the focus to be on the impact, not on the features. Listen in for more discussion about product management and commitments. Don't...
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Mastering Future Questions: Practicing So You Can Be Prepared
The more thought we put in ahead of time, the more thoughtful and prepared we can be. I’ve long been of the opinion that no one is great at “thinking on their feet” as we like to say. Rather, some people have simply put more thought in ahead of time and can draw on that preparation more than...
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Making Work Visible: Exposing Time Theft to Optimize Work & Flow: Book Review
If you are like me, so much of the work you do, and the work your team does, is invisible to most outside observers. You may understand what you’re working on, and your team likely understands it as well. But as soon as you move outside of the inner circle, the work becomes opaque. Move further...
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Lumber Prices, Second Jobs, Floppy Disks and Pax Romana: September Monthly Wrap
Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. Here’s what you may have missed. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly newsletter: Lumber Prices, Second Jobs, Floppy Disks and Pax Romana: September…
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The Art of Exploration: Taking an Idea from Abstract to Concrete
Bringing ideas from abstract concepts to reality is a critical part of product and design thinking. The better we understand how to do it, the better we can create the best experiences for our users. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly newsletter: Being Overconfident, Getting...
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The Importance of Simplicity: Keeping It Simple Early
It is easy to complicate our work. Many of the tools we use these days make it incredibly easy to add more and more with less and less effort. Steve Jobs knew that keeping things simple was the key to a good user experience. We can add two keyboards to an iPad, but users don’t need two keyboards…
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Loved: How to Rethink Marketing for Tech Products - A Book Review
This month we're reviewing Loved: How to Rethink Marketing for Tech Products by Martina Lauchengco. It is the latest book from SVPG and focuses on product marketing. So how does it stack up? Overall, I was disappointed by Loved. I had hoped for a solid book on product marketing with insights or...
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Systems, Three-Body Problems, Resurrectionists and Yellowstone: August Monthly Wrap
Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. Here’s what you may have missed. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly newsletter: Systems, Three-Body Problems, Resurrectionists and Yellowstone: August...
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Dogs and Data and Assumptions: Bonus Week and Off Topic
It’s interesting to think about how much our pets influence us vs. how much they are a reflection of our existing preferences. I suspect it is both, though how much is an open question. We certainly can’t escape how our decisions shape our environment, which in turn shapes our decisions. It seems...
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When the System is the Problem: Working within the system vs changing the system
The system we work in is critical for our success. We can make improvements within the system, and those are important incremental changes. A new rule or a new process can improve the system. But we need to assess the system holistically. Is it the right system? In our work and our lives, this...
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The Forest for the Trees: Zooming out to see the real problems
When we zoom out and consider the entire system, we’re able to see that the problem may not be optimizing the existing system, but rather changing it entirely. Because we get so caught up in the water we’re swimming in that we don’t see the problems all around us. And that is at the heart of...
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The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker: Book Review
As people, we gather frequently. For meetings at work, for dinner as friends, for holidays as families. Yet so frequently, our gatherings disappoint us. But we still continue to do the same things, expecting different results (insanity, right?). Book: The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker Don't...
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Being Overconfident, Getting Stupider, and Banning NFTs: Monthly Wrap from July
Another month, another host of great articles, listens, books and other finds from Product Thinking and around the internet. Here’s what you may have missed. Don't forget to subscribe at productthinking.cc Weekly newsletter: Being Overconfident, Getting Stupider, and Banning NFTs: Monthly Wrap…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
A podcast with a fresh perspective about the best in product thinking. From product management and UX design to psychology and philosophy. How can we bring it all together to make life, our products, and our user experiences better.
HOSTED BY
Kyle Evans
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Product Thinking have?
Product Thinking currently has 100 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Product Thinking about?
A podcast with a fresh perspective about the best in product thinking. From product management and UX design to psychology and philosophy. How can we bring it all together to make life, our products, and our user experiences better.
How often does Product Thinking release new episodes?
Product Thinking has 100 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Product Thinking?
You can listen to Product Thinking on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Product Thinking?
Product Thinking is created and hosted by Kyle Evans.
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