- My Favorite Things
- Posts
- "I thought of you today"
1. This quote
For kindness begins where necessity ends.
2. “I thought of you today.”
Let’s normalize reaching out to people just because they crossed your mind. Say hello for no other reason than I thought of you today.
“just reaching out and letting somebody know you have thought about them is so powerful”
3. Perplexity for Product Managers
The good folks at Perplexity.ai created a landing page that shows top searches by product managers (thanks to Lenny) and where you could sign up to receive a monthly digest of trending searches.
4. Three traits that make you a great PM to work with
Raise difficult issues without being difficult to work with
Bring up important topics without drawing importance to yourself
Remember that you are in charge of getting decisions made, not making the decisions yourself
These traits not only make you a great PM to work with, they also make you an effective cross-functional leader to collaborate with.
I find Vikrama’s perspective on outputs vis-à-vis outcomes refreshing. Lately, product management advice has been dominated by a nebulous idea of impact - “Focus on outcomes and not on outputs!” we’re told. Yet when it comes to the specifics of “how exactly?” it dissolves into vague gestures and platitudes. Outputs are the how; they are where real progress happens; they are the tangible contributions that create impact.
5. Stack rank these skills
When interviewing someone, instead of asking them to rate required skills on a scale (like 1-5), ask them to stack rank these skills. This approach will lead to a more contextualized and insightful discussion about their strengths and weaknesses. It also helps you accurately gauge candidates who are truly self-aware.
h/t to Bangaly Kaba on Lenny’s Podcast (I’ve been catching up on my podcast list this week…)
6. “Cut the fluff” AI prompt for telling AI to cut the fluff
One thing I love about using ChatGPT is that I do not need to worry about hurting its feelings when I issue the commands. Radical Candor FTW.
7. “What Have We Liberals Done to the West Coast?”
“The West Coast’s central problem is not so much that it’s unserious as that it’s infected with an ideological purity that is focused more on intentions than on oversight and outcomes,” Nicholas Kristof wrote in the New York Times. While framing and intentions matter, the road to hell after all is paved with good intentions, especially when they become performative. I hope those with the power to make substantive changes heed his call to action: “We need to get our act together. Less purity and more pragmatism would go a long way.”
8. TIL: Citric Acid
I am blown away by how versatile citric acid is. I got a 5 lb. bag and it’s become my go-to cleaner around the house, especially those pesky hard water stains. Since moving to Florida, I have been fighting those brown rings at the bottom of the toilets to no avail. TIL: Just dump a scoop of citric acid in the toilet, let it sit for a while, and voila! Problem solved. Also, adding a tablespoon of citric acid to the dishwasher detergent compartment has got rid of the chalky residue on my dishes.
9. Protect Sea Turtles postage stamps
New this month from USPS - perfectly timed for the sea turtle nesting season around here.
10. Watching a rock musical as a rock concert
Hedwig and An Angry Inch felt personal and intimate when performed not as a theatre production but as a rock concert in a venue meant for rock concerts. In this setting, the storytelling felt immediate and genuine, and although it may not be a better production, to me it’s more emotionally raw than the Broadway production (starring the powerful Taye Diggs nonetheless) in 2015.
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