Almost to the day of my one year anniversary at 11:FS, I was made redundant. Tricky market conditions and a couple of big projects going on hold pushed us over the edge into needing to cut costs and batten down the hatches.
So I’ve been reflecting on the year I spent heading up the 11:FS product team (partly as a way of updating this site without creating a hundred separate posts.)
Team is the best bit. I have grown a team of motivated, effective, talented product managers who are the driving force behind the business. We’ve worked together to define our purpose, focus and rolling areas of improvement (feedback, communication, influence…). They are leading the charge to embed a solid feedback culture and a demand for excellence across the business. I wish them all stellar futures as the sparks that make the magic happen at 11:FS and beyond.
Product in a consultancy is a perfect mix of rigour and chaos. You have little control over the context you’re working in and as such need to fine tune your ability to influence without authority. You strive for best practice but frequently settle for best case scenario in the service of keeping things moving and getting stuff done. Being able to embed better product thinking and ways of working can be a battle but also a privilege - tiny steps are still steps in the right direction.
Despite huge attention around and interest in inclusive design in the design and product communities over the past few years, it’s still almost always an afterthought when people are actually designing products and services. We still have a lot more to do and I’m working out new ways of getting it to stick in people’s minds.
Everyone thinks they want to work in product. Researchers, salespeople, delivery managers, strategists have all come to me in the last year and asked if they can move into the product team - I’ve had more non-product mentees this year than I have had direct reports. Why is this? I think in part it’s because because there’s room to grow, endless new things to learn and as a product person no one ever tells you to stay in your lane.
So what’s next? I’m planning to take the summer off - enjoy living by the seaside, playing with my 5 year old and growing courgettes. And then we’ll see.