Opportunities in product today are seemingly endless. But if you’re new to the industry or looking to break in, it can be hard to know what skills you need to succeed. Many roles don’t have precise requirements, and product itself is continuously evolving. Today, Christian & Meghan will share their takes on the habits and mindsets that will serve product people at any stage of their careers. We’re talking about the impact of good taste, critical thinking, ego vs. insecurity, and how knowledge of other product disciplines can accelerate your own work. 

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Takeaways

• If you focus only on adhering to the process, you’ll lose sight of the why.
• Design isn’t just art; it’s a problem solver. 
• Success in product requires us to keep ego & insecurity in check.

Things To Listen For

• [0:00] A re-introduction to our moderator, Erica Irish, and what role she’ll serve
• [3:00] Breaking the ice with an alternate universe: what would Christian & Meghan be doing with their careers if they hadn’t chosen a path in product?
• [9:00] Post-retirement aspirations, a better design school, and NFT PhDs 
• [11:00] How Christian & Meghan first found their careers in product 
• [15:00] Knowledge of good design applies regardless of the medium 
• [17:00] What we mean by good taste, stolen ideas, and an Ira Glass reference 
• [22:00] The importance of critical thinking and learning from other product roles
• [24:30] How ego and insecurity impact your product work—and why to never keep a tight grasp on anything you’ve created 
• [26:30] Earn trust so you to make the decisions in the product area you own 
• [28:00] Strive to separate yourself from the features 
• [29:00] Questions you can ask about product in the face of critique 
• 30:00] A multidisciplinary product perspective gets us closer to where the truth is
• [35:30] “If you were the friend who made the study guides, you’d probably make a good product marketer,” and other product personas