This is the version of my talk, "Be A Great Product Leader," that I gave at Carvana HQ in Phoenix, AZ on March 7, 2018.

1. Adam Nash
@adamnash
Be A Great Product Leader
Carvana
March 7, 2018

2. Product Leadership
“Fate rarely calls upon us at a
moment of our choosing”

3. World Class Product
This all started with a conversation I had with Reid Hoffman in 2007.
Most people start or join new companies because they think “we can
do it better this time”. They come to build a company.
These are the top ten lessons I’ve personally gained over the past two
decades about product management for modern consumer software.

4. What do Product Managers Do?
Strategy
What game are we playing & how do we keep score?
Prioritization
What are the steps from here to there, and in what order?
Execution
For this phase, what has to get done and are we on track?
1

5. Product: Results Matter
Product managers “win games”
The role itself gives limited authority. Like a new coach, the team will let you
define the plays initially. But in the end, you have to show the team wins.
Product leaders don’t play the game, but they are judged by their products.
They cover any gaps. No excuses.
Responsibility, often without authority
2

6. Prioritization: Three Buckets
Metrics Movers
These pay the bills. In the end, software that doesn’t justify itself will lose
the ability to fund itself.
Customer Requests
If you don’t listen to customers, they will lose faith and eventually hate you.
Delight
If you don’t delight customers, you won’t inspire passion and loyalty in
your users.
3

7. It’s About the Whole Product
Can’t we find features that have all three? No.
Metrics movers are rarely requested or delightful.
Customer requests rarely move your metrics or delight people.
Delight features rarely move your metrics, and by definition, are not
requested.
Great products, however, combine all three.
4

8. Understanding Virality
Key Insight from 2008 @ LinkedIn
Key measure used by applications on social platforms.
Two questions: what features let members touch non-members? How does a
new customer today lead to a new customer tomorrow?
At the heart of virality is an exponential based on branching factor and time.
In an m^n equation, m is the branching factor, n is the cycles in a time period.
Rabbits make lots of rabbits not because of big litters, but because they
breed frequently. “n” matters more than “m”.
5

9. Find the Heat
There are two ways to boost engagement: lower friction or increasing desire
Software teams love to focus on the first, and rarely dive into the second.
Exceptional experiences depend on capturing the real nuances of human interaction.
Heat is a placeholder term for emotions that drive action, both positive and negative.
Emotion. Passion. Desire.
What strong emotions drive the actions in your products?
Look for “Magic Moments”
6

10. Simple is Hard
It’s true in design, metrics, prioritization, and strategy
We all fear the fate of Microsoft Office
What’s the one thing you want the user to do?
What’s the job your customers are hiring you to do?
The great gift of mobile-first design
7

11. Einstein’s Razor 8
Make things as simple as possible, but not simpler.

12. Know Your Superpower
Software is a team sport
Each function brings something critical & deserves respect
Every function has a superpower when it comes to decisions
Product - the power to frame the discussion w/ strategy & metrics
Design - the power of visualization of possible choices
Engineering - the power to show what is possible
These powers require hard work & specialization
9

13. Final Thoughts
We can be our own harshest critics.
Products are never done.
We are always learning, and our customers are always changing.
Behavior matters. Values matter.
Be a Great Product Leader
10

14. Thank you
“There’s a thin line between being
a hero and being a memory.”