Brandon Chu

Guest: Brandon Chu - VP of Product at Shopify. Brandon is a seasoned product leader known for his influential writing on product management and his extensive experience scaling product teams at Shopify. Key Takeaways: Decision-Making Framework: Prioritize decisions by assessing their importance. Focus on a few critical decisions and make quick, gut-based decisions on less important ones to maintain team velocity. Platform PM Insights: Understand the long cycles and complex stakeholder dynamics in platform product management. Establish clear principles to guide decision-making and balance the needs of different user groups. Remote Work Practices: Shopify emphasizes the importance of in-person interactions through "bursts," where teams gather periodically for high-velocity work and bonding, supported by a custom-built app for seamless logistics. Writing as a Career Accelerator: Writing helps clarify thinking and can significantly enhance career trajectory by building credibility and influence both internally and externally. Career Advice for PMs: Engage in side projects or startups to gain a holistic understanding of product development, including technical aspects, to enhance empathy and effectiveness as a PM. Topics Covered: Decision-making in product management, platform product management, remote work strategies, impact of writing on career, career advice for product managers.