7+ years experience in product management projects in various industries (EdTech, HRTech, AgTech, AdTech). 5+ years as a (S)PM for B2B SaaS products. 4+ years working on B2C products. Experienced in leading cross-functional teams, transforming ideas into successful products.
My Mentoring Topics
- Product Management
- Product Strategy
- Product Vision
- Product Roadmapping
- Product development lifecycle
- Agile development
- Product discovery
- EdTech
- Startups and scale-ups
- 0 to 1
- Growth, retention and engagement
Laurens didn't receive any reviews yet.
You need to be logged in to schedule a session with this mentor. Please sign in here or create an account.
INSPIRED - How to Create Tech Products Customers Love
Marty Cagan
Key Insights from "INSPIRED: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love" Emphasizes that product management is a team sport, advocating for a cross-functional team approach. Illuminates the importance of discovering the right product to build before diving into the development. Reveals the role of product managers as the discoverers of the product, not simply project managers. Encourages adopting an outcome-based rather than output-based approach to product development. Highly recommends the application of prototyping and testing techniques to validate ideas before committing to full development. Asserts the necessity of continuous product discovery for sustainable success. Advises on how to establish a customer-centric culture in a tech organization. Reinforces the value of learning from product failures, not just successes. Insists on the importance of strong leadership in product management. Underlines the need for strategic alignment between the product team and the larger organization. Stresses on the significance of a shared product vision within the team. Deeper Analysis of the Book "INSPIRED: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love" by Marty Cagan, a Silicon Valley product management veteran, is a veritable guide for tech entrepreneurs, product managers, and those aspiring to create successful tech products. Starting with the assertion that product management is a team sport, Cagan underscores the necessity of collaboration among cross-functional teams. This aligns with the concept of Collective Ownership in Agile methodologies, where everyone in the team is responsible for the quality and success of the product. The book extensively discusses the role of product managers, distinguishing them from project managers. Cagan positions product managers as the discoverers of the product. This involves understanding customer needs, exploring market opportunities, and working closely with the product team to create a product that aligns with the business objectives and customer expectations. One of the notable principles that Cagan advocates for is an outcome-based approach over an output-based one. This shift in focus from simply delivering features to achieving desired outcomes is a core tenet of modern product management, emphasizing on value creation rather than just activity. In "INSPIRED", Cagan also emphasizes the importance of continuous product discovery. This is about constantly seeking to understand customers, experimenting with solutions, and validating ideas before committing to full-scale development. The principle resonates with the Lean Startup methodology, particularly the Build-Measure-Learn feedback loop. Prototyping and testing are other key aspects that Cagan discusses. He advises product teams to validate their ideas with low-fidelity prototypes, conduct usability tests, and gather feedback to refine the product. This aligns with the principle of Fail Fast, Fail Often in Agile, which encourages learning through quick experiments and iterations. An essential part of creating tech products that customers love, according to Cagan, is establishing a customer-centric culture. This involves prioritizing customer needs and feedback in the product development process, which is a fundamental principle of Human-Centered Design. Cagan also acknowledges that not all product initiatives will succeed. He encourages teams to learn from product failures and to leverage these learnings to improve future products. This resonates with the concept of a Learning Organization, where failure is seen as an opportunity for learning and growth. Underpinning all these principles, Cagan stresses the importance of strong leadership in product management. He insists that leaders should inspire, guide, and empower their teams to do their best work, which aligns with the concept of Servant Leadership in Agile. Lastly, Cagan highlights the need for strategic alignment and a shared product vision. This implies that all efforts of the product team should be directed towards achieving the strategic goals of the organization, and everyone on the team should understand and be committed to the product vision. In conclusion, "INSPIRED: How to Create Tech Products Customers Love" is a comprehensive guide that offers invaluable insights and practical advice on how to create successful tech products. It should be a must-read for anyone involved in product management, as it encapsulates the collective wisdom of one of the most experienced product managers in the tech industry.
