Staying curious and reading books exposes us to diverse perspectives, innovative solutions, and emerging trends. Regular reading cultivates a habit of continuous learning, ensuring that product managers are always updating their knowledge base and skill set in an ever-changing technological landscape. Curiosity drives a deeper understanding of user behavior, needs, and pain points, which is essential for creating products that truly resonate with the target audience. I keep a lenghty list of books on product management and recently had the pleasure of reading The Mom Test by Rob Fitzpatrick. It's a fairly short read that you can probably finish in one or two evenings depending on how busy you are. In short, the book provides a great overview of how to approach customer interviews and evaluate new ideas through conversations with potential customers and complete strangers. Below are the main highlights, but please read the whole book, you won't regret it.
Talk About Their Life, Not Your Idea: Instead of presenting your idea and asking for opinions, delve into the person's experiences, challenges, and behaviors related to the problem your idea addresses.
Avoid Compliments, Seek Facts: Compliments can mislead and are not actionable. Facts about behaviors, habits, and problems faced by potential users are invaluable.
Specifics Over Generics: Asking about specific events in the past yields more reliable data than asking about hypotheticals or future behavior.
Commitments and Advancements: A real indication of interest is when someone makes a commitment, be it time, reputation, or money. An email introduction, a promise of a follow-up meeting, or a pre-order are examples.
Bad News is the Best News: Negative feedback, objections, or concerns provide a roadmap for improvement and indicate areas that need attention.
Fluff Answers: Beware of generic and non-specific responses. They often mask a lack of genuine interest or a reluctance to give negative feedback.
Keep it Informal: Conversations that feel casual and are based on curiosity are more likely to yield honest insights.