Saif Khan

👋 Hey product hiring managers! You may have noticed dozens of people now with a new certificate from the Alberta Product Leadership Program. If you manage or are prospectively seeking a new PM to join your team, you should know that: 1) The program is selective. You can't just sign-up. Since it's inception, the program has sought to upskill professionals that have shown their motivation for growth and desire to hone their product management craft. 2) The graduates get broader exposure to practices and industries beyond their resume. Our sessions are interactive and facilitate sharing of perspectives and ways of working across multiple organizations - from grassroots startups to FAANG giants. 3) There's more to it than training. During the course of the program, many participants gain mentorship, build a supportive peer group, and get out of their comfort zone. The program is refreshed every year by hiring managers just like you to optimize for the skills we need to hire and promote for. So if you see the APL certificate with a candidate profile, know that candidate choose to do more than your average course. #abtech #yyctech #yegtech #productmanagement

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🚀 Tech Co-Founder Role Open at Find Me X NOTE - MUST BE A HANDS-ON LEADER Are you ready to step into a role where your tech skills directly shape the future of business innovation? I’m Amilcar, co-founder of Find Me X. With 23 years of hands-on experience under my belt, I’m still at the forefront, blending leadership with direct action—and I'm on the hunt for a dynamic counterpart to join me on an exhilarating journey to transform how we monetize on information. What We Ponder?  If google and the internet gave us access to information and GPT provided us with the ability to interact with information, can Find Me X help businesses “monetize” on information leveraging tech and fractional executives to avoid hallucinations? For the past four years, I’ve steered the ship through every storm, handling everything from idea to Series A revenue targets 100% bootstrapped. We’ve built a solid foundation with a proven business model that’s ripe for productization. Now, it’s time to scale our vision with someone who can bring our technical strategy to life! What's in It for You? + Lead & Innovate: You won’t just join a business; you'll shape its future. Directly influence product development and strategy from the ground up. + Ownership & Growth: This isn't just a job; it's a partnership. Receive significant equity and grow with the company as we expand our reach and impact. + Tech at the Forefront: Dive into cutting-edge AI technology that’s reshaping industries. Innovate and deploy solutions that make a real difference. + Dynamic Environment: Thrive in a startup culture that values agility, creativity, and rapid innovation. Every day brings new challenges and opportunities to excel. Just as I have maintained a hands-on approach while leading through decades of change, we expect the same level of commitment and capability from you. We need a Tech Co-founder who’s not only experienced but ready to stay deeply involved in both strategy and execution, driving our growth with both expertise and passion. 👀 Curious? Intrigued? There’s so much more to this story, and I believe you might just be the hero we need. Visit https://lnkd.in/efQSjq6n for more details about this game-changing opportunity. Apply > info@findmex.co Let’s explore how you can fit into the future of Find Me X! #cofounder #engineer #softwareengineer #hacker #fullstack #code #product #ai #genai #developer #programming #startups

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If you know any hiring manager or any headhunter who is hiring in the product management space please tag him/her here or drop his/her email. Also if you know if a particular team in your company is hiring, request you to share the info. Nobody clearly says this but plain referral is probably dead. It can benefit a lot of people. Jaankari sab ke paas kuch na kuch hote hai but deta koi nahi 😁 Earn some good karma by sharing your 'insider info'. 😊 #product #hiring #interviews #productmanagement #productmanager #productmanagers

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Being a product manager is like having a sixth sense called 'product sense'—we can sniff out user needs from miles away! 🔮✨ Who needs a crystal ball when you've got a roadmap? 😄 #ProductSense #ProductManagement #opentowork

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🌟 Book Review Alert! 🌟 "Cracking the PM Interview" by Gayle Laakmann McDowell and Jackie Luo is a must-read for aspiring Product Managers. Learn PM fundamentals, resume tips, and interview strategies to ace your next PM role! 🔍 Highlights: Understand PM roles Craft standout resumes Master interview questions Follow Prodman - IIM Sirmaur for more book reviews. #ProductManagement #CareerGrowth #BookReview

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Question to product ops people (I'm looking at you May Wong Graham Reed ) Something I rarely see spoken about as a responsibility of product ops is hiring PMs. I feel like your product ops people understand what makes a good PM, especially in the specific context of your company, as well if not better than anyone. If the role of product ops is to make your product org a slick well oiled machine then adding the right people feels like it should fit squarely within that wheelhouse and is one of the highest leverage activities that can be done. I'm not suggesting that they should own the whole process end to end but it feels to me as though it's a place where they could add a lot of value.

