Amy Mitchell
@amycmitchell.bsky.social
Product manager and author of Product Management IRL
https://amycmitchell.substack.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycmitchell/
https://amycmitchell.substack.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amycmitchell/
Most teams try to fix onboarding before they ever define success.
What’s your real moment of first value — setup complete, data flowing, or the first dashboard used?
Without that shared definition, everyone’s running toward a different finish line.
What’s your real moment of first value — setup complete, data flowing, or the first dashboard used?
Without that shared definition, everyone’s running toward a different finish line.
October 28, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Most teams try to fix onboarding before they ever define success.
What’s your real moment of first value — setup complete, data flowing, or the first dashboard used?
Without that shared definition, everyone’s running toward a different finish line.
What’s your real moment of first value — setup complete, data flowing, or the first dashboard used?
Without that shared definition, everyone’s running toward a different finish line.
Waiting for roadmap space to magically appear? Stop. A Customer Trend Dashboard helps you show incremental wins, align sales + product + leadership, and track momentum. Instead of asking for permission, you make the progress visible.
September 5, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Waiting for roadmap space to magically appear? Stop. A Customer Trend Dashboard helps you show incremental wins, align sales + product + leadership, and track momentum. Instead of asking for permission, you make the progress visible.
Forget endless feature lists. A Customer Trend Dashboard reframes scattered requests into patterns that affect growth. It’s not about tracking asks—it’s about showing how customer signals tie directly to revenue momentum.
September 4, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Forget endless feature lists. A Customer Trend Dashboard reframes scattered requests into patterns that affect growth. It’s not about tracking asks—it’s about showing how customer signals tie directly to revenue momentum.
Product managers are swamped with feedback every day—tickets, UI questions, onboarding hiccups, churn patterns. To you, the patterns are obvious. To stakeholders? Invisible. Your job is to make those signals visible, not bury them in Jira.
September 2, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Product managers are swamped with feedback every day—tickets, UI questions, onboarding hiccups, churn patterns. To you, the patterns are obvious. To stakeholders? Invisible. Your job is to make those signals visible, not bury them in Jira.
Last-minute launch pivots are painful.
Last-minute alignment is worse.
A shared CX checklist and unified pricing guide can turn “we need to redo everything” into “we’re already in sync.”
Last-minute alignment is worse.
A shared CX checklist and unified pricing guide can turn “we need to redo everything” into “we’re already in sync.”
August 12, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Last-minute launch pivots are painful.
Last-minute alignment is worse.
A shared CX checklist and unified pricing guide can turn “we need to redo everything” into “we’re already in sync.”
Last-minute alignment is worse.
A shared CX checklist and unified pricing guide can turn “we need to redo everything” into “we’re already in sync.”
🤝 Ready means no surprises
Great product and program teams operate on a “No Surprises” agreement: shared decision logs, early risk calls, and joint definitions of “ready.” It’s not just project hygiene—it’s how you earn time back for real product work.
Great product and program teams operate on a “No Surprises” agreement: shared decision logs, early risk calls, and joint definitions of “ready.” It’s not just project hygiene—it’s how you earn time back for real product work.
July 31, 2025 at 1:05 PM
🤝 Ready means no surprises
Great product and program teams operate on a “No Surprises” agreement: shared decision logs, early risk calls, and joint definitions of “ready.” It’s not just project hygiene—it’s how you earn time back for real product work.
Great product and program teams operate on a “No Surprises” agreement: shared decision logs, early risk calls, and joint definitions of “ready.” It’s not just project hygiene—it’s how you earn time back for real product work.
Most advice for product managers says "slow down and reflect"—but what if you added tiny, strategic actions into your existing flow instead?
3 practical habits that help PMs prevent problems while getting things done.
3 practical habits that help PMs prevent problems while getting things done.
July 7, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Most advice for product managers says "slow down and reflect"—but what if you added tiny, strategic actions into your existing flow instead?
3 practical habits that help PMs prevent problems while getting things done.
3 practical habits that help PMs prevent problems while getting things done.
If you're stuck between two product decisions:
1. Write out the key factors (what actually matters)
2. Give each factor a quick “gut score” from 0 to 100
3. Add it up
4. Look at the result—and ask: Does that match what I feel deep down?
1. Write out the key factors (what actually matters)
2. Give each factor a quick “gut score” from 0 to 100
3. Add it up
4. Look at the result—and ask: Does that match what I feel deep down?
June 26, 2025 at 1:06 PM
If you're stuck between two product decisions:
1. Write out the key factors (what actually matters)
2. Give each factor a quick “gut score” from 0 to 100
3. Add it up
4. Look at the result—and ask: Does that match what I feel deep down?
1. Write out the key factors (what actually matters)
2. Give each factor a quick “gut score” from 0 to 100
3. Add it up
4. Look at the result—and ask: Does that match what I feel deep down?
Product managers are trained to lead with logic.
