🚨FREE LIGHTNING LESSON: AI Secrets for Product Leaders 🚨
Thursday, Dec 5 at 7:00 AM PST
Join me for 30 minutes of practical AI demonstrations, including how to create learning plans and PRDs in minutes. Plus, all attendees get my Product Manager Assessment Template.
FUN FACT: Yo-yos work in space.
A yo-yo works mainly due to the laws of conservation of angular momentum with the up and down motion of the string unwinding, causing the yo-yo to spin, and the angular momentum gives the energy to wind it back up again. Yo-yos don’t rely on gravity, and therefore work in space. 🤯
Leading Through the Dark: Lessons from a 4-Day Power Outage
Last week, as a bomb cyclone battered the Pacific Northwest, my family and I experienced an unexpected leadership bootcamp – courtesy of Mother Nature. A four-day power outage stripped away our modern conveniences, forcing us to adapt, prioritize, and yes, even slow down. Sound familiar, product leaders?
Setting the Scene: When the Lights Go Out
No internet. Dead devices. Spoiled food. It's amazing how quickly our carefully constructed routines can unravel. As I sat in the dark, trying to conserve my phone's precious battery life, it struck me: this isn't too different from what product leaders face during major disruptions. Whether it's a critical team member leaving, a failed launch, or a sudden market shift, we often find ourselves "powerless" in situations we didn't plan for. As I reflect on these powerless days, several leadership lessons emerged that I'd like to share.
Lesson 1: Finding Power in Powerlessness
In his book "From Strength to Strength," Arthur Brooks writes, "Satisfaction comes not from chasing bigger and bigger things, but paying attention to smaller and smaller things." During those four days, this truth hit home. Without our usual digital distractions, my family discovered richness in simple moments – conversations by candlelight, board games, and genuine connection.
As product leaders, we're constantly pushing for speed, efficiency, and "always-on" availability. But what if we're missing opportunities by not deliberately creating space for slowdown? What if our teams need occasional "power outages" from the constant barrage of Slack messages, JIRA tickets, and emergency meetings?
My charging setup the one day I went to an office with power
Lesson 2: Preserving What Matters
The spoiled food in our fridge taught me an expensive but valuable lesson about prioritization. Another insight from Brooks's book particularly resonated – this one a quote from Saint Josemaría Escrivá: "He has most who needs least. Don't create needs for yourself." When resources are limited (in our case, working refrigeration), you quickly learn what's truly essential. We saved the expensive meat but let the half-empty condiments go.
In product organizations, we often try to preserve everything – every feature, every initiative, every process. But just like that jar of three-year-old pickles in the back of your fridge, some things might be better left behind during times of constraint.
Mindful coloring time
Lesson 3: The Power of Reset
Looking back now, those four days feel almost surreal – similar to how many of us felt during the early pandemic lockdowns. They happened, but they also feel disconnected from our normal reality. Isn't this exactly how teams feel during major organizational changes or pivots? Everything feels strange and uncomfortable in the moment, but eventually, it becomes just another chapter in your team's story.
As product leaders, we often feel pressure to have all the answers, to keep the lights on no matter what. But sometimes, the best leadership happens when we embrace constraints and help our teams find opportunity in limitation.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go restock my fridge – though perhaps with a bit more intention this time.
Break a Pencil,
P.S. How does your team handle unexpected disruptions? I'd love to hear your stories and strategies.
P.P.S. If you enjoyed this, please share with others. Any and all referrals are always appreciated.
Content Recommendation
If you haven’t yet listened to the Acquired Podcast, you really should. Their tagline is “Learn the playbooks that built the world’s greatest companies…” and the level of research the two hosts do for each episode is just incredible. Most recently, I listened to their Microsoft Volume I episode. It’s a 4+ hour behemoth that starts at the very beginning and goes up to around 1995. Incredibly well done and truly fascinating. Highly recommended. You can get it wherever you get your podcasts or watch the YouTube link below.