Main Takeaways: -Identity and Diversity -How Army Values inspire proper product principles -Product management principles can and should be practiced by anyone/everyone

1. What Military Values Teach us About PM
by Peloton Product Leader
www.productschool.com

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5. Military Values
and what they can teach us about
Product Management

6. Being your best self will help the team and its mission
Diversity and Identity
Military ethos have more in common than you might have thought
Army Values through the lens of a Product Manager
Anyone and everyone should embrace the product mindset
Product Principles are not limited to PMs

7. About Me Mark
Currently at Peloton in Product
8 years of Technology & Product at Capital One
3 years in the US Army
MBA
MS Innovation and Entrepreneurship
BS Information Technology

8. Every servicemember is there to become part of something greater, with one mission, one goal, and
one uniform. As you become stronger and tougher, you discover that your contributions to the team
are greatest when you embrace your most authentic self -- and encourage others to do the same
Photo Credit: Army Times
E pluribus unum
From many, One

9. "Bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S.
Constitution, the Army, your unit and other
Soldiers. Bearing true faith and allegiance is
a matter of believing in and devoting
yourself to something or someone. A loyal
Soldier is one who supports the leadership
and stands up for fellow Soldiers. By wearing
the uniform of the U.S. Army you are
expressing your loyalty. And by doing your
share, you show your loyalty to your unit."
Embracing the mission & vision, the
company, and your immediate teams
Mission & vision can answer questions
you might not have anticipated
As the CEO of your product, inspire and
excite others to join you
Evangalizing the mission of the
organization helps contribute to the
company's future
Loyalty
Photo Credit: Department of Defense

10. Duty
"Fulfill your obligations. Doing your duty means more
than carrying out your assigned tasks. Duty means
being able to accomplish tasks as part of a team. The
work of the U.S. Army is a complex combination of
missions, tasks and responsibilities — all in constant
motion. Our work entails building one assignment onto
another. You fulfill your obligations as a part of your
unit every time you resist the temptation to take
“shortcuts” that might undermine the integrity of the
final product."
Do as you say, and say as you do
Commit to your teams to drive impactful
outcomes for your business
Successful teams accelerate the
flywheel, leveraging tight feedback loops
Commit to the long-term success of
your users as technology evolves
Engage your users to co-develop useful
features faster
Photo Credit: Department of Defense

11. "Treat people as they should be treated.
In the Soldier’s Code, we pledge to “treat
others with dignity and respect while
expecting others to do the same.”
Respect is what allows us to appreciate
the best in other people. Respect is
trusting that all people have done their
jobs and fulfilled their duty. And self-
respect is a vital ingredient with the Army
value of respect, which results from
knowing you have put forth your best
effort. The Army is one team and each of
us has something to contribute."
Respect your customers and users by
frequently seeking to understand their
perspective
Once an expert of your product, it is
hard to view it like a new user
Mitigate this by continuously tracking
user experience data
We make assumtions, which can be
wrong
You never know where you might find
your most enthusiastic users
Respect
Stock photo

12. Selfless Service
"Put the welfare of the nation, the Army and your
subordinates before your own. Selfless service is larger
than just one person. In serving your country, you are
doing your duty loyally without thought of recognition
or gain. The basic building block of selfless service is
the commitment of each team member to go a little
further, endure a little longer, and look a little closer to
see how he or she can add to the effort."
Photo Credit: Department of Defense
Product Managers cannot deliver
products alone
Help those who help you
Fullfilling the duties of the PM role will
enable others to be successful
Jump on the grenade to save others
Take blame when needed to help
drive towards solutions

13. "Do what’s right, legally and morally.
Integrity is a quality you develop by adhering
to moral principles. It requires that you do
and say nothing that deceives others. As
your integrity grows, so does the trust others
place in you. The more choices you make
based on integrity, the more this highly
prized value will affect your relationships
with family and friends, and, finally, the
fundamental acceptance of yourself."
Do what is right, especially when it aligns
with the mission of the org
When designing UX, it can be easy to
discourage unwanted behavior
'Dark Patterns' have resulted in legal
action against Amazon
"The information we provide in the online
cancellation flow gives a full view of the
benefits and services members are
cancelling." - Amazon
Balance reasonable shortcuts of MVP with
plans to mitigate risks in fast followups
Integrity
Photo Credit: US Marine Corps

14. "Face fear, danger or adversity (physical or
moral). Personal courage has long been
associated with our Army. With physical
courage, it is a matter of enduring physical
duress and at times risking personal safety.
Facing moral fear or adversity may be a
long, slow process of continuing forward on
the right path, especially if taking those
actions is not popular with others. You can
build your personal courage by daily
standing up for and acting upon the things
that you know are honorable".
"The biggest risk is not taking any risk"
Competition is intense and
experimentation is expected
Expect to fail, but plan to learn from it
Use MVPs to mitigate Marty Cagan's
product risks
Valuable
Usable
Feasible
Viable
- Mark Zuckerberg
Courage
Photo Credit: Department of Defense

15. "Live up to Army values. The nation’s highest military award is The Medal of Honor. This award goes to Soldiers
who make honor a matter of daily living — Soldiers who develop the habit of being honorable, and solidify that
habit with every value choice they make. Honor is a matter of carrying out, acting, and living the values of
respect, duty, loyalty, selfless service, integrity and personal courage in everything you do."
Photo Credit: Department of Defense
Embrace all of the disciplines that will help you make good decisions
Let curiosity drive your thirst for knowledge
Be an open-minded, problem-solving collaborator who is motivated to
get things done
Honor

16. The Business
How does the business make
money? Costs?
How and where is the product
sold? Who buys it?
Do you offer support or service
for your product?
The Customers
Who are they?
Why do they use your product?
What is the next best alternative for
them?
The User Data
How are they interacting with it?
How many users? Frequency?
Churn? Acquisition? Avg value?
Are any of these changing over
time?
The Industry
Who are the key competitors?
What goals have they announced?
Are there new ways to solve
existing problems?

17. Thank You
Stock photo

18. www.productschool.com
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