But logic can only take you so far.
When the facts level out and no clear winner emerges, your intuition kicks in.
Intuition isn’t magic. It’s your experience—quietly doing pattern recognition.
But logic can only take you so far.
When the facts level out and no clear winner emerges, your intuition kicks in.
Intuition isn’t magic. It’s your experience—quietly doing pattern recognition.
June 24, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Product managers are trained to lead with logic.
But logic can only take you so far.
When the facts level out and no clear winner emerges, your intuition kicks in.
Intuition isn’t magic. It’s your experience—quietly doing pattern recognition.
But logic can only take you so far.
When the facts level out and no clear winner emerges, your intuition kicks in.
Intuition isn’t magic. It’s your experience—quietly doing pattern recognition.
If you're being overshielded, try this:
→ Acknowledge the upside—focus is a gift.
→ Volunteer for the hairy stuff—show you’re ready.
→ Empathize—your leader is likely overwhelmed too.
→ Solve, don’t just surface—bring solutions.
The best shields aren’t barriers—they’re windows.
#productmanagement
→ Acknowledge the upside—focus is a gift.
→ Volunteer for the hairy stuff—show you’re ready.
→ Empathize—your leader is likely overwhelmed too.
→ Solve, don’t just surface—bring solutions.
The best shields aren’t barriers—they’re windows.
#productmanagement
June 19, 2025 at 1:09 PM
If you're being overshielded, try this:
→ Acknowledge the upside—focus is a gift.
→ Volunteer for the hairy stuff—show you’re ready.
→ Empathize—your leader is likely overwhelmed too.
→ Solve, don’t just surface—bring solutions.
The best shields aren’t barriers—they’re windows.
#productmanagement
→ Acknowledge the upside—focus is a gift.
→ Volunteer for the hairy stuff—show you’re ready.
→ Empathize—your leader is likely overwhelmed too.
→ Solve, don’t just surface—bring solutions.
The best shields aren’t barriers—they’re windows.
#productmanagement
Overshielding feels great—until it doesn’t.
You can focus.
You’re not dragged into politics.
You get to ship.
But over time, something feels off:
❌ Growth slows
❌ Decisions feel distant
❌ Influence weakens
Product managers grow by wrestling with trade-offs and risks.
#productmanagement
You can focus.
You’re not dragged into politics.
You get to ship.
But over time, something feels off:
❌ Growth slows
❌ Decisions feel distant
❌ Influence weakens
Product managers grow by wrestling with trade-offs and risks.
#productmanagement
June 17, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Overshielding feels great—until it doesn’t.
You can focus.
You’re not dragged into politics.
You get to ship.
But over time, something feels off:
❌ Growth slows
❌ Decisions feel distant
❌ Influence weakens
Product managers grow by wrestling with trade-offs and risks.
#productmanagement
You can focus.
You’re not dragged into politics.
You get to ship.
But over time, something feels off:
❌ Growth slows
❌ Decisions feel distant
❌ Influence weakens
Product managers grow by wrestling with trade-offs and risks.
#productmanagement
Building a Partnership Playbook:
- Get Legal, Procurement, and Engineering involved early
- Draft a point-of-view: what's the use case, risk, and opportunity?
- Align internally before you commit externally
Treat partnerships like long-term product initiatives.
#productmanagement
- Get Legal, Procurement, and Engineering involved early
- Draft a point-of-view: what's the use case, risk, and opportunity?
- Align internally before you commit externally
Treat partnerships like long-term product initiatives.
#productmanagement
June 12, 2025 at 1:37 PM
Building a Partnership Playbook:
- Get Legal, Procurement, and Engineering involved early
- Draft a point-of-view: what's the use case, risk, and opportunity?
- Align internally before you commit externally
Treat partnerships like long-term product initiatives.
#productmanagement
- Get Legal, Procurement, and Engineering involved early
- Draft a point-of-view: what's the use case, risk, and opportunity?
- Align internally before you commit externally
Treat partnerships like long-term product initiatives.
