Are you a Product or a Brand?
We have repeatedly said, “Yes”, but this is worth considering when thinking about how you contemplate your Product Management versus Brand issue:
[Tom] Peters uses the word “brand” and [Chris] Brogan uses the word “product.” That’s a critical distinction in my eyes. The problem with you as a product is that there’s only so much of you. Let’s say you work 2000 hours a year. You want to make more money. There’s just two choices: make more per hour or work more hours. The first is hard and the second is harder.
A better strategy is to use your time to create products besides you that can be sold or otherwise monetized. This leverages your time and your brand. What kind of products? Software, paintings, podcasts, whatever your skill set leads you to.
So Rick thinks everything is a Product Management problem, and now I’ve been rambling on the Personal Brand issue. Are we just off base? Are the two perspectives exclusive of one another?
2 responses so far ↓
Pride of Workmanship | More than a living // Apr 18, 2007 at 9:38 pm
[…] Be ready to be accountable for what you deliver. This task (however mundane) is part of your portfolio and how the client views your brand. Make this impression count, and give them a good reason to recommend you to others. […]
Alice into the Rabbit Hole - Bring Your Interviewer In | More than a living // Apr 24, 2007 at 4:39 am
[…] The story you tell should be an early and clear sign of what your personal brand will represent. We’ve all got great stories from our past, but you have a brand you are building, and want to give them a very clear preview of who you will be and how you will interact in this role. […]
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