50 Product Management Maxims

Maxim #7 - Figure out if you would buy your product

I often ask myself if I would choose the products I work on if I switched jobs to be on the customer side.

Oct 30 • 

Mike Chowla

September 2025

Maxim #6 - Measuring outcomes has limits

The case for intuition, perception, and judgment in product decisions

Sep 2 • 

Mike Chowla

August 2025

Maxim #5 - Ask about the problem rather than your solution

When evaluating the potential of a proposed new product, a common but flawed approach is to talk to prospective customers, present them with a…

Aug 18 • 

Mike Chowla

2

Maxim #4 - You can not prioritize in isolation

Backlogs Aren’t Strategy: The Danger of Treating Features as Independent Bets

Aug 4 • 

Mike Chowla

1

July 2025

Maxim #3 - Prioritize based on customer value

The favorite question engineers have any time you ask them to build a feature, especially when it's a feature they don't want to build, is, "How much…

Jul 24 • 

Mike Chowla

2

Maxim #2: Always know what problem you are solving

When evaluating any course of action, whether it be a feature, building an entirely new product, or even just making an efficiency improvement, the most…

Jul 14 • 

Mike Chowla

1

I asked Gemini to create a Product Management text game

Gemini created the Kobayashi Maru of Product Management

Jul 8 • 

Mike Chowla

1

April 2023

Maxim #1: If you are going to lose the battle, don't fight it

Product Managers are bombarded with asks both from internal stakeholders and customers.

Apr 15, 2023 • 

Mike Chowla

Introduction

I've been a product manager and leader since 2008 and in those 15 years, I find myself either thinking or saying many of the same things over and over…

Apr 8, 2023 • 

Mike Chowla

1