Lessons from ‘Ice Ice Baby’ for Product Managers

As I write this article, many tech companies are conducting layoffs. Among the hardest hit are product managers (although program and project managers are also feeling the pinch). Reasons companies are citing for this are streamlining communication, increasing speed of decision-making, and getting developers themselves closer to customers.

I’ll be forthright here and say that I don’t blame these companies. Having worked as a product owner myself, and observing many product managers over the years, I can safely say there are an abundance of ineffective product “professionals”. How can product managers get better? Well, let’s draw inspiration from the most unlikely source… Vanilla Ice and the lyrics of his 1990 hit, “Ice Ice Baby”. You might not believe me, but I challenge you to read on. I guarantee any aspiring product manager will learn at least one thing that will enhance their work with these five lessons from “Ice Ice Baby”.

“If there was a problem, yo I'll solve it!”

This is probably the most important lyric for product managers. After all, your job at its very core is to solve problems. As a product manager, your job isn’t to feed your own ego and ambition. Your job is to work with humans to make and enhance products that solve problems and create value for other humans. Solving problems should be your North Star. Creating value should be what you think about first thing every morning when your alarm goes off.

“All right stop! Collaborate and listen.”

You might know a lot as a product manager, but you don’t know everything. If you are spending more time talking and dictating than collaborating and listening, you are not an effective product manager. Good product managers listen… a lot. They listen to the needs problems of their customers, then they collaborate with them, their team, and other stakeholders to solve them. Again, ego often gets in the way. STOP! Collaborate and listen.

“Quick to the point, to the point, no faking.”

Effective product managers are quick to the point and sincere. Simplifying sounds easier than complicating, but its not. Good product managers analyze and introduce complexity only as much as required, then act. Iterative one-pagers can be far more impactful than that 300 page spec you’ve spent the last 8 months writing in your mountain cabin. Focus on the things that are most important, make a decision and act with authenticity. Bells and whistles can wait.

“Burning 'em if you ain't quick and nimble.

The business world moves faster than ever. Ineffective product managers cling on to their babies and don’t let go. Good product managers understand that shifts will occur. Your competitors will burn you if you’re not quick and nimble, and you’ll end up dumbfounded and speechless like Shorty Mike at the end of 8-mile. Advocating for effective Agile work methodologies and taking part in them will help you and your organization be the Eminem you can be.

“Feasible rhymes you can vision and feel.”

Good product managers cut through clutter and create clarity. They tell stories with “feasible rhymes you can vision and feel”. That is, they discuss and share conceptualizations that their customers, teams and stakeholders can understand. They show their vision for feasible, real-world ways to solve problems and create value. Others not only comprehend, they feel it… in their bones like a bangin’ beat with fly rhymes.

I hoped you learned something from this short article, or at the very least were entertained. If this helped just one still-employed product manager out there be just a little better, I’ve done my job. With that, I leave you with this quote:

“Anything less than the best is a felony.”

— Vanilla Ice, ‘Ice Ice Baby’ (1990)