Success Activites vs. Distracting Activities
As software product managers, everything we do falls into two crucial categories: Success Activities and Distracting Activities. Distinguishing between the two is paramount to maximizing value creation and ensuring efficient time management.
Success Activities directly contribute to value creation for users/customers. Engaging in these tasks enhances the user experience and product value. Examples include strategic planning, writing user stories, conducting discovery sessions, overseeing development, and working on UX design. Even activities like recruiting contribute to future success by building a robust team.
Supporting activities, while sometimes necessary, can be considered distractions. These include tasks such as reporting, financial planning, time tracking, and discussions that lack strategic relevance. Managing these activities is critical to maintaining focus on value-driven tasks.
Note that there as distracting activities that are necessary (like financial planning), but they do not contribute to value creation.