ViewHooked - How to Build Habit-Forming Products
Nir Eyal
Key Facts and Insights from the Book The Hook Model: This is the central concept in the book, describing a four-step process that companies use to build customer habits: Trigger, Action, Variable Reward, and Investment. Triggers: These are cues that prompt the user into action. They can be external or internal, with internal triggers being more powerful as they are tied to emotions and thoughts. Action: This is the behavior performed in anticipation of a reward. The simpler the action, the more likely it is to occur. Variable Reward: The reward given after the action, which varies in nature to create a sense of unpredictability, thereby increasing user engagement. Investment: This is the user's contribution of time, data, effort, or money, which increases the likelihood of the user returning and repeating the cycle. Manipulation Matrix: This is a framework describing how products can be ethical or unethical based on whether they materially improve the user’s life and whether the maker would use the product. Habit testing: A process for identifying which elements of the Hook Model are working within a product and which are not. The role of frequency: The more frequently a user engages with a product, the more likely they are to form a habit around it. Behavioral design: The process of designing products to guide user behavior through the Hook Model. Importance of user psychology: Understanding user psychology is key to building habit-forming products. In-Depth Summary and Analysis "Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products" by Nir Eyal is a seminal work in the field of behavioral design and user engagement. The book provides a comprehensive guide for companies aiming to create products that are not just useful, but habit-forming. The central concept in the book is the Hook Model, a four-step process that companies use to build customer habits. This model involves a trigger, an action, a variable reward, and an investment. Triggers, acting as cues that prompt the user into action, are an essential first step in the Hook Model. They can be external, like notifications or emails, but the most powerful triggers are internal, tied to the user's emotions and thoughts. This concept aligns with numerous psychological theories, such as classical conditioning, where a conditioned stimulus triggers a conditioned response. The second step in the Hook Model is the Action. This is the behavior performed in anticipation of a reward. Eyal points out that the simpler the action is, the more likely it is to occur, corroborating Fogg's Behavior Model which posits that behavior happens when motivation, ability, and a trigger come together at the same time. The third step, Variable Reward, is perhaps the most intriguing. By varying the nature of the reward, companies can create a sense of unpredictability, thereby heightening user interest and engagement. This concept draws from B.F. Skinner’s operant conditioning theory, which found that variable rewards are more engaging than predictable ones. The final step, Investment, is the user's contribution of time, data, effort, or money. This step not only increases the likelihood of the user returning and repeating the cycle, but also aligns with the psychological concept of the sunk cost fallacy, where people continue a behavior due to the investment they've already made. Beyond the Hook Model, Eyal introduces the Manipulation Matrix – a tool to help makers understand where their product stands ethically. He argues that if a product materially improves the user’s life and the maker would use it themselves, it can be considered ethical. The book also discusses the importance of Habit Testing – a process for identifying which elements of the Hook Model are working within a product and which are not. This iterative approach aligns with the Lean Startup methodology of build-measure-learn. Eyal also emphasizes the role of frequency in habit formation. He argues that the more frequently a user engages with a product, the more likely they are to form a habit around it. This reflects the psychological concept of repetition and reinforcement in habit formation. Finally, Eyal delves into the realm of behavioral design – the process of designing products to guide user behavior through the Hook Model. At the core of this process is understanding user psychology, which is key to building habit-forming products. Here, Eyal echoes the sentiment of many behavioral economists and psychologists, emphasizing the need to understand cognitive biases and heuristics that influence user behavior. In conclusion, "Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products" provides valuable insights into the principles of behavioral design, user psychology, and ethical manipulation. It offers a robust framework for creating habit-forming products, making it an essential read for anyone involved in product development, marketing, and user experience design.
