Archive - Gibson Biddle's "Ask Gib" Product Newsletter

Ask Gib: "How did you find your job at Netflix?"

How I found my job as VP of Product at Netflix after a two-year sabbatical: 1. Figure out what you seek. 2. Make the job come to you, and 3. Be…

Mar 15, 2023 •

November 2022

"Ask Gib": What systems are most effective for giving feedback to employees?

Try Netflix's 5 A's for giving & receiving feedback: 1. Aim to assist 2. (Make) Actionable 3. Appreciate 4. Accept or discard feedback 5. Adapt (to…

Nov 22, 2022 •

May 2022

"Ask Gib": How should Netflix's product strategy change, given its recent earnings chaos?

Short answer: Netflix will pursue three tactics to re-accelerate growth: a new ad-based $5/month plan, paid account sharing, and the ability to transfer…

May 3, 2022 •

April 2022

Ask Gib: "What specifics in a daily routine separate a good Product Manager from a great Product Manager?"

Short answer: Begin your day with intent, minimize meetings, spend time with customers, manage your own career, balance time between doing/thinking…

Apr 19, 2022

March 2022

Gib: Given you have been out of Netflix for a while, could you humor us and create a new Netflix vision based on where they are now? (Their…

Short answer: The GLEE model for crafting a product vision is never done. As a product leader you always need to answer, "What's next?" For Netflix…

Mar 10, 2022 •

How do YOU differentiate between good and great product leaders?

Short answer: Beyond product & leadership skills, Great product leaders = Courage to advocate & execute novel product strategies + Rare blend of…

Mar 1, 2022 •

January 2022

"Ask Gib": What's your favorite interview question?

Answer: "Give me an example of how you combined Strategy, an Idea, and Leadership to deliver a significant Result." (I call this the Results = Strategy…

Jan 24, 2022 •

December 2021

"Ask Gib" question: "What's your deepest insight about teamwork?"

Short answer: Teamwork is about knowing & playing your position to deliver results. What it's not: getting along with others or building consensus…

Dec 23, 2021 •

Do your product strategy frameworks work for startups?

Short answer: Yes, but with early-stage startups, stay focused on delight early -- you can build hard-to-copy advantage and margin later.

Dec 20, 2021 •

Can you provide insight into how you work with product discovery?

Short answer: I learned to do research blending four sources of data-- existing data, qualitative, surveys & AB test results to develop consumer insight…

Dec 8, 2021 •

November 2021

"Ask Gib": How did you decide that you are a builder, not a starter?"

Answer: Like building products, careers require experiments to see what works. I learned through trial & error that I'm better at building & scaling…

Nov 1, 2021 •

August 2021

I'm taking the summer off to do lots of backpacking, biking, and reading. Here's some summer reading for you, including my best Medium essays, along…

Aug 5, 2021 •

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