I have interviewed more times than I’d like to admit. This means I’ve gained a very wide range of experience interviewing as a PM in technology, and I’d like to share all my learnings with you so you can avoid having to interview quite as much as I have. I consistently receive the question from mentees on how to get into gaming and how to interview as a PM in gaming, so I’d like to share those tips. I have interviewed people and sat on hiring committees and also been the interviewee, so I am fortunate to know both sides of the table. Here are some general topics I cover in interviews and how to answer them well and what we grade for.

I was inspired by a recent podcast by Tim Ferriss, where he discussed various engaging topics. One topic that resonated with me was the idea of creating unbreakable rules instead of continually struggling to muster discipline, especially when facing the headwinds of temptation. This is a tactic Daniel Kahneman utilizes to instill structure in his life. For instance, he mentioned never agreeing to anything over the phone to avoid being overly susceptible to manipulation and bias due to the significant role heuristics play in verbal conversations. Inspired by this, I want to share some of my unbreakable rules that have recently been aiding my mental and physical health. These rules also have a positive impact on my professional life and work ethic.

So far, I’m about 3 months into my recovery. I have been attempting recovery before this but not actively pursuing it. Over the last 3 months, I’ve done some of the hardest things I’ve ever done, and they seem like the easiest and often fun things to some people, like going to the beach for the weekend, but sadly for me, they are terrifying. I am going to share a few experiences with you all in hopes of inspiring you to start or continue your journey to recovery.

Switching gears slightly, I feel compelled to share my impressions on the last season of Sex Education, which was astounding. This resonates with me as a neurodivergent individual, having had close friendships within these groups. The season illuminated many vital mental health issues, intertwining them with our sexuality, gender roles, and diversity among non-binary groups. The exploration of the impacts on these groups and the tackling of myriad other issues was remarkable, showcasing a wide range of significant topics within a single season. These topics echo my struggles with fitting in, especially professionally. Now more than ever, it's crucial to foster an inclusive culture that encourages individuals to fully express themselves at work, regardless of the challenges in altering the entrenched social norms we abide by.

In a recent interview on 20VC with one of The General Partnership Founders Phin Barnes, the broken venture capital (VC) business model was discussed, highlighting the need for change and proposing potential solutions. The conversation delved into the limitations of the traditional VC model and the reasons why it fails to fully support entrepreneurs. Based on the insights shared, here are some key takeaways and potential solutions to fix the broken VC business model.

One of the most recurrent inquiries I encounter as a mentor in the gaming realm is, “How do I penetrate the gaming industry with zero experience in gaming?” It’s a formidable question, given the myriad of pathways and opportunities within the gaming universe. Rather than offering a rigid roadmap, I intend to furnish you with various categories of skills and actionable tasks to aid you in carving your niche in this vibrant industry.

Greetings, future visionaries and dynamic leaders! Today, let’s embark on a journey through the profound insights shared by Matt Abrahams on the HBR IdeaCast with Alison Beard, exploring the essence and mastery of spontaneous speaking—a skill often overshadowed yet crucial for every startup founder, leader, and product manager.

This blog, inspired by David Goggins' transformative journey, explores the essence of personal and professional evolution, emphasizing resilience, humility, and continuous learning. It highlights the impact of a leader's attitude on team dynamics and underscores the importance of quick, informed decision-making, self-reflection, and embracing discomfort for growth. The narrative, interspersed with personal insights and experiences, advocates for transitioning from good to great and stresses the pivotal role of surrounding oneself with individuals who foster growth and the pursuit of excellence. The core message is one of relentless self-improvement and the pursuit of higher standards in all life’s facets.

David Goggins' books outline his journey of overcoming extreme adversities using unique mental tactics. Among the strategies he shares are the 40% Rule, emphasizing that people often tap into just 40% of their capacity; Callousing the Mind, which involves seeing challenges as growth opportunities; the Accountability Mirror, which stresses self-reflection and goal-setting; the Cookie Jar, which encourages drawing strength from past achievements; and Taking Souls, which focuses on turning negativity into motivation. These principles, drawn from Goggins' personal experiences, offer valuable insights for personal and professional growth, especially for those dealing with anxiety. Goggins' teachings emphasize resilience, self-accountability, and continuous self-improvement.

