Emergent: September 2019
This month: why product managers should be better storytellers, thoughts on work-life balance, and truths about generous company perks.
Emergent is a monthly newsletter that features Noah’s ideas, writing, podcasts, and other things that are capturing his attention. Subscribe here.
Fall is here. The kids are back in school (thankfully!) and it’s a great time to refocus at work. I’m thinking about how we can find more ways to be efficient and ensure that we stay focused on our core values.
This month, there’s some interesting reading on how and why product managers need to be better storytellers, thoughts on work-life balance, and some truths about all those generous company perks.
If you like what you see or have some suggestions, drop me a line at noah@paloalto.com.
For previous editions of Emergent, head on over here to view the archive.
Thanks for reading!
Noah
1. This month’s thoughts on product management
Proven product storytelling techniques to make your product stand out
Entrepreneurs are constantly talking about what they’re building, and one of the most effective ways of doing this is with storytelling. Emotions drive action, so instead of presenting a simple roadmap to potential investors and team members, tell a story to get their attention and improve your chances of moving forward with your plans.
Check out Tracey Ruff’s great article on this topic if you want to learn how to tell effective and compelling stories about your product.
2. This month’s thoughts on work-life balance
The downside of work-life balance
If your life was represented by a stove with four burners, each burner would represent a major part of your life: Family, friends, health, and work.
This is “the four burners theory,” and it goes on to say that “in order to be successful, you have to cut off one of your burners. And in order to be really successful, you have to cut off two.”
Is this really true, or is there a better way to look at work-life balance? James Clear’s thoughts on this topic are thought-provoking and worth the short read.
3. This month’s thoughts on office perks
If you’re building a company (especially a tech company), it can seem like a never-ending competition to keep up with every other company’s generous perks. You’ve just added ping-pong table, and your neighbors go and one-up you with free on-site massage. But, should you even try and keep up?
Here at Palo Alto Software, we take a different approach — an approach that is actually becoming more popular. We offer very few in-office perks. Instead, we want people to come to work for a shorter amount of time and then leave. Having a life outside of work is the perk, not having your life and work all meld indistinguishably together. For more thoughts on this idea, check out Simone Stolzoff’s article that describes office perks as a trap.
Thoughtfully curated and created in Eugene, OR.
First time reading? I’m glad you’re here.
Feel free to subscribe or share with a friend.