#productmanagement
Behind a new partnership are risks that can derail progress:
1. Unclear roles: Who owns what? Who delivers what?
2. Overlooked dependencies: Timing, tech, legal—who’s syncing what and when?
3. Misaligned goals: Is this partnership solving a shared customer problem?
#productmanagement
1. Unclear roles: Who owns what? Who delivers what?
2. Overlooked dependencies: Timing, tech, legal—who’s syncing what and when?
3. Misaligned goals: Is this partnership solving a shared customer problem?
#productmanagement
June 10, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Behind a new partnership are risks that can derail progress:
1. Unclear roles: Who owns what? Who delivers what?
2. Overlooked dependencies: Timing, tech, legal—who’s syncing what and when?
3. Misaligned goals: Is this partnership solving a shared customer problem?
#productmanagement
1. Unclear roles: Who owns what? Who delivers what?
2. Overlooked dependencies: Timing, tech, legal—who’s syncing what and when?
3. Misaligned goals: Is this partnership solving a shared customer problem?
#productmanagement
🤖 AI in Product: A Feature or a Transformation?
PMs often ask:
"Should we treat AI features like any other new feature?"
Short answer: No.
Long answer: AI changes how your product behaves, evolves, and serves customers.
If you’re not preparing now, you’re delaying the real work.
PMs often ask:
"Should we treat AI features like any other new feature?"
Short answer: No.
Long answer: AI changes how your product behaves, evolves, and serves customers.
If you’re not preparing now, you’re delaying the real work.
June 5, 2025 at 1:06 PM
🤖 AI in Product: A Feature or a Transformation?
PMs often ask:
"Should we treat AI features like any other new feature?"
Short answer: No.
Long answer: AI changes how your product behaves, evolves, and serves customers.
If you’re not preparing now, you’re delaying the real work.
PMs often ask:
"Should we treat AI features like any other new feature?"
Short answer: No.
Long answer: AI changes how your product behaves, evolves, and serves customers.
If you’re not preparing now, you’re delaying the real work.
We’re all feeling the pressure to “AI-ify” our products. But most teams aren’t ready.
AI features have unique risks:
- Data dependencies
- Privacy concerns
- Continuous maintenance
- High-stakes failure scenarios
The fix? A proactive product AI fitness strategy.
AI features have unique risks:
- Data dependencies
- Privacy concerns
- Continuous maintenance
- High-stakes failure scenarios
The fix? A proactive product AI fitness strategy.
June 3, 2025 at 1:08 PM
We’re all feeling the pressure to “AI-ify” our products. But most teams aren’t ready.
AI features have unique risks:
- Data dependencies
- Privacy concerns
- Continuous maintenance
- High-stakes failure scenarios
The fix? A proactive product AI fitness strategy.
AI features have unique risks:
- Data dependencies
- Privacy concerns
- Continuous maintenance
- High-stakes failure scenarios
The fix? A proactive product AI fitness strategy.
Mushroom management isn’t always malicious. Stakeholders are under pressure and think skipping collaboration saves time.
But PMs can flip the script:
Deliver regular updates
Show decisions in customer context
Prove the value of team-led planning
#productmanagement
But PMs can flip the script:
Deliver regular updates
Show decisions in customer context
Prove the value of team-led planning
#productmanagement
May 29, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Mushroom management isn’t always malicious. Stakeholders are under pressure and think skipping collaboration saves time.
But PMs can flip the script:
Deliver regular updates
Show decisions in customer context
Prove the value of team-led planning
#productmanagement
But PMs can flip the script:
Deliver regular updates
Show decisions in customer context
Prove the value of team-led planning
#productmanagement
A UX plan you weren’t part of.
A contract signed but never read.
A disaster recovery decision made without you.
These are mushroom tactics: isolation, ambiguity, and last-minute surprises.
Your power move?
Structure decision-making, bring context, and open the feedback loop.
#productmanagement
A contract signed but never read.
A disaster recovery decision made without you.
These are mushroom tactics: isolation, ambiguity, and last-minute surprises.
Your power move?
Structure decision-making, bring context, and open the feedback loop.
#productmanagement
May 27, 2025 at 1:05 PM
A UX plan you weren’t part of.
A contract signed but never read.
A disaster recovery decision made without you.
These are mushroom tactics: isolation, ambiguity, and last-minute surprises.
Your power move?
Structure decision-making, bring context, and open the feedback loop.
#productmanagement
A contract signed but never read.
A disaster recovery decision made without you.
These are mushroom tactics: isolation, ambiguity, and last-minute surprises.
Your power move?
Structure decision-making, bring context, and open the feedback loop.
#productmanagement
Stakeholders are keeping you in the dark, tossing in last-minute feedback, or making decisions without you. It’s mushroom management.
