Sprint 4 :: “Common Sense..a devalued art”

Nov 15, 2022

common sense

noun [ U ]

“the basic level of practical knowledge and judgment that we all need to help us live in a reasonable and safe way;”

Cambridge Dictionary

In product management, and in the technological world in general, the technical capabilities are (and well) highly valued.
But will it be enough for all the day-to-day tasks of a product manager? How important is the use of common sense especially to solve problems?

As we solve problems or make decisions, there are some common sense anchors we can cling to: "is it worth it?", "what is the impact?", "is it the best time to do it...?". These types of questions, simple but with complex answers sometimes, help us to build logical and clear thinking about the best path to take. 🧠

I just feel that the market evaluates a good professional by his technical skills but I think that in general, many other things are needed. Common sense is one of them. Whoever combines the two.. will have an easier time managing daily tasks.

How many of us have been torn between prioritizing feature X or feature Y? Or about prioritizing a request from stakeholder A or stakeholder B?

Don't forget that while we make important decisions regarding our product, testing on small scales can be important before moving forward with something more definitive.

When we receive new projects or requests, it is imperative to ask "what" and "why". Our mission is to understand exactly everything that is involved in the product, on the business or the tech component.

Assuming that we have a good technical team behind us capable of clarifying our doubts and that we trust them, we can apply this type of concept with more confidence.

Communication is key to understanding the "what" and "why", common sense to define the next steps, transparency during the process, joy on release day and some problems, delays and resets in between. 📡

The Product Land ⛰️