Let’s get writing about product!
For the last few years I’ve talked about writing a lot! But it never quite got to the top of my to-do list to take seriously. I have literally hundreds of half-written pieces or simply interesting titles that I believe will expose insights if I just spend some time writing about them.
This year will be different. I am committing to writing regularly, not only that finishing and publishing the writing! And I’m doing it publicly because I know that helps motivate me! I’m not committing to a specific release cadence because some things will take a day and other things will take weeks to write but I’m going to finish them!
I have a deep love for the written word. Anyone who has been on a video call with me will have seen a bookcase behind me for years, more recently, my new office was designed around my need for a very large bookcase (with an orange backing because I love that colour!). That said, loving reading and loving writing are clearly not the same things.
Writing is thinking
“If you’re thinking without writing, you only think you’re thinking.”
Reading helps you find out what other people think, and get foundational knowledge. It is where I like to start my own learning journey. Writing on the other hand helps you explore their thoughts, my own thoughts and truly learn. I’m not the first person to say this, though. Back in 2022, when Paul Graham from Y-Combinator tweeted a quote from Leslie Lamport it resonated with me a lot.
“Writing about your ideas both exposes flaws in them and develops them further. Which means thinking without writing = having incorrect and incomplete ideas.”
His further clarifications also just made so much sense to me too. When I start to write, I think I know my thoughts about a subject. But as I get into things, I discover all of the contradictions or conflicting views and opinions I hold. All the data points that just don’t quite line up. All of my biases. It forces me to find a way to find a consistent perspective by contrasting them and confronting my biases.
I usually explore the subject by reading other people’s content on the subject, which also means I enrich my input as I go. It acts as a catalyst for understanding something for me. I then look for case studies and opportunities to apply it or past experiences where I can retrospectively review the potential impact or additional information it would have given me.
It’s for me, but if you find it interesting great!
I have written things in the past, sometimes for other people, sometimes with their names on the by-line. Every time I did it I found that the ideas evolved as I wrote. I started out with an idea of what I thought about a subject, but then I learned new things during the writing. The clarity and enrichment of the thoughts were super valuable to me.
That made me realise that I am really writing for myself. I’m publishing it because it forces me to finish it. And if other people enjoy it or find it useful, that is a bonus!
What to write about?
With that mission in mind, I started to think, “what should I write about?”. So I decided to write about writing first, hence this post. I hoped that act might help me work out what I wanted to write about. Sadly it didn’t, but that is okay.
So I made a different decision. I will write about whatever inspires me at the time. Most of it will no doubt centre around product management and teams - because they are subjects that I love. I’ve considered myself a “specialist generalist” for a long time There are many subjects around product management so I’m just going to explore to see what sparks my passion and interest!
Practice makes perfect
I know and recognise that my writing will probably be quite rough as I start. I was always strongest at STEM subjects, not English literature or language. I believe I am generally a good storyteller and presenter, though, so I will try to channel those onto the page. As the saying goes, “start now, get perfect later”. Through the act of writing, I expect to find my voice, my style and my focus.
What is next?
The writing starts, or more accurately, the finishing and publishing starts. There are so many pieces “in-flight” that I need to finish, this piece even fell into that same trap for a week! But I pulled myself out of the trap, and finishing is what I will get into the habit of. It really is that simple. I hope you find reading them interesting! I know I will learn from writing them either way.
