Kunal Shah - Tips for Aspiring Product Managers | The NextCurve

Summary

In this insightful conversation, Kunal reflects on his journey from a young entrepreneur to a seasoned leader. He emphasizes the importance of curiosity in both learning and product management, stressing that true understanding comes from questioning deeper truths, not just surface-level answers. Kunal also shares valuable lessons for aspiring product managers, highlighting the need for thorough problem diagnosis, avoiding quick conclusions, and aligning teams around a clear, central strategy. He advises young professionals to develop strong judgment and curiosity, which are key to long-term success and meaningful career growth.

Takeaways

• 😀 Curiosity is the core driver of success in personal and professional growth. Embrace it to explore different fields and deeply understand various concepts.
• 😀 Kunal’s learning approach focuses on understanding the deeper truths rather than memorizing facts. Being curious and asking 'why' is more valuable than just knowing 'what'.
• 😀 Building a successful product requires a deep understanding of why people invest their time, money, or attention in something. Focus on the 'why' behind their behaviors.
• 😀 The key to effective product management is to diagnose problems thoroughly before jumping to conclusions. Most product managers fail because they skip this crucial step.
• 😀 In product management, 90% of the focus should be on diagnosing problems, and only 10% on prescribing solutions. This prevents hasty, superficial decisions.
• 😀 Kunal believes that a successful product manager must balance curiosity with action. Overly curious individuals may struggle to act, while those who don’t act on insights will also fail.
• 😀 When hiring product managers, curiosity is essential, but so is the ability to execute and demonstrate sound judgment in decision-making.
• 😀 A career starter should focus on first principles thinking and deeply understanding the fundamental reasons behind various phenomena.
• 😀 Understanding human nature is crucial when building products. People seek efficiency in terms of time, money, status, or protection, and successful products cater to these basic needs.
• 😀 Alignment within a company around a central strategy ensures that everyone works toward a common goal. Lack of alignment leads to confusion and inefficiency in execution.

Q & A

What was Kunal doing at the age of 21?

At the age of 21, Kunal joined a startup. He initially considered himself a problematic employee, even telling the founder that the idea behind the startup was flawed. He later convinced the team to work on a side project, which ultimately turned into a new business, leading Kunal to become the CEO of that startup at 23.

How did Kunal approach learning and education?

Kunal was never particularly good at traditional studies or scoring marks in exams. However, he excelled in understanding concepts deeply. He was particularly good at vivas and practicals, where he could demonstrate his understanding. Kunal also dropped out of MBA school after one or two semesters, as he preferred hands-on learning and solving real-world problems over academic exams.

Why does Kunal believe curiosity is important in life?

Kunal believes curiosity is crucial because it drives the need to understand things on a deeper level. He mentions that many people lose their curiosity over time, often due to external pressures, but his intense curiosity allows him to explore various fields, from business to physics to philosophy, helping him learn more and approach problems from different perspectives.

What does Kunal mean by understanding the deeper truth in product management?

Kunal emphasizes the importance of not stopping at surface-level answers when diagnosing problems in product management. Understanding the deeper truth means thoroughly investigating why people behave a certain way, why they invest their time, money, or attention, and understanding those motivations in depth to create more impactful solutions.

What are the key currencies that people give to products, according to Kunal?

Kunal identifies three key currencies people give to products: time, money, and attention. A successful product is one that can capture these currencies by deeply understanding why people choose to invest them in a particular service or offering.

What is Kunal’s approach to product managers (PMs) and their skills?

Kunal looks for product managers who are curious, as curiosity is essential for diagnosing and solving problems effectively. He also notes that successful PMs need to balance curiosity with action, ensuring they don't get stuck in endless analysis but instead focus on creating tangible solutions. Furthermore, Kunal values PMs who can explain the business impact to engineers and align the team toward a unified goal.

What does Kunal say about the importance of team alignment in product management?

Kunal stresses the importance of having a clear, central strategy that aligns the entire team. Without a clear strategy, people might work at cross-purposes, leading to inefficiency. Ensuring everyone understands the mission and their role in achieving it is crucial for driving the company forward.

Why does Kunal believe product managers should focus 90% on diagnosing and 10% on prescribing solutions?

Kunal believes that effective product managers must first understand the problem deeply before jumping to solutions. By focusing primarily on diagnosing the issue—understanding its root causes—they can then create more effective, well-thought-out solutions. This avoids the common mistake of prematurely implementing ideas without fully grasping the problem.

What challenges has Kunal faced when hiring first-time product managers?

Kunal mentions that while he has tried hiring first-time product managers, he has had limited success. The challenge often lies in finding candidates who are not just curious but also able to translate that curiosity into actionable steps. The balance between deep curiosity and the ability to execute is something Kunal is still working to perfect in his hiring process.

What advice does Kunal give to people starting their professional careers?

Kunal advises newcomers to focus on building curiosity and understanding human behavior. He also suggests that new professionals should work on diagnosing problems effectively and should seek alignment with their team around a central strategy. For Kunal, understanding why people make certain decisions and connecting those insights to product development is key to success.