The First 90 Days as a Product Manager

The First 90 Days as a Product Manager

In this episode of The Product Handbook, we break down how product managers can approach their first 90 days at a new company with clarity, confidence, and intent. You’ll learn: * What to focus on in your first 30, 60, and 90 days, from learning and listening to planning and execution * How to build trust with engineers, designers, and stakeholders early on * How to run effective product deep dives without overwhelming yourself or the team * Practical tools to organize context, decisions, and insights as everything comes at once * How to manage impostor syndrome and create early wins that build credibility If you’re starting a new PM role, or preparing for one, this episode gives you a realistic, structured approach to ramping up and setting yourself up for long-term success.

Mastering Planning: From Sprints to Annual Strategy

In this episode of The Product Handbook, we break down how product managers should think about planning across different time horizons — from next sprint to next year. You’ll learn: * How sprint planning, monthly planning, quarterly planning, and annual planning differ — and how they connect * What decisions belong at each level, and what absolutely does not * How to balance long-term strategy with short-term execution without constant rework * How to manage trade-offs like technical debt, capacity, and shifting priorities * How to communicate plans differently to executives, stakeholders, and delivery teams If planning often feels either too tactical or too vague, this episode gives you a clear mental model for aligning daily work with long-term strategy — and staying sane while doing it.

Calendar Management: Protecting Focus as a Product Manager

In this episode of The Product Handbook, we break down calendar management as a core product leadership skill, not an admin task, not a life-hack, and definitely not about cramming in more meetings. You’ll learn: * The difference between a manager’s schedule and a maker’s schedule, and why PMs are constantly torn between the two * How poor calendar design leads to shallow thinking, burnout, and reactive decision-making * Practical strategies like time blocking, no-meeting days, and focus protection that actually work * When meetings are worth the cost, and when they quietly destroy momentum * How strong calendar boundaries improve product quality, team health, and long-term impact If your calendar feels like it’s running your job instead of supporting it, this episode shows how to take control of your time, and create space for the thinking that product management actually requires.

Leading Through Layoffs: Strategy, Stability, and Moving Forward

In this episode of The Product Handbook, we focus on what product managers can do after layoffs — how to lead their teams, stabilize the roadmap, and help the organization recover while protecting their own energy and career trajectory. You’ll learn: * How to re-establish clarity when priorities, stakeholders, and team capacity shift overnight * Ways to support remaining team members through uncertainty without slipping into toxic positivity * How to reassess the roadmap using constraints, opportunity sizing, and ruthless prioritization * Practical strategies for communicating with executives, engineers, and customers during post-layoff turbulence * How to maintain your own resilience, manage workload spikes, and stay strategic instead of reactive * How to rebuild momentum and trust as the org transitions into its new shape If you’ve ever been the PM left standing after a reorg or wave of layoffs, this episode gives you the tools to lead with stability, empathy, and focus — even when the ground is shifting under your feet.

Hooked: Customer Retention Guide

In this episode of The Product Handbook, we explore how to improve customer retention by building products people return to again and again — with the help of behavioral insights and the Hook Model. You’ll learn: * Why retention is the strongest driver of long-term product growth * How to use the Hook Model — Trigger, Action, Reward, Investment — to create repeatable value * How to identify and strengthen the moments where users build habits with your product * Practical retention strategies you can apply across the customer journey, from onboarding to long-term engagement * How to turn feedback, user behavior, and product experience into loops that keep customers coming back If you’ve ever wondered how some products become part of their users’ routines, this episode shows how to improve retention by designing experiences that create meaningful, durable habits.