The Punk PM #27

Hey there, punk!

I’ve been thinking a lot about the relationship between product and research lately. Not the polite, arms-length kind, but the messy, valuable kind that actually moves things forward.

It started when I was prepping a talk an open studio session we hosted for Tyne Design Week, looking back at a decade of design work at hedgehog lab.

Let's get into it.

Quote of the Week 🙊

Insight 🦉

Let's be honest: research without action is just expensive paperwork.

You see it all the time. Teams spend months gathering insights, building beautiful decks, mapping journeys. But when the presentations are done? Nothing changes.

That's because insights don't ship themselves.

Great product teams don't just collect data, they translate it into direction. They live at the intersection of curiosity and clarity, asking not just what could we do? but what should we do, and why?

This isn't about managing backlogs or shepherding roadmaps anymore. It's about turning research into results. Making decisions that actually move things forward.

Here's what that looks like in practice:

• Connecting user needs to business strategy

• Turning vague insights into clear direction

• Making tough calls about what not to do

• Giving your team the context to build with confidence

When product owns the what and the why, everyone else can focus on the how.

That's when research stops being an artefact and starts being an asset.

Action 🚀

This week, take a hard look at your last three shipped features. Did they come from real insight, or just good intentions?

The answer might surprise you.

Inspiration 💡

The Feature Factory Strikes Back – Paul Brown takes aim at the endless feature treadmill that traps so many product teams. His key insight? Shipping more features doesn't mean delivering more value. It's a sharp reminder that activity isn't progress and why measuring the right things matters more than measuring everything. Read more

Breaking Free from Process Prison – Saeed Khan argues that AI won't fix product management until we fix product management itself. From weak leadership to broken processes, he maps out the real challenges holding teams back and offers a practical path forward that doesn't rely on technological silver bullets. Read more

The Hidden Value of Messy Work – Elizabeth Ayer flips the script on how we think about meetings. Instead of seeing them as productivity killers, she reveals them as essential spaces for meaning-making. A thoughtful take on why some of our most valuable work happens in the gaps between our todos. Read more

Signing Off ✍️

If this sparked something for you, hit reply and tell me about a time research changed your product's direction completely. And if you know someone who's drowning in noise but struggling to find the signal, maybe forward this their way.

Play it your way,

Toby