Shreyas Doshi, a tech industry veteran, discusses the connection between building a solid team and building a better product. Topics include the three levels of product work, origins of conflict, measurement vs evaluation, benefits of a writing culture, decision-making, growing competence, and the agency/talent matrix.
Read more
AI Summary
Highlights
AI Chapters
Episode notes
auto_awesome
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
Misalignment on different levels of focus can lead to conflicts in product work, highlighting the importance of recognizing and understanding others' operating levels to find common ground.
Evaluating progress using qualitative and quantitative indicators can be just as effective as measuring, challenging the belief that improvement requires explicit measurement.
Embracing inconsistency and considering the antithesis of commonly held truths can enhance decision-making and personal growth, fostering a mindset that goes beyond observed truths.
Deep dives
The Three Levels of Product Work and Conflicts that Arise
Conflicts often arise in product work due to misalignment on different levels of focus: execution, impact, and optics. Examples include clashes between product managers and executives due to differing levels of emphasis on details versus overall impact. Similar conflicts can occur between team leaders who prioritize optics or impact. The key is to recognize and understand the level at which others are operating and engage in meaningful dialogue to find common ground.
Evaluating vs. Measuring
The commonly held belief that you can't improve what you don't measure is challenged. The speaker argues that evaluating, rather than measuring, can be just as effective in promoting growth and improvement. Personal examples, such as parenting and relationships, highlight how improvement can occur even without explicit measurement. By understanding the potential flaws in this thinking, individuals can focus on evaluating progress using both qualitative and quantitative indicators.
The Antithesis Principle in Decision Making
The antithesis principle suggests that individuals should consider the opposite of commonly held truths or maxims when making decisions for themselves. For example, while most people believe that engaging content is necessary for effective learning, individuals should aim to become the kind of person who can learn without the need for entertainment. Similarly, while having a great manager is often seen as crucial for success, individuals should also develop the ability to do great work independently, even without optimal managerial support. Embracing inconsistency and recognizing the limitations of observed truths can enhance decision-making and personal growth.
Mitigating Decision-Making Challenges
One effective way to address decision-making challenges is to foster a writing culture where disagreements can be better understood and discussed. By focusing on the underlying metrics and having conversations about differing perspectives, teams can avoid getting caught up in minor details. Another strategy is to involve higher-level decision-makers in cases where a definitive resolution cannot be reached. However, this approach heavily relies on subjective judgment, which can have significant consequences for a company.
Differentiating Good and Great Teams
The judgment of a team's leader plays a crucial role in distinguishing between good and great teams. Having clarity in how a team makes decisions, both from a tactical and philosophical perspective, is essential. Additionally, the willingness of a team to bend rules and creatively execute despite constraints can set them apart. High agency among individual contributors is also crucial, as it empowers them to influence outcomes and creatively surpass obstacles.
Calling on more than two decades of experience working with some of the biggest companies in tech, Shreyas Doshi joins The Knowledge Project for a deep dive into the connection between building a solid team and building a better product. He also discusses the three levels of product work, the origins of conflict on your team, the difference between measurement and evaluation, the benefits and drawbacks of a writing culture, decision-making, growing your competence, and the agency/talent matrix.
Doshi is best known as the leader of some of the most successful products from Stripe, where he was one of the company’s first product managers. He also led and grew several products at Twitter, Google, and Yahoo. He currently advises fast-growing startups on strategy, scaling, and product management. Doshi is also a frequent angel investor and has privately coached product managers from Amazon, Meta, Salesforce, Uber, and LinkedIn.
--
Want even more? Members get early access, hand-edited transcripts, member-only episodes, and so much more. Learn more here: https://fs.blog/membership/
Every Sunday our Brain Food newsletter shares timeless insights and ideas that you can use at work and home. Add it to your inbox: https://fs.blog/newsletter/