On My Shelf with Robert Drury — Product Owner at Watchfinder (Kent, United Kingdom)
About me
I’ve been in software products for over twenty years, with the last six of these heading up product functions. I’m currently at luxury watch retailer Watchfinder.
On my shelf
Escaping the Build Trap
How effective product management creates value
by Melissa Perri
My opinion
The part of product management I enjoy the most is getting the most out of the teams that I work with, and in Escaping the Build Trap Melissa helps you realise what you need to focus on to get teams shipping value and not features. She provides a number of key learnings around the importance of strategy, process and company culture that make immediate sense and help you see a way out of the trap.
200 pages, O’Reilly Media 2018
Get this book (amazon.com, amazon.de)
Team Spirit
Life and Leadership on One of the World’s Toughest Yacht Races
by Brendan Hall
My opinion
Not a typical ‘product’ book, but this is full of insight on how to get teams working together, which as a product person is key to getting what you need out of the door. Brendan skippered the victorious 2010 Round the World Yacht Race, and this book looks at how and why he chose his crew, as well as how he got them working together through the tough oceans. This was given to me by a former Managing Director as we were about to embark on setting up a new business, and it stood us in good stead.
256 pages, Adlard Coles 2013
Get this book (amazon.com, amazon.de)
Out of the Crisis
by W. Edwards Deming
My opinion
A 1980s book about the challenges faced by the US manufacturing industry, which at the time was falling badly behind its competition. Not an easy read, as it’s 500 pages of manufacturing stories, analysis, and challenges, but the similarities between the physical manufacturing world and the digital manufacturing of today is striking. His 14 points for management can be read today by CEOs of software businesses and applied directly, and his focus on delivering quality would address many of the challenges faced in our fast paced, MVP world.
448 pages, MIT Press 2018
Get this book (amazon.com, amazon.de)
Checklist Manifesto
How to get things right
by Atul Gawande
My opinion
Another non-product specific book, as it follows the development of checklists within the healthcare profession, but Atul explains why the introduction of checklists at specific stages in a process can reduce risk and cost, and improve outcomes. There’s often a tendency within product to want to get through things quickly, and be a little maverick and push out what we have. “Fail fast” we’re told, but with a pause in the right place, to check some of the basics, will improve our chances of not failing on the simple things.
240 pages, Picador Paper 2011
Get this book (amazon.com, amazon.de)
Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff
. . . and It’s All Small Stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things from Taking Over Your Life
by Richard Carlson
My opinion
Product Managers find themselves at the centre of many businesses, handling the pushing and pulling across the organisation. The pressure can be quite large at times, and the skills needed to manage stakeholders need to be developed. Most of us don’t work in life or death industries. I work for a luxury watch retailer. What we do, although important to the success of the business, and the livelihood of those who work in it, is not likely to change the world. Perspective will make us better product people, and Richard Carlson helps us realise this.
272 pages, Hachette Books 1997
Get this book (amazon.com, amazon.de)
Start with Why
How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action
by Simon Sinek
My opinion
A classic for the modern business, and something that is key for all product people to understand. Why does your business (and thus your products) exist? Without understanding the why, it’s hard for product people to really get to grips with what the product is. With the why we get bound by detail and the latest priority, and lose sight of where we need to go. Sinek puts this into focus with a straightforward and simple style that you wonder why you didn’t think of this sooner.
256 pages, Portfolio 2011
Get this book (amazon.com, amazon.de)
Our series “On my shelf” features product people from all over the world who are passionate about reading and sharing their best book recommendations with the community. If you want to join the movement and share your reading list with others send us a message. Let’s get better together 📚.
