When taking notes, add “this is interesting because…” and fill in the blanks.

This simple addition changes your random highlights into personally and relatable pieces of nuggets.

The only way to scale your company in a sustainable way is through leaders*.

Processes alone are an easy path that almost never scales without hiccups and endless debate on which path a certain decision should take.

*) with leaders I almost never mean managers. Managers can be leaders but so could also developers, designers, sales, business i.e. anyone.

When there is higher ambiguity, more importance is placed on processes.

Ambiguity in goals, priorities, or vision from leadership often reflects a systemic issue, forcing processes to emerge from the bottom up as a way to compensate for the lack of clear direction.

Good process serves you so you can serve customers. But if you’re not watchful, the process can become the thing. This can happen very easily in large organizations. - Jeff Bezos

Empowering people isn’t about making them happy; it’s about trusting them to make better decisions than you.

Why not do the minimum effort now and expand later?

Lower the bar.

Get the MVP, draft, or idea out.

Being a leader, you might unintentionally hinder fast growth and change if you’re involved in too many discussions and decisions. Reluctance to delegate often comes from a fear of losing control. Instead of worrying about what you’re missing, focus on your role in the delegation process. Delegation isn’t rigid or black-and-white; here are seven flexible ways to approach it.

• Delegate: Others take decisions that you don’t even want to know about.
• Inquire: Others decide, but you can ask for more information if you want.
• Advise: You give advice, hoping others will listen, but the decision is theirs.
• Agree: You and others discuss and come to an agreement on what to do.
• Consult: You ask for input from others and consider their arguments when making your decision.
• Sell: You’ve made your decision, but you put effort into selling your idea to others to get them onboard.
• Tell: You make the decision with no delegation at all.

When delegating: Instead of thinking how you’ll miss out. Think about how you want to be involved.

Remember the mobile-first revolution? It changed how we design websites by focusing on essential features. Now, it’s time for a similar shift in data collection and analytics.

From Desktop Kings to Mobile Natives

Once, desktop users ruled the web. Websites were feature-packed playgrounds. Mobile users got the short end of the stick with stripped-down “m.” versions. Then the mobile-first revolution hit. It prioritized mobile users and essential features, leaving the extras for desktop.

The Post-GDPR Wake-Up Call

Today, data privacy laws like GDPR, CCPA and ePR have changed the game. We can’t hoard user data anymore. This new landscape calls for a “data-minimalist” approach. Collect only what’s necessary. Treat additional data as a luxury, collected only with user consent.

Transactional Anonymity: The New Standard

Tracking users from start to finish is over. Regulations demand a level of transactional anonymity. It’s like walking into a store. You browse, choose, and buy. No prying eyes. Only essential data points, maybe some context if the customer opts in.

The Re-Rise of UX and Qualitative Research

In a world of limited data, we need to put User Experience and qualitative research in the spotlight again. UX isn’t a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have. It’s about understanding user needs and behaviors with the data we can ethically collect. Qualitative research adds the human touch that numbers alone can’t capture.

AI’s Role in Limited Data

AI comes into the picture here. It can analyze limited data sets and extract meaningful insights. Combine that with UX findings, and you get a complete view of what users really want and need.

It’s not just about less; it’s about better

The mobile-first revolution taught us to focus on essentials. Now, let’s apply that to data collection. As we adapt to new privacy norms, UX and qualitative research will become crucial. They’ll work alongside AI to help us create ethical, transparent, and user-friendly platforms. It’s not just about less; it’s about better.

We’ve all heard it: “Data is the new gold.” It’s a catchy phrase that highlights how valuable data has become. It highlights the immense value that data brings to businesses. But is ‘gold’ the best metaphor to describe the vast, dynamic potential of data? Let’s think about this a bit differently.

The Gold Standard

Gold is shiny, valuable, and always in demand. Much like data, right? But there’s a catch. Gold just sits there. It doesn’t grow or change. Data, on the other hand, has the potential to transform our businesses in amazing ways and this is where the gold analogy may fall short.

Seeds of Potential

Imagine that we shift our perspective and compare data to seeds. Under the right conditions a seed can grow into a tall tree that bears fruits for years. Data holds a similar dynamic potential. A potential that can only be realized with the right nurturing.

Cultivating Insights

Just as a seed needs soil, water and sun, our data needs tools, the right people and timely action. If we don’t use or analyze our data, it’s like letting seeds go unplanted.

Quality is Key

Farmers know the importance of starting with high-quality seeds. Similar to data, garbage in means garbage out. If we start with unreliable data, our results won’t be trustworthy.

Diverse Data, Diverse Outcomes

There are countless types of seeds, and each one grows a different plant. Similarly, each type of data tells its own unique story. By understanding what each set of data can offer, we can make the most of it.

Embracing the Seed Mindset

Thinking of data as seeds gives a forward-looking view. It emphasizes nurturing, growth and realizing potential rather than mere storage. It’s a call to action: to not let our data sit idle but to cultivate it, nurture it and watch it flourish into strategies and insights.

Organizing information has always been an evolving challenge. From our early days in school categorizing subjects, to our adult lives where we’re flooded with digital content, finding the best way to store and access this information is paramount.
The productivity expert, Tiago Forté, introduced The PARA Method in his “Building a Second Brain”-workshops and book. Now he has released a book addressing this specific area.

