8 Lessons from Sherlock Holmes for Product Teams and Product People

“To a great mind, nothing is little.” — Sherlock Holmes

Somewhere between “ineffable twaddle” and “necromancer” lies the timeless character of Sherlock Holmes, who continues to occupy our imaginations and our screens in various incarnations. A consulting detective who can tell more about you from your Apple Watch or your ball cap than you’d be able to rehearse over a long dinner.

But aside from the deeply deductive and yet often erratic behavior, what can we “normal” people learn from the storied sleuth? That is what I wanted to know as I read (and re-read) Conan Doyle’s works. I came away with many lessons that we as product people can apply.

You don’t need to be solving murders or finding lost treaties (though good for you if your role includes those as well).

So what does Sherlock have for those of us creating the technology of today?

Data, Data, Data

I observed that he sat frequently for half an hour on end, with knitted brows and an abstracted air, but he swept the matter away with a wave of his hand when I mentioned it. “Data! Data! Data!” he cried impatiently. “I can’t make bricks without clay.” And yet he would always wind up by muttering again that…