How to Get Better, Faster, at Product Management

My top goal for 2020 was to improve my product management skills by 100%. I was only 6 official months into being a product manager at the start of 2020 so in retrospect this was probably too easy.

The core thing I discovered is that investing a small amount of time in structuring my learning outside work dramatically increases how fast I grow and how much I retain. While I learn pretty well on the ‘natural’ path of curiosity and work projects, I was able absorb so much more by doing a small amount of a planning up front.

And the great thing is have complete control over what I read and study outside of work and how I line that up with my job. A small focused bit of study timed to apply it immediately has a huge benefit compared to the same material at the wrong time, .

1. Use a syllabus structure

Choose a narrow topic and assign yourself a few related readings. This works so much better than studying on several areas simultaneously or reading one thing then the next without a plan, I felt so stupid when I rediscovered this very obvious idea. Even just 2 essays on the same topic read together stick much better than the same 2 read months apart. Turns out there’s a good reason all formal learning is structured this way...

Eg. For May I focused on Strategy fundamentals and read Good Strategy/Bad Strategy and Understanding Michael Porter together. 

2. Align syllabus with work, when possible

Reading about design right as I was starting on mockups for a redesign works much better than reading about marketing when months away from launch. The information sticks better when I can apply it immediately and start the action-feedback cycle.

3. If not, end each syllabus with an activity

Sometimes there’s not an immediate or extensive way to apply what I’ve been studying at work. Instead I’ve created my own homework activity like setting up a baby REST API to finish my technical unit or exploring the Criterion Channel’s strategy to pair with the strategy books.

4. Actually write a short summary of the big ideas

Writing a few sentences on what I learned from each book or essay does wonders for retention. I found it even better if I waited a day or two to write the summary, since I then had to retrieve and synthesize the information for the second time when writing. Even better is writing a more detailed post. I did this on Edward Tufte and eigenquestions and have a much stronger command on those ideas.

5. Longer readings force longer engagement 

Spending more time with a text forced me to engage more seriously with it. While books often have an unfortunate low idea density, the upside of that length is my brain has to spend longer grappling with the concepts. This may not work for everyone, but I often find the attractive shortness of articles or tweet threads ends up lost as ephemera.

6. Treat short readings like a poem - read 3 times

To make use of those great short pieces, reread them. I got a lot out of Shreyas Doshi’s rich tweet threads by reviewing them a few times and then writing my summary. 

7. Use spaced repetition flashcards for new concepts

I have found Anki extremely effective for learning Japanese vocab and have been meaning to bring the technique to career development. The magic of spaced repetition works wonders so this adding this to the toolkit is a priority this year

In a way these are all super obvious learning ideas, but it takes some discipline for me to fight the natural tendency towards a wandering path. Even a marginal increase in focus compounds quickly and there’s no real trade off. The more I learn the more avenues for serendipitous discovery and the real fun is all at the extreme edges anyway.