I’ve worked for 5 small startups as a Product Manager, and when a company is in its nascent stages, your role is profoundly influenced by the CEO and founders. 🚀 Thus, finding leaders that complement your work style is crucial for your mental well-being and professional success. 🤝 Each CEO has their own strengths and weaknesses. As a PM, it's essential not only to recognize these but also to navigate them effectively. 💼 Recognizing the pressures and challenges of such a role, it's equally crucial to prioritize your mental health, ensuring that you remain resilient and adaptive in the face of varying leadership styles. 🧠 I've compiled a list of common issues I’ve encountered over the years, along with tactics that can support you on your journey.

Being a Product Manager transcends just understanding the nuances of products; it delves deeply into human connection, understanding, and leading with intention and empathy. This perspective isn't drawn from textbooks but from a deeply personal space - my struggle and journey with generalized anxiety. Guided by insights from Ray Dalio's "Principles: Life and Work" and "The 15 Commitments of Conscious Leadership" by Jim Dethmer, Diana Chapman, and Kaley Warner Klemp, I've molded a leadership approach that recognizes vulnerability as strength.

Being part of the startup world, especially during the pre-seed stage, is akin to riding a roller coaster – there are highs of excitement, drops of uncertainty, and twists of challenges. My experience as a product manager advising pre-seed startups has shown me not just the operational nuances, but also the emotional strains founders and teams go through.

To succeed at this stage while maintaining mental well-being, especially if you're grappling with anxiety or other mental health challenges, here are some pointers interwoven with mental health tips:

After launching 10 products in a decade as a PM, I can state with 100% certainty that it's no easy feat. My primary aim with this post is not just to offer you general guidelines for a product launch but also to provide mental health tips for each phase. This ensures that you remain enthusiastic and invigorated every day you work on a game launch. Launching a product might be the most challenging task you undertake as a PM. Therefore, it's crucial to prioritize your mental well-being throughout the process, ensuring you emerge even stronger. I genuinely care for all of you and wish you immense support. After all, this journey, though challenging, is also incredibly rewarding. ❤️

This book profoundly influenced my perspective and approach to managing people. I've outlined some of the key learnings below. Essentially, being an effective leader is crucial for a project's success, and there are six fundamental pillars that every leader must adhere to and continually refine.

I listened to a podcast this morning, and the interviewee mentioned that she didn't believe anxiety was a superpower. I had recently written a blog post advocating the opposite viewpoint, so I was intrigued. Being a Product Manager with a love for frameworks, I decided to use the SWOT analysis framework to determine if generalized anxiety could be seen as a superpower for a PM.

When I first started my career as a Product Manager, my boss said to me, “What action can I take with this data?” I asked, “What do you mean?” He replied, “If I can’t take an action that gets us closer to our target goals, then this data is a vanity metric, meaning it has no purpose. Don’t show me data just for the sake of showing data; show me something that I can act on.”

I’ve made a basic list of what I think is required to be a good PM. If you are interested there’s a great quote from “The Hard Things About Hard Things" by Ben Horowitz that goes into detail about what makes a good PM but here’s my take and I added a little extra flair on what gives someone with Anxiety that extra bit of flair labeled with the 🧠. I got nothing but love for all of you! Stay spice my friends 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Good product managers know the market, the product the product line, and the competition extremely well and operate from a strong basis of knowledge and confidence. A good product manager is the CEO of the product. Good product managers take full responsibility and measure themselves in terms of the success of the product. 

Remember, you are all fantastic and amazing people, every company is looking for something slightly different and rejecting you is not a rejection on yourself. Be your true self, be authentic and don’t be afraid to show those true colors, someone will fall in love with that and you’ll shine through all the other candidates because of it.

If you're expecting some typical PM advice from someone with an Ivy League degree, pristine grades, and the world's most predictable path to success... well, you’re in the wrong part of the internet.