It's easy to be overwhelmed by the number of responsibilities that a Product Manager has. You want to shine and show that you deserve the trust that the company placed on you. But first, preparation is key. Which is why in this session we will be diving deeper into the skills that will help you get ahead in the competitive PM space.

1. www.productschool.com
Remote Product Management
by DocuSign Lead PM

2. CERTIFICATES
Your Product Management Certificate Path
Product Leadership
Certificate™
Full Stack Product
Management Certificate™
Product Management
Certificate™
20 HOURS40 HOURS40 HOURS

3. Corporate
Training
Level up your team’s Product
Management skills

4. Free Product Management Resources
BOOKS
EVENTS
JOB PORTAL
COMMUNITIES
bit.ly/product_resources
COURSES

6. 10 Curated Tips for a
Remote Product Manager
Michael Fountain
Lead Product - Incubations
DocuSign

7. About
Michael Fountain
Lead Product - Incubations
DocuSign
DocuSign.com - Lead Product
HQ in SF. Office in Seattle.
Onboarded 100% remote during COVID.
2020
Apptentive.com - Head of Product
HQ in Seattle. Office in Kiev.
Managed local and remote PM teams.
2018-2020
Tucows.com - Director of Product
HQ in Toronto, CA. Office in Seattle.
Managed local and remote PM teams.
2015-2018

8. Challenges of being a
Remote Product Manager

9. Isolation
It’s hard to feel included
and part of the mission.
Symptoms to watch for...
● Lack of trust
● Increasing loneliness
● Loss of motivation

10. Communication
Lack of physical cues
and in-person interactions
weaken communication.
Symptoms to watch for...
● Misalignment
● Confusion
● Buried in threads

11. Technology
Team-wide and personal
technology choices matter.
Symptoms to watch for...
● Wasting time
● Redundancy
● Looking unprofessional

12. Prioritize YOUR TIME
to do YOUR BEST WORK
(when YOU are remote)
3 tips for YOU

13. 1
Plan your week
... or get to the end and feel like you didn’t finish anything
3 tips for YOU

14. Review
Key Projects
What projects are in-flight?
Ask yourself…
● Next steps?
● Waiting for input?
● Next on deck?

15. Review
Key Meetings
Which meetings need prep?
Know who, what, & when…
● 1:1’s
● Team meetings
● Sprint meetings
● Project meetings

16. ONE Thing
What’s my focus this week?
“What’s the one thing
you can do this week
that will make everything
else easier?”
The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results
By: Gary Keller, Jay Papasan

18. 2
Track your progress
... or [insert bad juju here] when you miss your deadlines, again
3 tips for YOU

20. 3
Schedule your time
... or others will steal it from you
3 tips for YOU

21. Daily Routine
Add ALL ROUTINES
to your work calendar!
Examples…
● AM Commute Workout
● Lunch Family Lunch
● PM Commute Offline

22. IC Time
Schedule time for you
you are most productive!
Benefits…
● Get that one thing done
● IC time is blocked
● Time for meeting prep

23. Coffee w/ Product
Dedicate office hours
for your team!
Benefits…
● Safe place to interrupt
● Safe place to check-in
● Safe place to say hi

24. Prioritize COLLABORATION
so the RIGHT WORK gets done
(when ANYONE is remote)
3 tips for YOUR TEAM

25. 1
Define team norms
3 tips for YOUR TEAM

26. This is
how we work
Define with your team
for your team.
● Sprint ceremonies
● Team meetings
● Check-in expectations
● Safe place for feedback
● Slack vs email
● RACI roles

27. 2
Adopt virtual whiteboards
3 tips for YOUR TEAM

28. Visual
Brainstorming
The whiteboard is dead!
Long live the whiteboard!
● Collab on research
● Collab on concepts
● Collab on planning
JAMBOARD MIRO MURAL

29. 3
Show your work
3 tips for YOUR TEAM

30. Shared docs
Shared drives
Define a naming convention
and directory hierarchy!
● Record of conversations
● Record of decisions
● Record of meetings

31. Please make your remote
meetings SUCK LESS
(when ANYONE is remote, especially CUSTOMERS)
4 tips for YOUR COLLEAGUES

32. 1
“Do we really need this meeting?”
... says everyone invited
4 tips for YOUR COLLEAGUES

33. A one hour meeting with 10
people is a 10-hour meeting

34. Remote
Meetings 101
Shorter is better.
Less is more.
Before...
● Agenda w/ clear objective
During...
● Short intro & who’s who
● Note taker & time keeper
● Next steps w/ who & due
After…
● Follow-up with notes &
actions

35. 2
“Can you hear me now?”
… says at least one person in the meeting
4 tips for YOUR COLLEAGUES

36. Mic check 1-2-3
Yes, there is big difference!
Ok quality...
● Built-in mic
Better quality...
● Wired EarPods ~$29
● Wireless AirPods ~$159
Best quality...
● Wireless Headset ~$300+

37. 3
“What are you trying to hide?”
… says everyone who can’t see you on a video call
4 tips for YOUR COLLEAGUES

38. Green Screen
Level-up
Yes, there is big difference!
Free...
● Natural background (your
room)
Portable...
● Webaround Collapsible
Background ~$75
Semi-portable...
● Chromakey Backdrop ~$41

39. 4
“Hmm, I think you froze again.”
… says everyone who
4 tips for YOUR COLLEAGUES

40. $63
Speed Hack
WiFi is variable.
Hard-wired is guaranteed.
All you need...
● Ethernet Switch ~$18
● Ethernet Cable ~$10
● Ethernet Adapter ~$35

41. Recap

42. 1. Plan your week
2. Track your progress
3. Schedule your time
Prioritize YOUR TIME
to do YOUR BEST WORK
3 tips for YOU

43. 1. Define team norms
2. Adopt virtual whiteboards
3. Show your work
Prioritize COLLABORATION
so the RIGHT WORK gets done
3 tips for YOUR TEAM

44. 1. Do we really need this meeting?
2. Can you hear me now?
3. What are you trying to hide?
4. Hmm, I think you froze again.
Please make your remote
meetings SUCK LESS
4 tips for YOUR COLLEAGUES

45. Final thought....
When in doubt,
assume positive intent.

46. THANK YOU
Let’s connect;
https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelfountain/
Michael Fountain
Lead Product - Incubations
DocuSign

47. www.productschool.com
Part-time Product Management Training Courses
and
Corporate Training