Derek Ferguson

An MVP is often misunderstood as a reduced version of a product. In reality, it’s a strategic approach to validating demand before scaling development. Focusing on a single core outcome allows teams to reduce risk and build with clarity.

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If the job of PM is to embody the voice of the customer, then explicit PM roles are less required the more your builders embody the customer directly. The inverse is also true. e.g. DevTools need less. Healthcare needs more.

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We finally did it - we’ve launched an agentic test automation system that transforms natural-language test intent into verified, executable browser automation at scale. It’s built for PMs and QA engineers who want to define behavior and expected outcomes - not spend time authoring and maintaining test scripts. It’s equally designed for engineers, so script generation and upkeep are no longer core development burdens. I’m incredibly proud of what our team has accomplished.

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The customer is not always right, but they’re never wrong. That tension is at the heart of product work. We’re taught to listen. Talk to users. Run discovery. Prioritize outcomes. That’s the JTBD, customer-informed, value-driven approach. It’s where good product work begins. But then come the quotes from Jobs, Ford, and others. "If I had asked people, they would have asked for faster horses." "People don’t know what they want until you show it to them." Suddenly, we are told to stop listening and start leading. Invent the future. Anticipate what no one is asking for. It creates a real pull between two mindsets: 🟣 Listen first vs. lead first 🟣 Servant to the customer vs. shaper of the market 🟣 Validation vs. invention The truth is, most great product work sits in the middle. The best PMs are not order takers or solo geniuses. They are translators. They take what users say, find what they actually need, and build something that creates real progress. They listen hard but don’t treat every request as gospel. They lead with a point of view but stay grounded in real-world problems. Being customer-led doesn’t mean building everything customers ask for. Being visionary doesn’t mean ignoring the people you are here to serve. It is not either-or. It is a tension. And learning to work inside that tension is the real job. Curious how others think about this. Where do you follow feedback, and where do you trust your gut? #productmanagement #JTBD #productstrategy #leadership #innovation

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#SCP-14-12-25 | Scaling Without Rewriting Everything Scaling isn’t about starting over. It’s about designing systems that grow without breaking. Most teams rewrite when things get slow, fragile, or messy. But the real problem? 🧩 Tight coupling 🧩 Buried logic 🧩 No clear boundaries Sustainable scale comes from: ✅ Decoupling intent from implementation ✅ Designing with extension in mind ✅ Protecting what already works Good architecture doesn’t fear growth — it invites it. 🔗 masterfabric.co #MF #SCP #SoftwareArchitecture #ScalingSystems #TechStrategy #CleanCode #DeveloperMindset #ModularDesign #ScalableSoftware #DevWorkflow #EngineeringExcellence

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💥 I just found a foundational flaw in Claude. All models, all interfaces. Repro steps below: 1. Go to Claude settings 2. Attempt to update your email address 3. If you can’t find how to do it on your own, ask Claude how to change your Claude email address 4. Validate that Claude is not hallucinating by going to https://support.claude.com and searching for “How do I change the email address associated with my account?” 5. Shake your head and think “sorry users, I know we kind of slid past this when you signed up. Hope the email you used to sign up never gets compromised or needs to change – magic links or SSO are the only option (darn it). And if it does, hope you didn’t buy an annual PRO plan because no refunds / transfers even if to the same human ✌ (grrrr…)” Perhaps this behavior is the result of conscious prioritization based on a thorough understanding of needs / trade-offs. If this behavior was an oversight, then based on prior trips on the modernization train, this could be a massive slog of tech debt. Particularly in a hyper-growth business dependent on uninterrupted & high-integrity data access / entitlements / provenance. Product people – let's use this moment to build foresight! - Don’t abdicate PM or UX from “technical” discussions about data models, identity, or access control – decisions within these domains have incredible implications - Customer onboarding & admin workflows are foundational CX, not afterthoughts - If you’re using Claude Code, invest in Git + GitHub integration for improved resilience (and much more)

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Learn what Playwright is, why teams use it, how it compares with other E2E tools, and how to scale tests with parallel execution.

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Seemingly small features can have a huge impact. With the new AI powered help chat, IT admins can get detailed insights on how to use PDQ Connect to accomplish their goals - all without needing to leave the product. Proud of what the team has delivered here!

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💡 AI doesn’t just change how code is written – it changes expectations and outcomes. In the final section of Jellyfish’s AI Adoption Guide, we explore how expectations for engineering leaders are evolving as AI becomes embedded across the SDLC. Because the organizations pulling ahead are treating AI as a transformation, not a tooling upgrade. Inside, you’ll explore: - Why AI adoption is quickly becoming a leadership mandate, not an option - How to balance ambitious goals with realistic expectations - What cultural investments are required to sustain long-term gains - How data can be used to align executives and engineering teams The teams that win in the AI era won’t just have better tools – they’ll have leaders who know how to guide change. Download today: https://lnkd.in/dut_6WpQ

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"Isn't that the role of an architect?" A senior leader asked me this when I was talking about platform product management. It's a fair question and I have heard it before. Platform systems can be incredibly technical, but they need someone to champion the user perspective — to bridge what's technically possible with what users actually need. In some aspects, it's harder to grasp compared to user-facing products. IMO, Here's what makes Platform PMs unique: * Deeply technical system and users * Tough to imagine the product design * Guardrails as core construct * Adoption through alignment * Impact beyond revenue There's an interesting story about how this played out during a critical system failure, and how Platform PM plays a critical role in stability and scale of systems. Give it a read, and let me know your thoughts. https://lnkd.in/gAhRpD-C #Platforms #PlatformProductManagement #DataPlatform #ProductDesign

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Goodbye test debt. Hello self-healing tests. QA teams waste hours fixing fragile scripts that break with every app change. With Appvance IQ, AI-driven self-healing keeps tests running automatically — no rework, no wasted time. That means more coverage, faster releases, and fewer bugs. Learn how AIQ eliminates test debt: https://hubs.ly/Q03K-NHW0

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