Understanding PARA

PARA stands for:

• Projects: These are the active outcomes you’re committed to achieving within a specific timeframe. It could be work tasks, personal hobbies, or side gigs. Unlike the broad categorization many of us have been conditioned to in school such as Math and History, these are specific outputs you’re currently involved in.
• Areas: Denoting ongoing responsibilities, these are domains where you aim to maintain a certain standard. Professionally, it could be evolving as a leader or learning new skills. Personally, it might involve health, hobbies, or your child’s school notes.
• Resources: This is your trove of ongoing interests. Whether it’s recipes, inspirational quotes, Pinterest boards, or subjects you’re researching out of sheer curiosity, these are not necessarily tied to any active project or responsibility but might be useful in the future.
• Archives: Your backup storage. Completed projects, past responsibilities, and even resources that no longer hold relevance find a place here. They’re like memories – not immediately useful but worth retaining for occasional reference.

The Dynamics of PARA

This method calls for a transition from broad subjects to an outcome-focused organization. Projects demand immediate attention; Areas require periodic oversight; Resources are a goldmine for future projects; and Archives are your treasure chest of past experiences.

When adopting PARA, ensure the system remains fluid. Just like a stagnant pond loses its charm, your PARA system will decline in utility if not periodically refreshed.

Easy Steps to Set Up PARA

Set up a consistent structure across all your systems or apps where you store files.

1. Set Up Basic Folders: Begin with these five main folders:
   • 0. Inbox
   • 1. Projects
   • 2. Areas
   • 3. Resources
   • 4. Archives
2. Clear Current Clutter: If you already have a lot of files, place them in a new folder in Archives with today’s date. Think of this as starting fresh, and you can do this anytime you feel overwhelmed.
3. Organize Your Projects: Name your folders clearly with the goal and deadline, like: “Q1 Roadmap - Due 2023-12-01”.
4. Don’t worry about filling the Areas and Resources folders yet.

That’s the basic setup! Now, just save all new items in the Inbox.

Weekly Clean-Up

Every week, spend about five minutes to:

• Rename items in your Inbox.
• Move these items to the right PARA folders, prioritizing the most urgent ones. If a suitable folder doesn’t exist, create one.
• Review and update ongoing projects.
• Finished with a project or no longer overseeing an area? Move it to Archives. But if it contains actionable items relevant to other projects, transfer them there instead of archiving.

A Paradigm Shift

The PARA Method is more than just an organizational tool; it’s a mindset shift. It encourages proactive organization, balancing between immediate tasks and future possibilities. By leveraging PARA, you’re not only ensuring easy access to information but also enhancing your productivity and fostering a structured, yet flexible, mindset. Whether you’re planning your next big venture or penning down personal reflections, PARA ensures your ideas and information are always within easy reach.

The world of product management and organizational alignment has found its melody in Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). They’re designed to be our guiding score, ensuring every department and individual plays in tune with the company’s vision. Yet, as with any musical composition, there can be missteps or discordant notes. The key is recognizing these and adjusting for a harmony.

Using OKRs should be reminiscent of orchestrating a symphony. Each element, whether it’s an instrument or a goal, plays a part in creating a unified, captivating performance.

Too Many OKRs

One, if not the most, important part of OKRs is to focus on what truly matters. If every department or team has its own objective, you are diluting the overarching company vision.

Imagine an orchestra where each section plays its distinct solo simultaneously. An overflow of objectives risks discord instead of harmony.

Way Too Many OKRs

Going deeper, if each member charts their own course, the essence of collaboration and alignment is lost. OKRs should unify, not segregate and create isolated islands of individual goals.

It’s comparable to each musician playing their own tune. The outcome? A confusing mishmash of sounds.

You Have Zero Cross Company OKRs

It’s a misstep to think only in departmental silos. Cross-functional OKRs ensure that teams collaborate and break down walls. They push for a unity that’s essential for the larger vision and ensure that the organization’s various parts move cohesively.

If the woodwind section ignored the strings, the result would be disjointed. Collaboration across all teams is essential for a full, rich sound.

No Alignment During Planning

If all musicians only knew the finale, like reaching a C#, and then individually navigating there. Then set off to work towards that end note in whatever tempo and rhythm pattern they felt like. The performance would be erratic. Similarly, alignment discussions during the planning phase are crucial to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Too Late Alignment

What if alignment occurred mid-performance? Each section would be on its own journey, but to reach that climactic crescendo, they’d need to synchronize both in tempo and their position within the piece. Alignment should be foundational, not an afterthought.

The OKRs are Cascading

Envision a symphony dwindling from a full ensemble to solo drums. The music loses its essence. Similarly, in OKRs, the cascading model, where objectives trickle down layer by layer, risks distorting the primary goal. Instead, OKRs should be co-crafted, engaging every tier from the beginning.

Time to fine-tune your OKRs

In essence, the value of OKRs, much like a symphony, lies in alignment, cooperation, and clarity. They are the guiding script for an organizational magnum opus. If your organizational tune feels amiss, perhaps it’s time to fine-tune your OKRs.