In this Focus Forty episode of The Design Your Thinking Podcast, I talk to Matt LeMay who is a technology communicator, musician, author and the Co-founder of Constellate Data.

Who is Matt LeMay?

Matt LeMay is the co-founder of Constellate Data, a consultancy that helps companies bring human context and complexity back to their data. In his work as a technology communicator, Matt has developed and led product management and data strategy workshops for companies like GE, American Express, McCann, and Johnson & Johnson. Previously, Matt worked as Senior Product Manager at music startup Songza (acquired by Google), and Head of Consumer Product at Bitly.

Matt is also a musician, recording engineer, senior contributor to music website Pitchfork, and the author of a book about singer-songwriter Elliott Smith.

In this particular episode, you will learn

1. Why is Matt successful as a product manager?
2. How Matt manages staying productive?
3. Matt’s secrets in managing the balance between being productive and being creative
4. What Matt believes are the top 3 things a Product Manager should be good at
5. Matt’s view of how the discipline of Product Management would change in the next 5 years
6. How does Matt see the role of a Product Manager evolve in the years to come?

Highlights

• Listening
  • Conversation about conversations
  • Active Listening
• Productivity
  • Less “Busy Work”
  • Tough to measure productivity
• Balance
  • Group creativity
• Mindset
  • Humility in letting the group succeed & reflect
• Failure
  • What is the right scale for this business?
  • Revenue model
  • Sustainable business
  • Product failure is a function of the team designing the product without listening to customers

Useful Links

• Matt’s Twitter handle – @MattLeMay
• Matt’s website – aquestionoffrequency.com
• Matt’s blog link – medium.com/@mattlemay
• Matt’s blog “The Past and Future of Product Management”
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey