The Keynote Kit
#mtpcon London 2023
Keeping up to speed with the latest product skills and industry trends can be overwhelming for a busy product person like you – but don’t worry, we’ve got you covered!
The #mtpcon London Keynote Kit gives you full access to our coveted keynote talks, as well as discussion prompts and reflection points so you can take action from what you’ve learned. Dive into the content below!
Published talks
- Heroes and villains in the product world with Randeep Sidhu
- Getting aligned with your exec team with Randy Silver
- 10x Product X Design: Product & research team collaboration with Jane Austin
- How to keep your head about generative AI (when everyone is losing theirs) with Claire Woodcock
- Overcoming your product gremlins: An antidote guide for product people with Keji Adedeji
- How to F.A.I.L better in product with Marc Abraham
- The Seniors, the Staffs, and the Principals: Embracing a dual-track career ladder in product with Susana Lopes
- 10 years wiser: Lessons learned from scaling Wise with Nilan Peiris
- What we get wrong about technology with Tim Harford
Heroes and villains in the product world with Randeep Sidhu
In the closing keynote at #mtpcon London 2023, Randeep Sidhu, former Chief Product Officer at Reliance Health, closed the conference with an engaging session on his key lessons from working on the Covid-19 test and trace app in the midst of the pandemic. Read on for his key takeaways:
Visit our blog for the full write up
Turn the learnings into action
Read on for some actionable takeaways to integrate into your product craft:
- Don’t be a saviour (Time stamp: 14m11s to 15m37s)
Randeep talks about his experiences with mistreating key stakeholders in his previous role. “I was treating them as obstacles,” he says. There’s a danger in product thinking where we think we have the best ideas in the room. It’s vital to work well with others.
Discussion prompt: Do you place your own thoughts and ideas ahead others in the room? Consider how you can create more humility when working with teams by taking on board their opinions. - Mitigate stress (Time stamp: 18m23s to 25m12s) Stress is a very common occurrence for healthcare users. Randeep explains how often try to force our users into a process, instead of thinking about the stress of users. We think about turning them into what we want them to be. Conclude what is causing users stress, and find a way to mitigate that.
Discussion prompt: Brainstorm what is your users’ skybeam? What issue is causing them the biggest problems, and how can you help their cause? - Change is hard (Time stamp: 31m03s to 35m02s)
Randeep says that villains challenge the status quo. In some circumstances, villainy can be good. Creating change can be hard; you could be scapegoated, or framed in a negative light. It creates discomfort, but real change requires it.
Discussion prompt: When was the last time you have challenged the status quo? Be more like a villain to spark change.
As product managers, we have a goal to create opportunities for our users, work with others well, and spark real change. Consider challenging the status quo to make a real impact and create products that people love.
Getting aligned with your exec team with Randy Silver
Collaboration and communication are key aspects of the product management craft. In his resonating talk at #mtpcon London, Randy Silver, Managing Director of Out of Owls, delved into best practices for getting aligned with your exec team. Read on his some actionable steps:
Visit our blog for the full write up
Turn the learnings into action
Read on for some actionable takeaways to integrate into your product craft:
- Prioritisation, people, and process (Time stamp: 14m00s to 15m00s)
As product managers, we’re change agents — it’s a hard role to take on because companies aren’t elastic. At the best of times, it can be a stressful craft due to managing change and dealing with difficult teams. Randy offers three ways to get started in delivering value:
Prioritisation is key to ensure that teams know that you’re working on and not.
People: Do they have the culture that they need?
Process: Are you helping teams to delivery value?
Discussion prompt: Looking at your current methods that Randy mentioned above, which one of the three could you benefit from dialling in on the most? - Perception is what really matters (Time stamp: 15m45s to 18m46)
However, the above isn’t enough — it’s not actually doing the job. Randy says that the one thing that changes people from being good to great is perception.
Discussion prompt: It’s not what you look at that matters. It’s what you see. How can you improve your perception when working with teams? - Deliver value together (Time stamp: 20m25s to 23m25s)
To put his learnings into action, Randy shares the Product Environment Canvas. We can use it in several ways; by ourselves, with other people. How we fill it out is irrelevant. What does matter is changing the nature of the conversation. Standing together and working out issues together enables us to collaborate more effectively.
Discussion prompt: Consider filling this canvas in by yourself, with your team, and with your stakeholders.
The Product Environment Canvas can help us build a better environment so that other people can deliver value faster. Ultimately, as product people, that is our main goal.
