The AI Product Manager
Undoubtedly, 2025 is the breakout year for AI in Product Management. As tech investments shift toward AI and away from traditional Web/App products, everyone seems to be coming to the same realization that this is an “Adapt or Die” moment. You’re either going to rise with the tide of AI products or be crushed […]
3 Pillars of Product
The core functions of Product Management are straight forward, clustering around a primary objective of Product-Market fit. If you start with a Northstar of generating business value by creating solutions that solve real problems and general real demand from customers, then what you need to do is obvious. Yet the adoption of Product Management […]
Defining Product Strategy
Product strategy defines the long-term direction of a product and the principles that guide decision-making over time. It serves as the bridge between business strategy and product execution, ensuring that teams are solving the right problems for the right customers in a way that supports the company’s goals. Without a clear product strategy, product teams […]
Clarifying the Role of Product Management
Product Management is fundamentally about understanding the needs and desires of the customer segment you’re serving, figuring out the right product to build to optimally address those needs, and working with developers and designers to continually build and refine that product to ensure its maximally successful in the market.
What is a Product?
A product is a solution to a common problem that can be taken to market. It can be tangible or intangible. It can be for something that satisfies a practical need or an emotional desire. At its core, it is a generalized solution to a common problem, that can be produced at scale
Objective-Based Product Planning
Product planning is the process of translating strategy into a concrete, actionable plan. While strategy defines direction and intent, planning focuses on sequencing work, allocating resources, and making trade-offs across competing initiatives. A strong product plan ensures that day-to-day execution remains aligned with strategic goals. Product planning is often confused with roadmapping or backlog management. […]
Creating a Product Vision
A product vision describes what a product is ultimately meant to become and the impact it is intended to have. It serves as a long-term north star, typically spanning three to five years, that aligns teams around a shared direction and purpose. While the concept sounds simple, crafting a strong product vision is deceptively difficult. […]
Product Team Charters
The Product Charter is similar to a project charter but assumes a different ownership model and end-goal – and thus a different set of inputs and outputs.
Product Team Competencies
Product Management isn’t the same at every company. Different orgs, product types, and team structures lead to confusion about what skills a Product Manager should actually have. When I was learning the craft, I struggled with this myself — and later, as a leader, I wanted a way to clearly articulate the full spectrum of […]
Creating New Value
Why do some products succeed spectacularly while others fail to gain traction? While there are many contributing factors such as timing, execution, competition, and product-market fit, at the most fundamental level success comes down to whether a product creates meaningful value for the market it serves. Creating value can be difficult to reason about because […]
ProductCamp.LA is a Wrap!
In July 2016, PMA.LA hosted its second large-scale ProductCamp.LA event, featuring Marty Cagan as the keynote speaker alongside more than a dozen respected product leaders, including John Cutler, Jim Semick, and Andrew Gillian. The event welcomed over 300 attendees at Hulu’s headquarters in Santa Monica and was supported by a dedicated team of a dozen […]