When the medicine is sweet and packaged colorfully, people want it more. They might end up taking more than the recommended dose. And then the medicine that was supposed to treat the affliction, becomes the affliction.

In product work, we’re surrounded by frameworks, tools, operating models and things of the ilk that purport to be the solution to our strategy, execution or team problems. These are heavily marketed, packaged very well and can feel very sweet when you first try them.

Sometimes our problems are simple enough and one-dimensional enough that you can “take a pill” to make the pain go away. A generic, over-the-counter treatment works just fine.

But if your problem is complex enough or multidimensional enough, then you need a more serious diagnosis and a bespoke treatment plan. In coming up with this, doctors understand that treating a complex system like the human body means treatments are rarely slam-dunk, and tend to have side effects. Thus they and need to be carefully dosed and tested into. This strategy requires expertise of the medical practice and a thorough exam of the patient and their affliction.

I’ll wager a guess that the most impactful problems you face in your product work are likely in the complex bucket. If so, my advice to you is -

1. Focus on the diagnosis first
2. Understand the side effects of the treatment you’re prescribing
3. Calibrate its dosage; assess & adjust
4. Never get hooked to the medicine. Focus on being healthy.

-- Waqas https://x.com/vixsheikh https://substack.com/@waqassheikh