Why am I teaching people about Digital Products, Strategy, & Sensemaking?

I have recently come to the realisation that my quest in life is to make sense of things, and to help others do the same. I’ve always seemed to be a translator of sorts, living between the business and tech, or business and creative services back in the advertising days.

So now I find myself in a famous tech firm, doing the hand-waving and strategising before client coughs up a tonne of money to build something. I essentially help them define which problems they should solve.

I use many tools to make-sense for example: Tech in pursuit of design, conversation in pursuit of problem definition, design in pursuit of understanding behaviours, and the list goes on. I’m called a Product Strategist, whatever that means.. in Digital, whatever that also means.

Oh, and there was another surprise that led me to where I am now.. People!

I kinda hate people, but I really work so well with them. What a conundrum! I think my perception of what it means to work with people was coloured by the failed legacy HR departments of big companies, which leaves a lot to be desired. But finding my own way to working with and developing people, I have found that I love it. I enjoy working with people and helping them on their own personal journeys, it’s just a by-product that I help them become product managers, or design thinkers or something like that.

Here is a rough sketch of how I am bringing together the process of designing products & services, with the personal development journey:

My focus is on what happens for individuals at the various intersections between the external process and the internal world.

It’s time for me to move on from my General Assembly teaching which I have done for 3 years now. On to a space where I can push the boundaries on the content, create an experience that is unusual and challenging but inspiring and valuable too. Student feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, and they have highlighted that the key to a positive learning experience is energy, humour, and humility, which I attempt to bring to every minute of class.

So here we are:

Learn Product Management With Mike Biggs

We’re keeping class size down to 10. So it will be intimate, and allow for lots of interaction with me!

We have an early bird price so it would be great to get onboard now.

I will push students to think about their own motivations and sensemaking capability.

More info & Register here: http://learnproductmanagementwithmikebiggs.pagedemo.co/