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Product Thinking Newsletter by Melissa Perri

Define Your Acceptable Mistakes Upfront

Published 8 months ago • 2 min read

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Hi Product people,

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This week on Product Thinking, I had the pleasure of speaking with Rebecca Shaddix, a seasoned marketing executive and go-to-market strategist, known for driving significant revenue growth across diverse industries. We delved into the importance of defining "acceptable mistakes" and how they can actually benefit your team’s strategy.

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One of the standout moments in our conversation was when Rebecca said:

"An acceptable mistake could be we are only gonna do five customer interviews, or we're going to not A/B test certain messaging because it's more important for us to come to market more quickly."

This insight really drives home the idea that we need to prioritize actions that move the needle, without getting bogged down by perfectionism.

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Rebecca emphasized the need for teams to clearly define their priorities and acceptable mistakes upfront. By doing so, they can avoid unnecessary perfectionism that doesn't necessarily contribute to their goals. This approach allows teams to focus on what truly matters and move forward strategically without unnecessary delays.

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Have you encountered similar situations in your product strategies? How did you navigate them? Reply here or join the conversation on my LinkedIn post!

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🎧 Listen to the full episode here: Apple | Spotify​

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Looking forward to hearing from you!

See you in the new year,

Melissa Perri

Founder Product Institute, Board Member, and Teacher
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Key Moments on the Podcast to Check Out:

  • 09:04 - The Concept of Acceptable Mistakes

Rebecca explains what an acceptable mistake entails, offering examples such as opting for fewer customer interviews to accelerate go-to-market strategies without significant risk.

  • 15:32 - Product and Product Marketing Partnership

Highlights the need for a bidirectional relationship between product management and product marketing, focusing on how they should collaboratively drive strategy and insights.

  • 29:19 - Navigating AI Hype

Discusses the cycle of trendy technologies and how AI has become a prevalent, though often superficial, part of product strategy, emphasizing the importance of intentionality.

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Episode resources:

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THE PRODUCT THINKING PODCAST IS SPONSORED BY

Product Management training at scale for teams and individuals, created by Melissa Perri.

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Do you have a product dilemma you just can’t solve? Are you in need of some pointed career guidance? We’ve got a direct line to Melissa, so now’s your chance to ask her anything you’d like. You can record a voice message here, or you can submit a question via form below. Melissa just might answer it in a future Dear Melissa segment of the podcast.

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The CPO Accelerator is a members-only live virtual course for product leaders taught by Melissa Perri. The move from product leader to VP or CPO can be challenging. It takes a whole new set of skills to succeed at the next level, and you may be the first person at your company to hold this seat at the executive table.

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Product Thinking Newsletter by Melissa Perri

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