Main Takeaways: - Essentialism: Why Less is Better - Non-essentialist patterns of product managers - The mindset of an essentialist product manager - Habits for claiming back your time

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The Essentialist Product Manager
by ProductPlan Co-Founder

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6. The Essentialist Product
Manager
How Product Managers can do
Less but Better
Jim Semick

7. About Me
Jim Semick
Co-founder & Chief Strategist
Taken several software products
from concept to successful
market launch.
Previously AppFolio,
GoToMeeting, GoToMyPC, and
GoToWebinar

8. Like most of us, doing 100 things at the same time

9. “Am I working on the right things?”
“How can I fit it all in?”

10. Essentialism

11. “Less but better.”

12. Credit: Essentialism The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown

13. The “Non-Essentialist”
Product Manager

14. The Non-Essentialist Product Manager
“It’s all-important.”
All things to all people. Struggles to fit it all in – all the meetings, feeling
responsible for everything. Expert with all the answers, and no decisions
can be made without their input.

15. The Non-Essentialist Product Manager
Focuses on MORE.
Undisciplined and reactive to customers and stakeholders. More features
to beat the competition. Feature factory.

16. The Non-Essentialist Product Manager
“Yes”
Says “Yes” without thinking first. Or says Yes to please. Forces execution at
the last minute.

17. The Non-Essentialist Product Manager
Feels out of control.
Ultimately feels overwhelmed and unsatisfied.
...How can we do better?

18. The Mindset of the
Essentialist Product
Manager

19. Create space for
thinking and
exploring.

20. Block out time on your calendar
Drop out of non-essential meetings
Make your work space inspiring
Creative practices - mindmaps, visual brainstorming
Movement + exercise daily
Mindfulness or other practices - attention to the moment
Creating space

21. Define your product’s
vision.*
*And yours while you’re at it.

22. Vision
What’s your product’s “why?”
Get executives in alignment with vision
Create a top-down strategic roadmap

23. Release fewer (but
better) features that
really matter.

24. Distinguish the vital few from the trivial many - prioritization
frameworks
More small wins, celebrate progress
More minimum viable product & delighter features
Eliminate the nonessential from your product backlog
Ensure stakeholders understand the tradeoffs
Features that matter

25. Pause.
Say “no, not yet.”

26. Customers and stakeholders are smart and have great ideas
Often it’s a question of when (not now)
Ensure they understand your reasoning and prioritization
Have empathy
You have a choice
Saying no

27. Benefits of Essentialism
Products (and a life) that matters
Make choices that help you do great work
Get the right things built
Experience ease and joy along the way

28. Thank You!
Jim Semick
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimsemick/

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