Learn to ask of all actions, “Why are they doing that?” Starting with your own.

Marcus Aurelius, Meditations, Book 10, Section 37

Quoting Meditations in the context of Product Management is probably as perverse as using The Art of War as a business book. But here I am.

Understanding human motivation is at the core of Product Management, and starting with oneself is the first step. “Why am I doing that?” is a very powerful question, but it’s just the beginning. You should go deeper and follow up with questions like:

• How was I feeling?
• Why was I feeling like that (frustrated/delighted/anxious, etc)?
• What factors contributed to this emotional state?
• What was I really trying to do?