Keys to Succeeding as a Remote Product Leader w/ Valentina Thörner, Product Advisory at Klaus

Practical Product w/ Jason Evanish

Books and other helpful links from today's episode:
Many books and great blog posts were mentioned in this episode. Here's a rundown of the books:

• Asking good questions and winning negotiations: Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
• Metaphors We Live By by George Lakoff & Mark Johnson
• Learn to work with others better with: The 4 Tendencies - Analyzing Motivations by Gretchen Ruben
• Learn to be a better writer and communicator with: On Writing Well by William Zinssser

And blog posts for you to read:

• Learn how to connect with anyone on your team by Building Rapport
• Hear another interview with Valentina focused on general remote leadership with the Lighthouse's Conversation w/ Valentina
• Learn how to have innovative discussions with your team and whiteboard remotely with Brainwriting (this is a Miro template for it)
• Learn how to facilitate meetings well and communicate with your team better:
  • Valentina recommends Workshop Wednesdays and Make Team Work
  • And Remote-How.com is a marketplace for more help with remote challenges
• One of the best ways to build connection across departments and teams is with Peer 1 on 1s.
  • Learn how to use Peer 1 on 1s across teams
  • Learn more specifically how to use peer 1 on 1s as a product manager here
• Learn from Valentina on LinkedIn: "What should they ask in interviews to tell if the company does remote well?"

More on Valentina Thörner:

• Valentina on LinkedIn and the company she works for Klaus
• Valentina's Website
• Valentina's Substack
• And her book: From A Distance - A Practical Guide to Remote Leadership by Valentina Thörner

More on Jason Evanish:

• Get more product advice on Jason's blog
• For more product advice, thoughts on tech, and more, Follow Jason on Twitter
• You can take your learning to the next level and get coaching from Jason or take his course here

Episode Topics:
(0:50) - Introducing Valentina Turner

(1:43) - What are some of the biggest changes when someone shifts to a remote PM role?

(11:38) - How can a Remote PM be successful?

(14:55) - How do you advise Remote PM’s to think about understanding how their team is feeling and reacting to their work and communication in an asynchronous environment?

(18:57) - How do you tell if your team is on the same page when everyone is remote?

(24:00) - Do you think the ideal product team size is different for remote vs. in-person?

(26:54) - How do you avoid meeting & Zoom overload?

(39:52) - What makes a good discussion meeting, and when do you need to have those on the calendar?

(42:16) - How do you create the collaborative juices from a whiteboarding session to a remote team?

(48:48) - How often do Remote product teams need to be together in person?

(51:53) - How much would you think about geolocation when it comes to constructing pods?

(58:49) - What are ways PM’s can prepare themselves for the shift to a remote-first organization?

(1:04:54)- What questions would you recommend asking when sussing out if a remote company is the right fit?

(1:14:15) - What skills would you recommend developing for folks looking to become remote PM’s?

(1:20:32) - What are things that are good ways for folks to build their writing and communication skills?

(1:27:10) - Are there any more skills people need to develop to be great Remote PM’s?

(1:31:20) - Wrapping up

(1:33:19) - How can people find you online?