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⚡ Key learnings after completing 30 days in Product Operations ⚡ ✅ 100% of my focus is process-related vs less than 20% when I was a Product Management Leader 📈 ✅ While my focus is on processes, I can't work in isolation. - - The people are part of any process - - Their roles and departmental needs need to be considered - - In a growing organization approaching 700 employees, finding and getting to know all the right stakeholders takes time but is so important to achieving success together. 🙌 ✅ It is important that Product Ops report directly to the CPO for buy-in and support in implementing cross-functional changes. 📣 ✅ Leaders will take the time to share their departmental processes and areas for improvement if they understand you are there to help. 🆘 ✅ Learning the organization's nomenclature and uniting on terminology makes getting the "buy-in" much easier to achieve. 🔖 Are you thinking about Product Operations as your next stepping stone? 🤔 Do you have insight and advice to share? 💡

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Mistakes that I make as a #ProductManagement mentor/ leader Mistake 4: Focussing to mentor only on the hard skills- problem structuring, product discovery and prioritisation. And not mentoring on the soft skills like relationship building, proactive communication and messaging for different stakeholders to build trust and credibility in the system.

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ChatGPT as a Companion to PM Interviews and Real-Work I was going to start writing about Product Sense after covering market sizing and guesstimates in the last few posts. But analytical seems like a topic that’s a natural extension of market sizing and guesstimates. Analytical skills aren’t just important for PMs. They are also quite important in adjacent roles — business or product analyst, data scientists, consulting, program management, etc. Every one of these people have to work with data to figure out insights. But the burden of using data to create insights, and translating that insight into the impact lies with product teams. To do that, product team needs to have a deeper understanding of: 1) Defining the metrics : Product dashboards, and defining various levels of metrics in the dashboards; NSMs (north star metrics); Success metrics for a product launch, and guardrail metrics 2) Merging user research and data merge to create powerful insights 3) Root cause analysis of a problem using data, like a metric going down (or up) 4) Creating a plan to move a metric The above skills are in the increasing order of complexity. For example, item #4 (moving a metric) is something that is the hardest to do among all the others. While PMs require all the skills listed above on the job, when it comes to the interviews, it’s hard to display #2 (merging research and data to create insights). So those questions don’t appear in the interviews. Further, the type of skill tested also changes with levels. At an APM/PM level, you would get more questions around defining metrics (success metrics, NSM, dashboards) and RCA, whereas at an SPM/GPM level, you start getting problems of creating a product strategy to move a metric. We are going to cover these items in the next set of essays. But one of the more interesting things that has happened in the past 1.5 years is large language models (LLMs). And one of the notions I had around analytics is — Analytics is also lot more structured and objective than product sense or strategy interviews, the response of LLMs might be pretty effective here just as it happens in coding. In other words, can we start using these LLMs as a product companion when it comes to analytics? Since ChatGPT is available at your service 24x7, it’s an amazing companion to have. If the answer to the first question is yes, to what extent should we be using them? Should we using them for Interview Prep or Real-work or both? If all these questions excite you, do give a read to today's edition of the newsletter - https://lnkd.in/gd36NcrN

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Transitioning into roles like #ProductManagement or #ProductMarketing is quite accessible for young professionals. Once you're in and managing a few products, you start learning from both your successes and mistakes. Becoming a proficient Product Marketing Manager (PMM) involves continuously learning from our customers every day, by asking the right questions: - How can I effectively reach my target audience? - How do I differentiate my product in the market? - How can I increase awareness of my product? Moving from being a good PMM to a better one is more challenging, requiring simpler questions: - Why isn't my target audience aware of my product? - Why isn't our positioning resonating with consumers? - Why do potential customers struggle to find our product? - Why do we see a drop-off in interest and engagement during the sales funnel? - Why do customers find it hard to stay committed to our product long-term? While these may seem manageable in theory, the shift from #HOW to #WHY is where the real progress happens. However, this shift depends on the culture and structure of your team or organization. Simplifying this mindset shift can be complex and challenging to implement across different levels of hierarchy. Nevertheless, as we progress, we continue to learn and adapt. #productmanagement #fridaythoughts #productmindset

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🌟 This is all you need to write the Perfect PRD. The mistake I have seen many Product managers including myself do is in order to move with velocity we jump hops to solution which often leads to low grade solutions. As Anuj Rathi said that, "You have to diverge before you converge" That take room where you dive deep into problems and understand it fully however I don't blame you as we are bombarded by other stakeholders to deliver fast. The following is my go to Mantra which I try to follow. 1. Understand the problem fully 2. Collect evidences of the scale 3. Who is the user of this problem or this is just an internal request 4. Validate with your users 5. Go into an idea space 6. Effort and Impact Analysis 7. Talk with everyone and take their inputs 8. Then give a timeline - I often make mistake on these 9. Co-Work and think end to end for launch 10. LAUNCH and Monitor!! That's it, but it's not that easy. It is scrappy, messy and confusing at the same time. Having a structure is very important. I follow a particular PRD template which helps we be on a path. 👉 Comment "PRD" and I'll share the template with you with an example. Keep building!! #productmanagement #product #productmanagers