10x Product X Design: Product & research team collaboration with Jane Austin
Jane Austin, Chief Product Officer at Juniver, shares essential insights on collaboration with design teams. Digest her actionable insights below:
Visit our blog for the full write up
Turn the learnings into action
Read on for some actionable takeaways to integrate into your product craft:
- Focus on what really matters (Time stamp: 03m27 to 08m50s)
Jane explains how opposing viewpoints over research with design teams can create friction. To battle this, she says to focus on both qualitative, and quantitative research. Additionally, break every problem down to its most foundational pieces, and then build it back up again. Doing so will enable teams to identify the most important risks.
Discussion prompt: Consider using the ‘Riskiest Assumption Canvas’ to break down what you actually know, and what you’re making assumptions about. This will enable the team to focus on the research that really matters. - High leverage activities (Time stamp: 08m58s to 10m51s)
Jane says that to avoid overwhelmed teams, we need to focus on high-leverage activities. This could mean framing the strategy by collating the user problem and getting the whole team aligned to focus on this.
Discussion prompt: What are the most important activities that you can leverage within your teams to see high-impact? - Agree the MVP (Time stamp: 11m20 to 16m48s)
Jane explains that we must rethink the MVP. It should be the least you can do to give you the strongest signal that you’re right, she says. Start with the hypothesis, then make sure that you’re building things in order of priority, leading with the most impactful features.
Discussion prompt: Consider your current MVP. Does it give you the strongest sensation that your hypothesis is correct? What small experiments can you do to give you the certainty to make the next step? - Collaborate for the win (Time stamp: 16m55s to 20m46)
Collaborating is fundamental to building great products. It’s important for us as product people to understand the context of every team and use frameworks that is appropriate for each respective team. Additionally, consider offering critical feedback to understand how design supports the overall product objective.
Discussion prompt: How do you currently collaborate with design teams? Are there any frameworks or feedback methods you can consider introducing to improve collaborative efforts?
It’s a product manager’s responsibility to ensure that design teams are informed, empowered, and purpose-driven to work on the overall solution and 10x the impact.
How to keep your head about generative AI (when everyone is losing theirs) with Claire Woodcock
Claire Woodcock, Director of Product at Mozilla, shared a keynote on generative AI, a topic we’ve all been thinking about as of late.
Visit our blog for the full write up
Turn the learnings into action
Read on for some actionable takeaways to integrate into your product craft:
- What problem are you trying to solve (Time stamp: 08m16s – 09m05s)
Organisations are under extreme pressure to integrate generative AI into their business models, Claire explains, however fundamentally, we must still remember basic product principles to find success.
Discussion prompt: Based on insights from your customers, what is the biggest problem that integrating AI could solve for them. - Create those imperative AI features (Time stamp: 09m10s to 11m53s)
How do you decide where to play in the AI market? Claire recommends using the Kano Model to map out your features. Using this can ensure that you differentiate the ‘must-haves’ to ‘desirables’
Discussion prompt: What AI features could you include into your product that customers would consider as ‘must haves’? - Don’t lose sight of the customer (Time stamp: 13m30s to 15m21)
Attention is all you need, Claire explains. People are used to using short, fast, interaction methods. We don’t have unlimited research budget, but Claire advises us to watch what other businesses are doing.
Discussion prompt: How can you keep an eye on how humans are interacting with Generative AI, what companies can you watch to learn? - Getting GenAI in your product (Time stamp: 16m00s to 23m19)
So how do you actually build AI into your product? Claire breaks down an easy step by step guide:- Select your problem: Something low profile but high impact
- Evaluate your data
- Decide whether to buy or build: essentially choosing whether to tune your own generative AI, or purchasing the services of a third-party to do it for you
- Build a proof of concept (PoC)
- Scale your solution to production (and monitor)
Discussion prompt: Following these steps, brainstorm a few ideas to integrate an AI feature into your product.
The hype behind AI is real, however focusing on product principles, honing in on data, and monitoring the success of your new product features is essential to riding the AI wave.
Overcoming your product gremlins: An antidote guide for product people with
Keji Adedeji
Keji Adedji, Product Director at FT, shares how we can overcome our product gremlins. Read on for some key takeaways and discussion prompts.
Visit our blog for the full write up
Turn the learnings into action
Read on for some actionable takeaways to integrate into your product craft:
- Cultivate self-awareness (Time stamp: 17m31s to 18m54s)
Throughout our careers in product management, we often encounter self-doubt and engage in unhealthy comparison minefields. Keji says to create the space to reflect on your doubt, learn about yourself, seek feedback, and finally, prioritise self-care.Discussion prompt: Take some time to learn about yourself; what triggers you? What do you need to receive to gain confidence? What makes you thrive? - Be intentional (Time stamp: 19m01 to 20m43s)
The progression wall gremlin appears when we feel like we’ve reached our ceiling in our careers. To defeat this gremlin, Keji explains how we must be assertive with what we need to grow. This means building your growth roadmap, being clear on what’s important, and asking for what you need.