Why? Because the pressure to deliver is intense, and stakeholders often think the vision is “obvious.”
buff.ly/ROjBN1a
#productmanagement
Why? Because the pressure to deliver is intense, and stakeholders often think the vision is “obvious.”
buff.ly/ROjBN1a
#productmanagement
May 26, 2025 at 1:05 PM
Stakeholders are keeping you in the dark, tossing in last-minute feedback, or making decisions without you. It’s mushroom management.
Why? Because the pressure to deliver is intense, and stakeholders often think the vision is “obvious.”
buff.ly/ROjBN1a
#productmanagement
Why? Because the pressure to deliver is intense, and stakeholders often think the vision is “obvious.”
buff.ly/ROjBN1a
#productmanagement
Thinking in layers for product managers:
- time orchestration
multiple possibilities
while delivering in the present
- dual-track thinking
delivery with cadences
discovery in the background
buff.ly/4Kyj96u
#productmanagement
- time orchestration
multiple possibilities
while delivering in the present
- dual-track thinking
delivery with cadences
discovery in the background
buff.ly/4Kyj96u
#productmanagement
May 24, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Thinking in layers for product managers:
- time orchestration
multiple possibilities
while delivering in the present
- dual-track thinking
delivery with cadences
discovery in the background
buff.ly/4Kyj96u
#productmanagement
- time orchestration
multiple possibilities
while delivering in the present
- dual-track thinking
delivery with cadences
discovery in the background
buff.ly/4Kyj96u
#productmanagement
When working on a product initiative, make communication with each other easy.
- shared space for work items
- minimal meetings
- responsive chat channel
#productmanagement
- shared space for work items
- minimal meetings
- responsive chat channel
#productmanagement
May 23, 2025 at 1:05 PM
When working on a product initiative, make communication with each other easy.
- shared space for work items
- minimal meetings
- responsive chat channel
#productmanagement
- shared space for work items
- minimal meetings
- responsive chat channel
#productmanagement
When working on a product initiative with other product managers, clarify the roles and expectations early.
#productmanagements
#productmanagements
May 22, 2025 at 1:05 PM
When working on a product initiative with other product managers, clarify the roles and expectations early.
#productmanagements
#productmanagements
Shared goals are great for working together on a product initiative. Asking and answering questions builds consensus on shared goals.
#productmanagement
#productmanagement
May 20, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Shared goals are great for working together on a product initiative. Asking and answering questions builds consensus on shared goals.
#productmanagement
#productmanagement
Product managers are expected to self-organize with their peers.
Reasons:
💠 Remote Work Successes: more collaboration
💠 Flattening organizations: less layers of management
💠 Complex product environments: no single person knows the whole picture
#productmanagement
buff.ly/xdGt3T8
Reasons:
💠 Remote Work Successes: more collaboration
💠 Flattening organizations: less layers of management
💠 Complex product environments: no single person knows the whole picture
#productmanagement
buff.ly/xdGt3T8
May 19, 2025 at 1:06 PM
Product managers are expected to self-organize with their peers.
Reasons:
💠 Remote Work Successes: more collaboration
💠 Flattening organizations: less layers of management
💠 Complex product environments: no single person knows the whole picture
#productmanagement
buff.ly/xdGt3T8
Reasons:
💠 Remote Work Successes: more collaboration
💠 Flattening organizations: less layers of management
💠 Complex product environments: no single person knows the whole picture
#productmanagement
buff.ly/xdGt3T8
Building executive presence. Deb Liu covers the ability to communicate effectively with people far removed from your day-to-day work, especially those much more senior than you.
buff.ly/XoYYySR
#productmanagement
buff.ly/XoYYySR
#productmanagement
May 17, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Building executive presence. Deb Liu covers the ability to communicate effectively with people far removed from your day-to-day work, especially those much more senior than you.
buff.ly/XoYYySR
#productmanagement
buff.ly/XoYYySR
#productmanagement
As organizations flatten, virtual teams are an opportunity for product managers to take on new responsibilities.
3 different roles on virtual teams: following, contributing, and leading. Each is crucial.
#productmanagement
buff.ly/r6KSTDn
3 different roles on virtual teams: following, contributing, and leading. Each is crucial.
#productmanagement
buff.ly/r6KSTDn
May 16, 2025 at 1:05 PM
As organizations flatten, virtual teams are an opportunity for product managers to take on new responsibilities.
3 different roles on virtual teams: following, contributing, and leading. Each is crucial.
#productmanagement
buff.ly/r6KSTDn
3 different roles on virtual teams: following, contributing, and leading. Each is crucial.
#productmanagement
buff.ly/r6KSTDn