Target Audience: Startup Founders, CTOs, Tech Leads Introduction In the fast-paced world of startups, time is your most precious currency. Every hour spent on repetitive tasks is an hour stolen from strategy, product development, and growth. Youโve likely heard the buzz around AI agentsโautonomous programs that can perform tasks on your behalf. But until now, […]
Author: Sundar Thirugnanam
I am a product manager with more than three decades in the industry. I have worked in various domains and carry a wide range of knowledge with respect to technology, customer interactions, product life-cycle, etc. I am a highly opinionated person. Take whatever you like.
Product Market Fit
We often hear about ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐-๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ถ๐ (๐ฃ๐ ๐) as this mythical “aha!” moment โ a sudden discovery where everything clicks. The untold story? It’s rarely a single moment of epiphany. Instead, it’s a continuous journey of relentless iteration, deep customer understanding, and often, small, incremental wins. PMF isn’t a destination you arrive at, but a state […]
SQL for Product Managers
SQL has made me a better PM. Not because I’m an engineer, but because I can get answers without waiting. Here are the 5 queries I use every week: 1๏ธโฃ Daily active users (DAU) Quick pulse check on health without chasing analytics. 2๏ธโฃ Feature adoption funnel 3๏ธโฃ User segmentation 4๏ธโฃ Retention cohorts 5๏ธโฃ NPS by plan Pro tip: Don’t try […]
Saying “NO” to stakeholders gracefully
The word “no” might be the most powerful tool in a PM’s toolkit. But saying it wrong? That’s how bridges get burned. Here’s how I’ve learned to push back without burning relationships: The Wrong Way:โ “This isn’t a priority right now” (feels like a brush-off)โ “We don’t have capacity” (doesn’t solve their problem)โ Silence (ghosting […]
OKRs aren’t working for your team?
You’re not doing them wrong. You’re doing them too much. Here’s what I’ve learned after 3 years of OKR cycles: The Failure:โ 10 objectives per quarter (nobody remembers them)โ Vague “metrics” like “improve user experience”โ OKRs that are just task lists in disguiseโ Changing them mid-quarter because priorities shifted What Actually Works:โ 3-5 objectives max […]
What is product management?
Product management is the art and science of managing a product. But before we delve into the details of what it is, we should first understand what is a product. Without a product, there is no product management. The simplest definition of a product is as given: Product = Monetizable Solution The word “monetizable” indicates that […]