ViewThe Messy Middle - Finding Your Way Through the Hardest and Most Crucial Part of Any Bold Venture
Scott Belsky
Key Insights from "The Messy Middle" Embrace the middle: The middle phase of any venture is always the most challenging and crucial, yet it is often overlooked. This is the phase where most learning and growth happens. Endurance is key: Persistence and endurance are essential in navigating the messy middle. It is not the smartest or most talented who succeed, but those who endure. Optimize for long-term: Short-term gains often distract us from our long-term goals. It is important to always keep the long-term vision in sight. Embrace uncertainty: Uncertainty is an inherent part of any venture. Instead of fearing it, embrace it and learn to navigate it. Seek out feedback: Constant feedback is crucial for growth and improvement. Seek it actively and use it constructively. Empower your team: To succeed, you need a motivated and empowered team. Encourage autonomy and provide the necessary resources for your team to thrive. Iterate and improve: The path to success is not linear. It requires constant iteration and improvement. Learn from failure: Failure is not the end, but a stepping stone towards success. Learn from it and use it to propel you forward. Balance optimism and realism: While optimism keeps you motivated, realism keeps you grounded. A balance between the two is required for success. Focus on product: The product is the core of any venture. Constantly improve and innovate your product. Maintain a healthy work-life balance: Success should not come at the cost of your health or relationships. Strive for a healthy work-life balance. An In-depth Analysis of "The Messy Middle" "The Messy Middle" by Scott Belsky, is a compelling exploration of the often overlooked middle stage in any bold venture. This phase, marked by uncertainty, failure, and challenges, is where the true learning and growth occurs. Belsky argues that the key to navigating this phase is endurance. It's not the smartest or the most talented who succeed, but those who persist, embrace the chaos, and adapt to the ongoing changes. This aligns with Angela Duckworth's concept of "grit," which emphasizes the importance of perseverance for long-term goals. The book also emphasizes the importance of optimizing for long-term. Often, we are distracted by short-term gains that deviate us from our long-term goals. Belsky stresses the importance of keeping the long-term vision in sight, which echoes Simon Sinek's idea of the "Infinite Game," where the goal is not to win, but to continue playing. Uncertainty is another crucial theme in the book. Most people fear uncertainty and try to avoid it. However, Belsky suggests embracing it and learning to navigate through it, which is reminiscent of the principles laid out in Nassim Nicholas Taleb's "Antifragile," where he argues that we should aim not just to withstand shocks, but to benefit from them. Feedback is another significant factor that Belsky highlights. He insists on the importance of seeking constant feedback for growth and improvement. This mirrors the concept of "Radical Candor" by Kim Scott, which advocates for challenging directly and caring personally, to provide and receive constructive feedback. Belsky also emphasizes on the importance of empowering your team. According to him, a motivated and empowered team is essential to succeed in any venture. This concept aligns with Daniel Pink's theory of motivation, which suggests that autonomy, mastery, and purpose are key to motivating people. The book also highlights the importance of iteration and improvement. Belsky argues that the path to success is not linear, but involves constant iteration and improvement, a concept that is central to the Lean Startup methodology by Eric Ries. Learning from failure is another key insight from the book. Belsky sees failure not as the end, but as a stepping stone towards success. This idea is similar to Carol Dweck's "Growth Mindset," which views failures as opportunities to learn and grow. Belsky also talks about maintaining a balance between optimism and realism. While optimism keeps you motivated, realism keeps you grounded. This aligns with Jim Collins' concept of the "Stockdale Paradox," which suggests maintaining unwavering faith that you can and will prevail, while simultaneously confronting the brutal facts of your current reality. Finally, Belsky emphasizes the importance of focusing on the product and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. These are reminders that success should not come at the cost of your health, relationships, or the quality of your product. In conclusion, "The Messy Middle" is a must-read for anyone embarking on a bold venture. It provides invaluable insights into navigating the challenging middle phase, emphasizing endurance, long-term vision, embracing uncertainty, seeking feedback, empowering your team, constant iteration, learning from failure, balancing optimism and realism, focusing on the product, and maintaining work-life balance. While the journey may be messy, the lessons learned along the way are worth the struggle.
