Francesca Cortesi’s Post

I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but if you feel stuck, don’t be afraid to ask for help. This is a lesson I had to learn the hard way. I took a lot of pride in showing I could solve any challenge on my own. It took me years to realize that sometimes, you can’t do it alone. You can’t always get out of certain situations by yourself. If you feel stuck—whether it’s a personal issue, a problem, or insecurity about the next step at work—ask someone for help. I literally felt cornered for quite some time, and it was only with the help of Anna and Pippa that I realized I was waiting for someone to rescue me. Quite strange for someone with high agency used to driving and solving problems. The story I told myself was to wait, be patient, and do my best under the circumstances. This made me miserable, as one of my core values (making my own choices) wasn’t being met. Thanks to the work I did with them, I was able to see all of that, transform the story, take action, and bring back my joy. 👉🏻 Why am I sharing this? Because in retrospect, I waited too long to ask for help. Don’t make the same mistake. Let someone give you perspective and help you unpack the challenge you’re facing. Sometimes, reaching out for help is the strongest move you can make. It made all the difference for me. That’s how I keep on dancing 💃🏼✨ #Leadership #PersonalGrowth

We all learn in different ways, and one of my favorite sources of inspiration is reading. Fiction, non-fiction, short stories, long novels—you name it, chances are if you see me, I’ll have a book in my hands. I’ve been a serial reader since a young age. 📚 🐛 And of course, I am passionate about books about product development too. Below, you can see my top lessons from some of the best books to sharpen your product skills. In the comments, you'll find a series of in-depth takeaways. Whether reading is your thing or you just need help navigating the ocean of books out there before picking your next one, this could be a good starting point. Also available for non-fiction recommendations for your holiday packing! 😜 #ProductManagement #ReadingList #BookRecommendations

Yesterday, 13 years ago, I took a big leap of faith and moved to Sweden. Every year, the 4th of July reminds me to dare: Dare to leave the known path for the unknown one Dare to follow your guts Dare to learn and operate in another (working) culture Dare to accept when your initial plan fails Dare the rethink what actually drives you Dare to sound stupid while learning another language ✨ And above all, dare to believe in yourself. Always ✨ Taking a step into the unknown is never easy. Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn. To all those out there daring to take risks, remember to be proud of yourself—because you are trying! 💝

There is a big debate right now about approaches to product development. On one side, product coaches and authors like Marty Cagan and Petra Wille highlight what sets the best apart from the rest. On the other side, some practitioners argue these views set unrealistic expectations for the "real world." Really easily it becomes a battle of extremes. However, I believe it boils down to whether you believe in working a certain way or not. If we abstract the content the criticized books emphasize customer-centricity, leveling up your game, and striving higher. Taking inspiration from companies that work that way. You can't achieve this overnight, and you must adapt to your situation. But if you believe in these principles, they can work. You can make them work. 👉🏻 Let’s take a metaphor I relate to: I love running marathons and admire Eliud Kipchoge. He shows that no human is limited, running a marathon in under 2 hours. While I might never achieve that, I can still draw inspiration and push my own limits. The same applies to companies in product development. Strive for customer-centricity and value creation, but adapt to your context: • If you're managing outputs, start by validating assumptions and getting closer to your customers. • If you struggle with prioritization, begin discussing the goals you're trying to achieve. • If you work in B2B, start by talking to customers at least once before developing. Take inspiration, strive for value creation, and adapt these principles to your situation and your area of influence. In the comments some examples on how I worked with this “transformations in practice”. What is your take on the debate? 💡

Do you recognize any of these symptoms in your product organization? • Extremely long backlog(s) • Unclear handling of cross-dependencies • OKRs failing to provide guidance in prioritization • Big gap between ambition and execution • A lot of frustration cross the board I’ve been there too. To me 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭. To address this, I went back to the core of the product toolbox and introduced a common prioritized company backlog. This approach helped us: 🔍 Have a conversation and focus on the most important things 🚀 Meet key deliverables - not all of them, but the most important ones 🤝 Build trust ⚡ Maintain our momentum in experimentation You can watch my 1-minute elevator pitch about the backlog in the video below. 👇🏻 If you want to know more, check out my full Product at Heart talk about bringing clarity to the organization at different stages in the comments. How do you overcome execution scatter? #ProductInsights #ProductDevelopment #Prioritization

How to Scale Product Trios? 🤔 I've seen a debate on LinkedIn about the possibility of running multiple discovery tracks with the same product trio. Considering that, to me, discovery should always lead to delivery and then back to discovery, I don't see how that is possible. My approach has been to scale by: • Starting with a trio • Adding a trio to all product teams • Adding a discovery layer for strategy 💭 But as usual, when I don't see a point, I get curious. Below I’ve summarized the two approaches I have taken and the third one that I cannot wrap my head around. Am I missing something in the way you can scale discovery? What is your experience and view on this? 💡 #ProductInsights #ProductDiscovery #ProductTrios

I believe meetings say a lot about company values. 🫶🏻 I love meetings when they are used to discuss difficult things, get to know each other and work better together, align, and make decisions. 🙅🏼♀️ I hate meetings when they are used for one-directional communication, status checks (in every single meaning of the word), and endless loops of decision-making. I have a simple rule: if there's no agenda, I don't attend. Make it clear why I should be there, what my contribution will be, and how I can help move things forward. And if you need a reminder, place some signs in the rooms! 🪧 inspo below 😀 #ProductInsights #meetings

For me, it all started with failing a test I desperately wanted to pass. I was crushed, mortified, and in disbelief. But from that low point, an insight was born, and my journey of meditation began. Since then I’ve meditated in fear, in gratefulness, with a smile on my face, and tears coming down my cheeks. But no matter what, I sat with myself every day. Meditation isn't for everyone, but it has been a powerful ally in my product work. Here’s how it can help you too: ⏰ 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲: When everything seems urgent, find clarity. 👂🏼 𝗕𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀: Become a better listener and understand others deeply. ✨ 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗝𝗼𝘆: Discover what truly fuels you. 💝 𝗕𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳: Embrace your strengths and weaknesses with compassion. Product excellence starts with you—how you manage your mind and are able to work with your unique strengths and weaknesses. You can read more about my journey in the link below, and I would be really curious to hear how others work with their mind to keep high-quality work in the long run 👇🏻 #ProductInsights #ProductDevelopment #Values

What’s on the mind of CPOs? The million-dollar question I sometimes wish I could answer about my own mind 😅 I have a theory that product leadership is both highly contextual and universal: we face the same challenges, but our solutions depend on our unique contexts. This theory was confirmed last week during a roundtable with exceptional CPOs in Stockholm. A big thanks to Sara Najafi, Judith Pertl and Egon Zehnder for organizing this fantastic event. Here are the common themes we discussed: 🎡Navigating Changes Whether it’s the evolving role of the CPO or the impact of AI, product leaders must continually redefine their roles. Balancing operations and strategy can be really challenging. 🤼Expectations Clear responsibilities and accountability within product teams are crucial but often overlooked. Misalignment creates deeper friction than you might think. From a real-world example: a hyper-functional relationship between a PM and an Engineering Manager can make things work, even in a dysfunctional company. On the flip side, a lack of clarity can cause significant issues. Never underestimate the importance of clarifying mutual expectations and defining what success looks like. 🎯 Focusing on the Right Things How do you know what the right problem to solve is? This is especially crucial for pre-market-fit products. Defining the right balance of functionality for a minimum lovable product is always top of mind for any product person. Do you battle with the same questions, or what's at the top of your mind? #productInsights #productLeadership