Discussion prompt – To continue learning and growing in your career, what could you be more intentional about regarding your position? - Find community (Time stamp: 20m55s 21m33s)
There’s often an imbalance in product. Due to the pressures of work, it can be difficult to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Keji urges us to find ways to connect with product people and mentors. Solving problems and shining a light on our gremlins together helps us to realise that we’re not going through these alone.
Discussion prompt – What communities could you join to interact with regularly? Is there a mentor you can see staying in frequent contact with? - Meet your org where it’s at (Time stamp: 21m37s to 22m23)
When we embark on a step-change in our careers, whether that’s managing people for the first time, or leading on a feature, the change and fear gremlin rears its head, giving us anxiety about the challenges ahead. When dealing with external change, Keji asks us to consider focusing on the sphere of influence. Additionally, she recommends to try different things to stay curious.
Discussion prompt – Think about a time where you encountered a highly stressful scenario. What could you have influenced to alter the challenge at hand?
It’s not uncommon to struggle, it’s not uncommon to face gremlins. It’s our role as product people to talk more openly about them. Follow these steps to do just that.
How to F.A.I.L better in product with Marc Abraham
Marc Abraham, Product Director at Backbase, offers a framework for failing better with product by learning from our mistakes in his keynote presentation. Read on for four actionable takeaways!
Visit our blog for the full write up
Turn the learnings into action
Read on for some actionable takeaways to integrate into your product craft:
- Consider the risks (Time stamp: 09m22s to 11m20s)
Marc explains how we constantly be aware of risks in product. He says to assess the risks and establish the impact that they may have. Additionally, using the Explore and Exploit framework can enable us to articulate whether ideas should be framed as “Quick wins” or “Big bets”.
Discussion prompt: Consider using both of these methods to assess risk in your product, and facilitate these conversations to build confidence in your product. - Find the problem (Time stamp: 15m46s to 17m32s)
Marc takes us through his F.A.I.L (Feature, Assumption, Impact, Learning) framework. To embark on an effective product learning journey, you must first understand the problem that you are trying to solve, he explains.
Discussion prompt: Discuss what problem you are looking to solve when introducing a new product or feature. - Learn about your users (Time stamp: 17m48s to 23m20s)
Next, Marc says to create problem, user, and solution assumptions to understand your customer’s problem, and how they are currently finding their way around solving that problem. Focus on the most important problems to create the best products and features. Our products don’t fail in vain if we learn early and often about critical assumptions, whether that be the problem, the user, or the things that could go wrong with your product.
Discussion prompt: To conclude the problem assumption, ask yourself these two questions: would people care about us solving that problem for them? And How much would they care about us solving that problem? - Create a concise hypothesis (Time stamp: 23m31s to 25m43s)
To measure success, you need a hypothesis statement, Marc adds. A hypothesis statement gives you the exact figures to look out for. And we, as product managers, need to understand what the signals will be. As an alternative, you can use a product-market fit model, and ask, “How would customers feel if they could no longer use your product?” Our products don’t fail in vain if we have a clear hypothesis that we can act on early.
Discussion prompt: Out of the hypothesis statement, product-market fit exercise, and the forces of play framework, which method would work best for your practice when you look to measure the success of a feature? - Learn, learn, and learn again (Time stamp: 25m52s to 28m22)
Finally, learning is key to failing better. Marc explains to ask three questions: What happened, what did we learn, and what did we decide? Additionally, understand the ‘why’. After going through these exercises, you should encounter one of three scenarios:
Abject failure: not even close to your hypothesis
Near miss: Unproven hypothesis but strong signals
Bull’s eye: Strong hypothesis validation
Regardless of the situation you are in, ensure that you are crystal clear on the problem, impact, and learning stage.
Discussion prompt: Our products won’t fail in vain if we are clear on the ‘why’ when learning. What is the biggest lesson that you can learn from a feature of product of yours that has underperformed?
There will always be pressures to fail, however, Marc explains that if we use the F.A.I.L framework, we can fail in a safe space and ultimately deliver value to both our business and customers.
The Seniors, the Staffs, and the Principals: Embracing a dual-track career ladder in product with Susana Lopes
Susana Lopes, Director of Product at Abatable, led a great session on dual-track agile careers. Are you looking to rethink your product org structure? Consider these key points to empower individual contributor (IC) product people.