ViewThe Coaching Habit - Say Less, Ask More & Change the Way You Lead Forever
Michael Bungay Stanier
Key Facts or Insights from 'The Coaching Habit' Asking, not telling: The book emphasizes the importance of asking questions rather than giving orders or advice. This approach encourages engagement, learning, and growth. The seven essential questions: The author presents seven key questions that can help guide any coaching conversation, including 'The Kickstart Question', 'The AWE Question', and 'The Learning Question'. Habit building: The book underlines the importance of building habits and provides a practical model for doing so, which includes identifying the trigger, defining the new behavior, and establishing a follow-up plan. Taming the advice monster: The book highlights the dangers of becoming an "advice-giving machine" and offers strategies for overcoming this tendency. Coaching for development vs. Coaching for performance: The book differentiates between these two types of coaching and encourages a focus on development to foster long-term growth. Being lazy: Stanier suggests that coaches should aim to be lazy, meaning they should let the coachee do the work. This approach shifts the responsibility to the coachee and enables them to learn and grow. Staying curious longer: The book urges coaches to delay rushing into action and instead, remain curious for longer periods. This approach promotes deeper understanding and better decision-making. Creating a coaching culture: The book discusses the steps to create a coaching culture within an organization, including practicing and promoting coaching habits, and recognizing and rewarding coaching behaviours. Taking control of conversations: The book highlights the importance of controlling conversations in a way that fosters learning, growth, and progress. Understanding neuroscience: The author discusses how understanding the basics of how the brain works can enhance coaching techniques and outcomes. Emphasizing practice: The book emphasizes the importance of regular practice in building and maintaining effective coaching habits. An In-depth Analysis of 'The Coaching Habit' Michael Bungay Stanier's 'The Coaching Habit' is a practical guide that challenges traditional notions of leadership and presents a new approach centred on asking questions rather than giving advice. This approach aligns with the concept of servant leadership, where the leader's primary role is to serve others and foster their growth and development. The author introduces seven key questions to guide coaching conversations, each designed to elicit specific outcomes. For instance, 'The Kickstart Question' aims to initiate productive conversation, while 'The AWE Question' helps to delve deeper into the issue at hand, and 'The Learning Question' encourages reflection and learning. These questions echo the Socratic method of inquiry-based learning, where asking questions stimulates critical thinking and illuminates ideas. Stanier's focus on habit building is grounded in neuroscience. He provides a simple, effective model for habit formation, which includes identifying triggers, defining new behaviours, and establishing a follow-up plan. This aligns with James Clear's Atomic Habits' model of cue, craving, response, and reward. The book also warns against the tendency to become an "advice-giving machine," which the author refers to as taming the advice monster. This is particularly critical in today's information overload era, where the value of a leader lies more in facilitating the right questions rather than providing answers. Stanier differentiates between coaching for development and coaching for performance. While performance coaching is focused on immediate tasks, developmental coaching is oriented towards long-term growth and capability building. This distinction is crucial in contemporary leadership theory, where a balance between the two is often advocated. The author's suggestion to be lazy is intriguing. By this, he means that coaches should let the coachees do the work, fostering their autonomy, and capacity to learn and grow. This aligns with the concept of self-directed learning, which is increasingly recognized as vital in the fast-paced, ever-changing modern workplace. Staying curious longer is another key insight from the book. By delaying action and remaining curious, coaches can gain a deeper understanding and make better decisions. This approach resonates with the concept of 'slow thinking' popularized by Daniel Kahneman in his book 'Thinking, Fast and Slow'. Stanier also provides a roadmap for creating a coaching culture within an organization. This involves not only practicing coaching habits but also promoting them and rewarding coaching behaviours. This aligns with the growing recognition of the importance of a 'learning culture' in organizations. The book also highlights the importance of taking control of conversations to foster learning, growth, and progress. This skill, often referred to as 'conversational intelligence,' is seen as vital in effective leadership. Finally, the author emphasizes the importance of understanding neuroscience to enhance coaching techniques and outcomes. Neuroscience can provide insights into how people think, learn, and behave, which can greatly enhance the effectiveness of coaching. The Coaching Habit is a comprehensive guide to effective coaching, rooted in scientific research and practical experience. It presents a new approach to leadership that is not only more effective but also more fulfilling for both the coach and the coachee.
View