I started writing online to find my fellow data product managers - and have found real online friends and colleagues - so I guess community is the driver. The most satisfying parts are conversations I have with people who are trying to figure out this data product thing—which anecdotally I’ve seen as impactful at my orgs, but it’s so new there’s little “expertise.” I was wary to begin writing because I felt like “I’m still figuring this out.” But then I realized the best approach would be finding my peers and sharing our learnings in public not as “experts” but as practitioners who’ve stumbled upon pieces that seem sticky / getting traction. I feel like an imposter because I’m not good at the content creator status games, but as long as I’m meeting great people and learning I guess I’ll keep doing it.
Community seeking is the first thing that came to mind for me too! It’s so hard to filter between people seeking status and those who truly share your interests.
The vanity metrics are cool to see and all, but for me, it all goes back to having an impact in people’s lives. It makes my day when someone says that a post or article that I wrote has helped them.
And in return, I end up with a nice community :) it’s a win-win situation.
I started writing online to find my fellow data product managers - and have found real online friends and colleagues - so I guess community is the driver. The most satisfying parts are conversations I have with people who are trying to figure out this data product thing—which anecdotally I’ve seen as impactful at my orgs, but it’s so new there’s little “expertise.” I was wary to begin writing because I felt like “I’m still figuring this out.” But then I realized the best approach would be finding my peers and sharing our learnings in public not as “experts” but as practitioners who’ve stumbled upon pieces that seem sticky / getting traction. I feel like an imposter because I’m not good at the content creator status games, but as long as I’m meeting great people and learning I guess I’ll keep doing it.
Consistency is key
Community seeking is the first thing that came to mind for me too! It’s so hard to filter between people seeking status and those who truly share your interests.
The vanity metrics are cool to see and all, but for me, it all goes back to having an impact in people’s lives. It makes my day when someone says that a post or article that I wrote has helped them.
And in return, I end up with a nice community :) it’s a win-win situation.
Thanks for playing your status game. Your are helping people and changing their lives. And thanks for the shout out.
Anytime