The Practice is the Product: From Frameworks to Adapting to Context
When aiming to master our craft, we study best practices and frameworks. So that when time comes, we can practice “by the book” Product Management.
In his talk at the 2024 Product at Heart, Tim Herbig challenged that conventional focus on best practices and frameworks, proposing instead a shift in mindset towards adapting product management techniques to specific contexts. His message was simple yet powerful: product success isn't about following rigid practices but about delivering real, everyday value.
Here's the story and key takeaways from Tim’s thought-provoking keynote.
A Game of Product Bingo
Tim kicked off his talk with an interactive game of "Product Bingo," designed to poke fun at common phrases that we hear or say pretty much every day. Phrases like “We need more Outcome OKRs, not just Output OKRs!” and “We need to run more
experiments!” resonated well. The little exercise made it clear that we often use buzzwords and frameworks as a crutch, losing sight of the actual purpose behind our work. This led directly to Tim’s central theme: avoiding what he calls "Alibi Progress."
From Alibi Progress to Real Progress
One of Tim’s most striking points was his explanation of Alibi Progress, which is the tendency to follow methods and frameworks simply for the sake of correctness, even when they don’t add value. This often results in teams hiding behind processes, checking boxes, and focusing on outputs rather than outcomes.
Instead, Tim proposed that we should pursue Real Progress, which means focusing on measuring whether the right customer problems are being solved in ways that align with business goals. Real Progress involves continuous adaptation of practices based on their actual impact, rather than blind adherence to frameworks.
Treating Ways of Working Like a Product
Tim’s core message was that the practice is the product. Much like we refine a product to meet customer needs, we should treat our ways of working as something that requires ongoing development and iteration. He asked to reflect on our current processes: “For whom is our way of working trying to solve what problem and how would we know it was solved?”
This mindset shift challenges product teams to treat their operational frameworks and methods as fluid, adapting them based on context, rather than adhering to a one-size-fits-all approach.
Product Strategy: Navigating the Path to Real Value
Tim explained that a good product strategy helps teams say "yes" to the right opportunities—and, just as importantly, "no" to the wrong ones. A well-crafted product strategy aligns teams on what problems they are solving, for whom, and how success will be measured.
Product Strategy helps Teams and Stakeholders to intentionally say yes and no to opportunities over the next 6-18 months. We know it was useful if the majority of a team’s energy was spent on efforts connected to Strategy.
This approach to Product Strategy also reinforces the overarching message: treating ways of working like a product means your strategy must be continuously tested, iterated, and refined.
Measure Real Progress towards Strategic Priorities
Tim emphasized that OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a critical tool for tracking Real Progress, as long as they are used and adapted to the right context. Again, it’s not about being correct but rather about Real Progress. We are not better Product Managers because we write Outcome OKRs. We are better Product Managers because we prioritize work that moves success metrics.
OKRs have to help Product Teams measure their progress towards strategic priorities by responding to their everyday decisions. We know it was effective if teams can link backlog items & Discovery activities to strategic measures of success.
With that in mind, OKRs should not be generic or overly ambitious "moonshots" that teams never reach. We should also avoid generic evergreen metrics and sometimes leading outputs even beat lagging outcomes.
Reducing Uncertainty with Product Discovery
Tim also discussed the importance of Product Discovery in reducing uncertainty around both problems and solutions. He pointed out symptoms for Alibi progress such as relying on the same discovery methods across different situations, adding a “research phase” to every timeline and establishing a detailed process across all teams.
Discovery has to help Product Teams reduce uncertainty around problems and solutions by collecting reliable evidence. We know it is effective if we increase adoption of new features and decrease investment in features nobody uses.
To drive this home, Tim challenged us to shift from asking, “What method should we use next?” to “If we had one week to reduce uncertainty, what would we do?” By focusing on reducing uncertainty quickly and pragmatically, teams can make more informed decisions, test ideas effectively, and avoid the trap of Alibi Progress.
Define, Cleanse and Adopt
Tim concluded his talk with a clear call to action for all of us:
1. Define your value: Clarify the purpose and value of your practices.
2. Cleanse frameworks: Identify and stop using frameworks that perpetuate Alibi Progress.
3. Adopt product-like practices intentionally: Spread adaptive, product-like thinking across teams and disciplines.
Use these actions to start fostering a culture of adaptability and continuous improvement in how we work. The practice is the product, and by treating it as such, we can avoid the pitfalls of rigid frameworks and buzzword-driven progress, and instead drive meaningful, real-world impact.
Final Thoughts
Product Management is not about mastering the latest trends but about using thoughtful, adaptable practices to solve real problems for real people. Tim’s talk offered not only actionable insights but also a deeper reflection on how we, as product leaders, can elevate our craft by constantly evolving how we work.
Let’s not just aim for correctness.
Let’s aim for value.