Visit our blog for the full write up
Turn the learnings into action
Read on for some actionable takeaways to integrate into your product craft:
- Create equally tall career ladders (Time stamp: 06m40s to 08m10s)
When comparing IC career ladders to Manager ladders, Susana explained how it is often lopsided at companies, leaving the IC with less room for growth. Having equally tall tracks would ensure that ICs don’t hit a ceiling in their careers. She recommends giving both levels titles that they can celebrate throughout their careers
Discussion prompt: Consider the ceiling in which ICs operate within your organisation. Do they have the job titles that they deserve? - Develop ICs through different models (Time stamp: 16m35s to 20m45s)
Susana talks us through the archetypes of what this IC could look like at your organisation. These are no way set in stone, but spark a fluid framework to consider when an organisation looks to develop ICs.
The hatcher: Creates and successfully launches new product within established organisations.
The fixer: Finds a way to revive declining products or organisations.
The industry moulder: Has deep industry relationships and influence.
The practice lead: Focuses on elevating how the org and wider community do product.
Discussion prompt: which track would better suit your current product organisation? - Don’t climb someone else’s ladder (Time stamp: 20m51s to 21m49s)
Are you climbing someone else’s ladder? Susana says in her closing statement. Over time, the things that give you energy can often drain you away. The dual track ladder is about giving product people room to try new things out. We are the key to making it the standard in our profession.
Discussion prompt: What do you enjoy? Write down what gives you energy, and what drains you.
Dual-track career is giving people room to try things out. It’s up to us, and we are the key to making dual-track ladder a standard in our profession. Don’t feel stuck climbing someone else’s ladder.
10 years Wiser: Lessons learned from scaling Wise with Nilan Peiris
Nilan Peiris, CPO at Wise shares some of his key learnings from growing the global technology company, Wise. Additionally, he shared key methods to growing and scaling products.
Visit our blog for the full write up
Turn the learnings into action
Read on for some actionable takeaways to integrate into your product craft:
- Make your product referable (Time stamp: 05m35s to 07m58s)
Nilan explains how, in 2013, when Wise was growing, 70% of its customers found out about the company through a friend of a friend. In 2023, it’s still a significant 63%.
Discussion prompt: To increase this conversation, he recommends asking yourself, “What would it take for customers to recommend our product?” Consider introducing this question into your regular product practice. - Use customer feedback (Time stamp: 08m00s to 11m18s)
Reading customer feedback is key to growing products, Nilan explains. Most customers want something that they didn’t know was previously possible. Aim to build a product 10x better in the market.
Discussion prompt: Think about what you can change about your product discovery to build products that disrupt the market.
- Empower your team (Time stamp: 20m18s to 23m40s)
Nilan explains how working in empowered teams has aided the significant growth that Wise has experienced despite the limitations that it brings. It provides product people with the power to make the right decisions. If you’re a growing product, Nilans recommends that you consider leading empowered teams to move fast and ensure that the product strategy is set by those closest to the customers.
Discussion prompt: How can you empower your product team more? - Focus on quality (Time stamp: 32m30s to 32m49s)
Nilan’s final point was that customers don’t care about autonomous teams or empowered teams. They only care about the quality of your product and the speed at which you achieve your mission.
Discussion prompt: How can you make your product 10% better quality?
By staying true to its mission and prioritising customer feedback as a fundamental component of its product strategy, a strong foundation is laid for the development and growth of exceptional products.
What we get wrong about technology with Tim Harford
AI is the biggest talking point in the realm of product management today. Learn three lessons from Tim Harford on how we can harness the power of advancing tech through systematic change.
Visit our blog for the full write up
Turn the learnings into action
Do you want to harness the power of advancing tech more in your own product development? Ask these questions to yourself or your team after watching Tim’s keynote talk recording:
- Make tech affordable (Time stamp: 16m32s to 17m56s)
Tim emphasises that the affordability of products, not their sophistication, drives societal change. He provides the example of solar power as a transformative force made possible by cost-effective products.
Discussion prompt: To revolutionise your product, think about how you can reevaluate your pricing strategy to make it more accessible.
- A change in culture (Time stamp: 22m10s to 23m48)
While new technologies exist, Tim explains how meaningful change requires a corresponding shift in organisational culture. Simply introducing new tech won’t suffice if the existing work culture remains unchanged.
Discussion prompt: To prepare for technological advancements, consider how you can transform the culture within your organisation. - Embrace opportunities (Time stamp: 40m45s to 43m41s)
Tim closes by explaining that we, as product managers, have a plethora of opportunities to transform our roles through generative AI, and we get to choose whether it makes our jobs more, or less, creative.
Discussion prompt: How can you use AI to enhance your product?
By answering these questions, you can begin to have a better understanding of how you can harness the power of tech such as AI to benefit your products and organisation.
AI Knowledge Hub
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