Karl Popper was a contemporary of Kuhn and participated in the 20th century philosophical debate on the evolution of science with some interesting views. He is seen as less radical than Kuhn, since sociological factors play a lesser role in his theories of scientific development. Popper coined the concept of falsifiability . Falsifiable theories, statements and propositions are those that can be proven wrong. In his view, if you cannot prove them wrong, they are not scientific statements and there is no reason for scientists to study them. Popper was fiercely against pseudosciences such as astrology, as he believed they were not falsifiable.
Falsifiability is the mother of vanity metrics . If in business, vanity metrics are those that are not worth tracking, in science, unfalsifiable theories are those that are not worth researching. Product managers could benefit from understanding the nuances of falsifiability and the demarcation problem that comes with it, to develop critical thinking about which ideas are worth pursuing.
3. Leslie Berlin – Troublemakers
Leslie Berlin – Troublemakers
I believe that a good story is transformative and a source of lessons for the future. However, the market is infested with superficial case studies that mislead rather than teach. Fame sells and, unfortu bosnia and herzegovina mobile phone number nately, some books benefit from it. It has become difficult for me to filter out which bestsellers have been thoroughly researched and I often find myself looking for stories written by academics. Most of them do not write for money and have researched for years before they begin writing the first line of their books.
In this sense, academic historian Leslie Berlin’s book “ Troublemakers” is a treasure trove of superficial Silicon Valley histories. Each chapter has a new story with new characters. Berlin tells the untold story of Silicon Valley by providing details about hidden figures such as Mike Markkula, Sandra Kurtzig, Al Alcorn, and many others. Her story reveals unknown secrets of the 1970s and 1980s in Northern California. PMs and anyone interested in Silicon Valley would benefit from learning the real stories and hidden details behind the everyday Silicon Valley stories that have already been spread.
4. Jack Hart – Storycraft
Jack Hart – Storycraft
During my PhD, I read several books on how to write better . They all helped me a lot and I still have trouble applying some of the tips and tricks I learned from them. However, the one that helped me the most was “ Storycraft ”. Jack Hart writes about how to turn nonfiction into narrative . He provides simple and applicable tips for turning blocks of text into an enjoyable narrative .
Product Managers are drowning in boring PRDs while being asked to be great storytellers to convince stakeholders . Jack Hart’s “ Storycraft” may be the best reference to learn how to transform boring nonfiction PRDs into enjoyable stories that can convince any stakeholder and keep the team motivated.
Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner – Freakonomics
I believe that knowing economic theory is of immense value to Product Managers. Basic microeconomics, with its concepts of marginal utility, diminishing returns, demand, supply, market equilibrium, among others, has everyday value for anyone in the startup world . As an economist, I couldn't make this list without at least one economics book. However, choosing a single economics book was not an easy task.
So I opted for a non-technical book that has already achieved significant status as a “democratizer” of economic knowledge: Freakonomics . Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner have written a light-hearted book with excellent case studies that cover a wide range of economic concepts . With Freakonomics , PMs can get a taste of economic thinking and understand how it applies to everyday problems. Freakonomics is a good introduction to understanding economics as a tool for solving multiple problems, rather than a rigid theory.
- Board index
- All times are UTC
- Delete cookies
- Contact us