Are You Doing Product Management or Bullshit Management?
summary
Argues that endless meetings and bloated backlogs create “bullshit management” and offers concrete fixes: delete excess meetings (flags at >15/20/30 hours), purge a 1,762‑item backlog, and stop measuring output (48 story points meant promotion, not value). Uses lean backlog management with a trash bin and treats backlog items like milk not wine (short shelf life). Prescribes a mindful Discovery Journey: set goal + guardrail metrics, identify value drivers, run small bets, build to learn then scale, and decide by evidence not opinion.
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chapters (12)
- 0:00Introduction to bullshit
- 1:33Theory versus reality
- 3:10The promised land vs reality
- 6:34Defining bullshit management
- 8:41Trap 1: The extensive backlog
- 12:20Trap 2: Calendar-driven work
- 14:45Trap 3: Fear of saying no
- 16:42Product management fundamentals
- 19:11The mindful discovery journey
- 22:44Value-driven product delivery
- 26:10Choosing to be the hero
- 28:41Q&A and conclusion
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