Cut Through the Noise
The human side of product management.
👋 Hey, Sam here! Welcome back to The Product Trench. Every other Wednesday, I cut through the noise to share actionable insights, no-nonsense advice, and stories related to product management and leadership. Occasionally, I share hot takes on topics that get me fired up.
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A Note Before We Dive In
I took a break from the newsletter over the holidays. Life has been busy—both at work and personally. It hasn't left much space to read and digest a lot of articles or sit down to write. Recognizing the signs of early burnout, I decided to pause the newsletter for a bit. While that break is over, my schedule remains packed, which means my publishing cadence—including the Sunday Weekly Roundups—might still be inconsistent.
That break also allowed me to reflect on the content I want to create going forward. It's not about writing just to publish or generating filler. I want to ensure that what I share provides the same value and thoughtfulness as before. Quality will always matter more than quantity.
With more energy and clarity now, I'm excited to share some thoughts that have been on my mind. Let's get into it.
PS: A shorter version of this was shared on LinkedIn recently, but I wanted to expand on those thoughts here.
Scrolling through LinkedIn these days, it feels like everything is on the chopping block. "Product management is dead." "SaaS is dead." You name it; someone has declared it obsolete. Then there's the endless stream of posts telling you you're doing product management wrong unless you're following this framework, listening to that thought leader, or memorizing insights from those books.
It's a lot. And frankly, it can make you feel like you're always behind. And with AI dominating the conversation, it's easy to feel like everything we know about building products is suddenly outdated.
But here's the thing: the best product managers I've met? They're not glued to LinkedIn or subscribing to every newsletter. They're not memorizing frameworks or quoting the latest books. They're out there building. They're solving real problems, working with their teams, and making their products just a little better every day.
The Noise vs. The Work
Let's be clear—I'm not saying thought leadership or frameworks are useless. They have their place. They can spark ideas, offer guidance, and challenge your thinking. But they don't teach you the messy, unscripted side of product management—the part where you're navigating tough conversations with stakeholders or making trade-offs that don't fit neatly into a playbook.
The reality is, no amount of content can fully prepare you for the human side of the job. It's about showing up. Building trust. Saying no in a way that doesn't crush morale. These aren't skills you learn from a book; they're honed through experience.
The Best PMs Focus on the Humans
The best product managers I know aren't preoccupied with keeping up with every trend. They focus on the fundamentals:
Their teams: Creating an environment where builders can do their best work.
Their users: Staying curious about real-world problems and prioritizing solutions that make a difference.
The work itself: Constantly asking, "What's the next best thing we can do?"
They don't ignore new ideas, but they're selective. They're not chasing every shiny object or rigidly applying frameworks where they don't fit. Instead, they're grounded in the people and problems that matter most.
How to Cut Through the Noise
If all the content and advice out there feels overwhelming, here's a reminder: you don't have to consume it all. Start by tuning out what's not immediately relevant. Then, focus on what drives impact in your role:
Prioritize people: Whether it's your team or your users, make humans the center of your decision-making.
Be selective with content: Treat books, frameworks, and trends as inspiration—not gospel. Use them to complement your work, not dictate it.
Focus on progress, not perfection: The best PMs aren't perfect; they're pragmatic. They aim to make things better, one decision at a time.
The Heart of Product Management
At its core, product management isn't about frameworks, hype, or the latest trend. It's about showing up for the humans who build, use, and lead. It's about solving real problems, building trust, and doing the work that matters. Everything else? It's just noise.
👋 And that’s a wrap folks. Thank you for reading.
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See you next time.
— Sam ✌️
While I love the content of your post and advice to PMs, I love your OWN humanness even more, in your note before the post. As a fellow Substacker, I can relate to the grind to produce. Good on you for resisting that urge and sticking to putting content out there that meets your needs and cadence.