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🔹 Exploring the Diverse Personas of a Product Manager 🔹 The role of a product manager is multifaceted, encompassing a variety of skills and responsibilities. Here are some key personas that product managers embody to drive success and innovation: 🛠️ The Trouble Shooter Role: Sorts out broken problems, resolves customer issues, and fixes broken processes. Impact: Ensures smooth operations and enhances customer satisfaction by tackling challenges head-on. 🤝 The Expert Collaborator Role: Seamlessly works across teams, fostering collaboration and alignment. Impact: Drives cohesive teamwork, ensuring that all stakeholders are on the same page. 📢 The Product Advocate Role: Champions the product vision and communicates its value internally and externally. Impact: Builds strong support for the product, ensuring alignment with the company's mission and customer needs. 📊 The Owner of Numbers Role: Analyzes key metrics and KPIs to inform decision-making. Impact: Uses data-driven insights to guide the product strategy and measure success. 🌍 The Voice of the Market Role: Understands market trends, customer needs, and competitive landscape. Impact: Ensures the product remains relevant and competitive in the market. 🎓 The Subject Matter Expert Role: Possesses deep knowledge of the product and its industry. Impact: Provides valuable insights and guidance based on expertise. 🗂️ The Reliable Project Manager Role: Manages timelines, resources, and deliverables. Impact: Ensures projects are completed on time and within scope. 💡 The Customer Experience Guru Role: Focuses on enhancing the end-to-end customer experience. Impact: Drives customer satisfaction and loyalty through exceptional product experiences. 🧑‍🏫 The Master Facilitator Role: Leads productive meetings and workshops, driving collaboration and ideation. Impact: Ensures effective communication and decision-making. 🔍 The Big Data Analyst Role: Leverages data analytics to uncover trends and insights. Impact: Informs strategic decisions with robust data analysis. 🎨 The Creator Role: Innovates and ideates to develop new features and products. Impact: Drives product innovation and continuous improvement. ⚖️ The Expert Compromiser Role: Balances competing priorities and negotiates trade-offs. Impact: Ensures optimal outcomes by managing stakeholder expectations. As product managers, we wear many hats to ensure the success of our products and the satisfaction of our customers. Which persona resonates most with your role? Let’s discuss! 👇 #ProductManagement #ProductManager #Leadership #Innovation #CustomerExperience #DataDriven #Collaboration #MarketTrends #ProjectManagement #Innovation #CustomerSatisfaction

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If you are happy and you know it you are not a Product Manager! If you are happy and you know it you are not a Product Manager!! If you are happy and miserable and you really want to show If you are happy and miserable then you are a full stack Product Manager!😀 Cheers to all the PM’s and the ones in making. Be at it and may the forces be with all you folks!! Inspired from the nursery rhymes 😀 Book an appointment to connect with me and know more. 😀 #Productmanagers #proud #productmindset

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A lot of product managers I work with go through a recurring cycle of burnout regularly. It looks something like this: 1. Think they have space to do work the way they want - usually focus on outcomes or experimentation. 2. Put a TON of work into getting ready to kick that stuff off. 3. Kick-off (woo) 4. Get intense resistance from some group (engineers, stakeholders, your manager, highly visible customers, partners, etc.) 5. Go back and forth with that group a whole bunch of times. (Insert toxic if unintentional behavior here) 6. get exhausted... burnout... 7. repair... take a leave... significantly lower contributions for months... feel disenchanted with your career path, question your ability to help companies and people 8. repeat... 😩 There are ways to break this cycle. I'd love to hear from people how they've broken it. I'd love to help people in our community break it. Who's got stories to share?

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 Some great thoughts here by Apoorva Mishra. Particularly the point on frameworks being “supplements, not substitutes"... Worth a quick look for anyone in product development!

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Leadership doesn't necessarily means people management. It simply means to lead the group to a specific goal. Product Managers aren't necessarily people managers. They can be individual contributors but still leading the product team towards the business or product goal. Agree 👍 / Disagree 👎 ? #productmanagement #productmanager #aspiringproductmanagers #leadership ~~ If you found this post helpful, repost ♻️ this and follow me 👉 Nitish Rana for daily content at 𝟭𝟭 𝗔𝗠 & 𝟱:𝟯𝟬 𝗣𝗠 𝗜𝗦𝗧. You should also subscribe to my Newsletter 👉 The Product Leap if you are deciding to move into product role or have just moved.

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