The Thankful Product Manager

Thanksgiving Day in the United States is primarily about two key activities: Giving thanks, and eating. Before I start chowing down, I wanted to say three things:

As a Product Manager, I want to say “thank you”…

To everyone involved in turning our ideas into products. Many different departments and people are involved in strategy, concepts, marketing, testing, development, analytics, and commercialization — so many that it can sometimes feel overwhelming!

But no PM is an island, and without your help, we aren’t going anywhere. So thank you!

If you’re a Product Manager and you have not thanked someone on your team lately…

Because things are moving really fast and everyone’s stressed, I want to encourage you to stop and thank someone for their contribution. Trust me, it’ll mean something.

And if you don’t want to take my word on it, trust science which tells us: “Gratitude enriches human life. It elevates, energizes, inspires and transforms. People are moved, opened and humbled through expressions of gratitude.”

Finally, a special, gratitude-filled shout to out…

To the developers who take all those 1’s and 0’s and turn our dreams and wireframes into working applications and websites that enrich and change people’s lives: Thank you!
To the designers who give software not just its face but also its heart, and make the experience of using it a joy: Thank you!
To the people who buy and use our sites and apps, who help shape our direction and ultimately elevate those lines of code into something meaningful: Thank you!
To my fellow Product Managers who challenge all of us to think more critically and pay more attention to what the market is really telling us: Thank you!