Users are the Well

It can sometimes be frustrating and disheartening to deal with the day-to-day work of being a product manager. Any number of things can happen: people playing politics, shifts in strategy from the top, or perhaps unforeseen development problems. While all of this stuff is part of the job, knowing that doesn’t make it easier.

One technique I’ve found to fortify myself against these difficulties is to talk to users. Maybe it’s exploratory, open-ended user research to understand the pulse. Or perhaps it’s more detailed research tied to a specific project. As long as you’re talking to real people who use your product.

Talking to users helps in so many ways. It reminds you why you’re doing the work, and who you’re doing it for. It’s inspiring; how can you not come up with a bunch of new ideas when you see people enjoying or struggling with your product? Often, your users feel a lot better about the state of the product than you do. They use it for a reason, and it isn’t their job to view it with a critical eye, as it is yours.

In PM work, it’s easy to get lost in the kind of organizational maneuvering that’s required to get things done. It’s the users who can bring you out of that silo and stay grounded in the real world.