EDITOR’S NOTE:
Momchil Marinov is the Director of Product, FT Core Platforms at Financial Times, one of the world’s leading news organizations, recognized internationally for its authority, integrity, and accuracy.
In under 500 words, he shares:
How he got into product management…
How he starts her mornings for maximum productivity…
Some of his sources of learning…
And more…
Enjoy!
“How did you get into product management?”
It wasn’t planned. I had applied for a job and during the interview process, we determined that another role at that company would be a better one for me. And that ultimately became a product management role for the company’s HR software product. That was in 2006 and I didn’t know much about product management back then. But I enjoyed the analytical side of it, the creativity it offered, the contact with customers, and being a part of a team and launching a product together.
“How do you start your mornings at work?”
I usually don’t have meetings before 10:30 am, so that is my focus time. I would go for a walk or a run and that’s when I often come up with solutions to questions that may have been at the back of my mind for a while. I would go back and write them down. Then I would try to catch up on reading - documents, research, emails - before my meetings start.
“What do you know about product management now that you wish you’d known when you first started?”
My early experience was a lot of trial and error and some common sense. It wasn’t in any kind of linear fashion. But something I know now that I probably didn’t at the time is that it’s not about learning a finite number of frameworks that I can then just apply to any situation. Product management is constantly evolving - due to changes in technology or due to changes in how we work - and that’s what makes it difficult, but also interesting.
“What did your biggest product failure teach you?”
The importance of communication. Even when you make the best product decisions, not communicating them properly may doom them, and your product, to failure. At the same time, open and transparent communication can mitigate many if not all risks.
“What’s the #1 thing that has helped you shorten your product management learning curve?”
Learning from the experience of others is always helpful. It’s never the case that I can directly apply someone else’s lessons, but talking to someone who has been in a similar situation, or reading about it, always provides me with a valuable framework and lens through which to look at a situation.
“How do you stay updated on the best practices in product management?”
Like most people in product management, I read books and I read and listen to great content online, like Lenny’s Newsletter, SVPG, Ken Norton, or Spotify’s ‘A Product Story’. Then there are the structured courses like Reforge. I also talk to other product managers, designers, and engineers. And finally, I try to learn from industries, for which software is not their main product - media, in which I work, but also retail, restaurant, supply chain, the movie industry, and others. I always find valuable lessons that I can then use in my job.