Nick Baum on Being a PM at Google

Here’s an interesting take at what being a Product Manager at Google means.

I realized this weekend that it's my fault that @Google shut down Google Reader. /1

— Nick Baum (@nickbaum) September 12, 2016

I was the PM from 06-07. We launched a major redesign that significantly changed our growth rate... but didn't take us to "Google scale". /2

— Nick Baum (@nickbaum) September 12, 2016

I used to think it was unfair and short-sighted that Google didn't give us enough resources to execute to our full potential. /3

— Nick Baum (@nickbaum) September 12, 2016

... but as a founder, I know resources aren't something you are owed or deserve. They're something you earn. /4

— Nick Baum (@nickbaum) September 12, 2016

I should have realized that not reaching ~100m actives was an existential threat, and worked to convince the team to focus 100% on that. /5

— Nick Baum (@nickbaum) September 12, 2016

I should have prioritized agreeing on a bigger and riskier plan that would have given us even a remote chance of hitting those numbers. /6

— Nick Baum (@nickbaum) September 12, 2016

I should have sold that vision to our execs, and if they still didn't buy it, I should have tried to make it work anyway. Like a founder. /7

— Nick Baum (@nickbaum) September 12, 2016

Google Reader was one of my favorite projects. I loved working with that team, some of the best people I've had a chance to work with. /8

— Nick Baum (@nickbaum) September 12, 2016

I don't know if doing these things would have been enough, but I now see that it was my job as PM to see the threat and do something. /9

— Nick Baum (@nickbaum) September 12, 2016

Translation: Go big or go home.

The tweetstorm begins here.

PS: Is it me or Twitter has no native way of embedding a tweetstorm? I’m aware of services that do this, but come on, that’s disappointing and points to something major blocking execution at Twitter HQ.