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Articles


Why I Hate User Stories (And You Should Too)
Customers Don’t Actually Know What They Want. One of the most important lessons in product management is this: customers don’t actually know their true problems—or the ideal solution. That’s your job. Your job is to discover the problem, not just write down what someone asked for.

Steve Johnson
4 min read


Don’t Skip the Retro—Your Product Quad Has Work to Do
Most launch retrospectives are either skipped or sanitized into team therapy. But if you’re working with a Product Quad—product manager, engineering lead, UX designer, and product marketing manager—you’re sitting on a goldmine of insight.

Steve Johnson
2 min read


When Everyone’s Right: Prioritization with the Product Quad
Product prioritization isn’t hard because people disagree—it’s hard because everyone’s right. The Product Quad—product manager, tech lead, UX designer, and product marketing manager—each brings a valid, but partial, view of the work.

Steve Johnson
3 min read


Release and Launch Planning with the Quad
Product teams often rely on an outdated checklist, a set of Jira tickets or user stories, a countdown to a ship date, and a long list of promotional deliverables. But that approach fails to deliver the expected results.

Steve Johnson
5 min read


Elegance is a Product Decision
Elegance is too often treated as optional in product management—something nice to have if there’s time or budget. But for products that live in customers' daily lives, elegance isn’t a luxury. It’s part of the why that draws people in and keeps them loyal.

Steve Johnson
4 min read


Market Sizing That Doesn’t Suck: Ditch TAM/SAM/SOM for Something Useful
Tired of the TAM/SAM/SOM theater? Explore two practical, persona-first alternatives to market sizing that go beyond inflated top-down estimates.

Steve Johnson
4 min read


Defining Your Product Vision: The Foundation for Strategy, Roadmaps, and Success
A well-defined product vision is the cornerstone of successful product management. It’s what separates products that merely ship features from those that create meaningful impact. Yet, despite its importance, product vision is often misunderstood or overlooked, leaving teams without a clear sense of purpose or direction.

Steve Johnson
5 min read
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