Career advice from our #mtpcon workshop leaders

Boasting over 20 years of product management experience, Tim Herbig, Martin Eriksson and Dave Martin are product leaders who have seen it all—from the birth of agile to today’s AI-driven innovations. We recently had the chance to sit down with them to get their valuable perspectives on the evolving world of product management and gain insights into the workshops they’ll be leading.

Tim: Don't follow by-the-book advice more than once to the letter before adjusting it to your needs.

Martin: Focus on learning. If the sales mantra is “always be closing,” the product mantra should be “always be learning.” Think about how your roles, team, manager, and tasks can help you learn.

Dave: Put more effort into understanding the customer's problems that relate to your strategy and objectives. Every line of code written to solve a problem no one truly cares about is wasted potential. This means digging deep into product discovery and understanding company strategy. Throughout, focus on developing your communication skills and learning to influence without authority. 

Tim: Getting discouraged by an over-glorified image of "what good looks like" working in product, when, really,  almost everyone is winging it in reality.

Martin: An uncertain market combined with the traditional lack of a clear path into product make it hard to break in to.

Dave: Unlike a few years ago, today's new product people have to know how to embrace GenAI and use it to be more robust and impactful Product Professionals. Due to economic challenges, there is also a lot more talent in the market, so differentiating yourself is tougher. 

Tim: How to connect Discovery activities to overarching business goals.When to use which Discovery method and why.

Martin: Strategy is everyone’s responsibility. Strategy is not an innate talent but a muscle we can exercise and get better at. There is no one right way to do strategy - it is ultimately a problem solving exercise, something all product people should be good at!

Dave: Strong understanding of what is possible and what others are doing successfully with GenAI.
A set of questions to help shape your product's strategic opportunity, balancing quick wins with long-term gains. Confidence in the risks involved and how to mitigate failure.

#mtpcon is the must-attend annual conference for product professionals that will be held in London on March 10-11. It’s the perfect chance to refine your product management skills, gain insights, and network with product peers.

We are running 7 workshops; whether you're just starting on your product management journey or you are more experienced, you will find a workshop suitable for you.

Purchase your conference + workshop ticket and save £50! But hurry – conference prices go up on the 15th!

Don't miss out on this amazing opportunity to level up your product skills.