You Are Doing Better Than You Think
Welcome to the weekend.
Before we get into the good stuff, I want to say something that I genuinely mean and that I think you need to hear right now: You are doing well.
Seriously. Stop for a moment and acknowledge how much you have actually accomplished. One of the most destructive habits we carry as ambitious people is the tendency to beat ourselves up relentlessly for the things we did not finish, the goals we fell short of, and the targets we missed, while completely glossing over everything we did get done.
Last month I set out to finish a book I had started. Larry King’s How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere. I did not finish it, even though I landed two speaking engagements during that same period. My initial instinct was to focus on the unfinished book. But when I stepped back, I realized I had done something far more meaningful than reading a book about communication. I had actually gone out and communicated, on real stages, in front of real people.
The lesson? Give yourself credit for what you actually accomplished before you catalogue what you did not. Both matter, but one deserves to come first.
The One Constant You Can Always Count On
There is one thing in life that never stops, no matter how much we might wish it would from time to time: change.
The ability to consciously and continuously reinvent yourself is not just a nice quality to have. It is essential for anyone serious about growing. Over the years I have been a writer, a graphic designer, a consultant, an entrepreneur, and a freelancer, among other things. Those are just titles. What matters is that every single one of those seasons stretched me. Every one of them built something in me that I carry into everything I do now.
A well-known South African public speaker once said that what truly forms a leader is the stress and the process they go through. Pressure stretches you. And being stretched is how you become the fullest version of yourself.
So, this month, I want to encourage you: do not be comfortable. Go after the hard thing. Stress yourself in the direction of growth. Pull yourself beyond what feels safe and familiar.
You can be more. You can do more. You can earn more. You can communicate better, write better, think more clearly, and yes, you can absolutely get that job.
The Framework That Gets to the Heart of Every Problem
Now let us talk about something that every product manager needs to have firmly in their toolkit: the Five Whys method.
Here is a question worth sitting with before we dive in. Do you truly know your users? Not just what they say they want, but what they actually need at the root of their frustration or desire?
Getting to that level of understanding is rarely straightforward. And that is precisely why the Five Whys method exists.
Originally developed by Sakichi Toyoda, the founder of Toyota Industries, this method became central to how Toyota Motor Corporation identifies and solves problems. It remains one of the most widely used problem solving tools in both product development and business operations to this day.
The principle is elegantly simple: when a problem arises, you do not stop at the surface level explanation. You ask why five times in succession, with each answer forming the basis of the next question, until you reach the actual root cause of the issue.
Here is a straightforward example to bring it to life:
The problem: there is water on the kitchen floor.
Why? Because the pipe is leaking.
Why is the pipe leaking? Because the water pressure inside it is too high.
Why is the water pressure too high? Because there is a faulty control valve.
Why is the control valve faulty? Because it has never been tested.
Why has it never been tested? Because control valves are not included in the maintenance schedule.
Root cause identified: the maintenance schedule does not account for control valve testing. Fix that, and the chain of problems above it resolves naturally.
This is the power of the Five Whys. Rather than treating symptoms, it takes you to the source. And once you address the source, everything downstream tends to improve on its own.
This method works best for simple to moderately complex problems and it is just as applicable to your personal life and career challenges as it is to product problems. The next time something is not working the way you want it to, resist the urge to jump straight to solutions. Ask why five times first. You might be surprised at what you find.
Get Yourself into the Room
Last month I attended the Product Managers Hangout organized by the People in Product Community. It was both fun and genuinely educational, and more than anything it reminded me of the value of being in the room with other people who are on the same path.
I also had the privilege of being invited as a guest on the Product Dive live session and as a speaker on a Twitter Space. Both experiences were incredible and both reinforced something I believe deeply: one meaningful connection with one person at one event can genuinely change the entire trajectory of your career.
My strong advice to you: commit to attending at least one tech event every month. Show up, introduce yourself, and be present. The opportunities that come from those rooms are the ones that rarely show up in any job listing.
17 Life Nuggets Worth Carrying with You
And finally, here are seventeen reminders that I want to leave with you as you step into this new month. Read them slowly. Come back to them when you need them.
Consistency is not optional. Without it you simply will not go as far as you are capable of going.
Education is the foundation of almost everything worth building.
Invest in technology. Let it make your life and your work more efficient.
Even the best plan will eventually fail if the wrong people are executing it.
Changing someone’s mindset to align with a vision is often more important than changing the plan itself.
Invest in your mindset above almost everything else. It is the most powerful tool you own.
Stop revisiting your catalogue of past failures and losses. Grief has its place but living there will cost you more than you know.
You cannot give what you do not have. Fill yourself up first.
Start something today, no matter how small it seems right now.
Invest in your future vision and your future will look nothing like your past.
Build genuine partnerships with people. Relationships compound just like money does.
Faithfulness in small things opens the door to much larger ones.
Idleness is one of the most expensive habits a person can have.
It is not about who is watching. It is about what you are doing when no one is.
Branding is not about who you are. It is about what you have made of yourself.
Share your wins, even the small ones. Let people see your progress a little at a time.
Build your personal brand and in doing so, build your own economy.
This month, carry these with you. Go after something that stretches you. Ask more whys. Show up to the rooms where the right people are. And please, stop beating yourself up for being human.
You are doing better than you think. Now let us go make this month the best one yet.
Ready to stop going at this alone and get the structured support, skills, and community that will accelerate your journey into product management?
Join the next cohort of the Career2Founder Program, built for aspiring and transitioning product managers who are ready to move with purpose and land with confidence.
Our next cohort starts soon and slots are filling fast. Click the link below to register today.
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