Recent content in Home on Joe Cotellese
Executive summary 
 BLUF: Opus 5 explains too much. I got the answer back at the top of the response with three changes: a tone section in CLAUDE.md , a one-line hook that re-points at it every turn, and turning Claude Code’s focus mode off. 
 
 The tone section does the heavy lifting. No preamble, no recap, no tool-call narration, plus one test that catches filler generically:…
I live in an old house. I love it. The history, the details nobody bothers with anymore, the fact that it has a story. 
 It is also never finished. 
 One year it’s swapping out fixtures that were never designed for LED bulbs. Another it’s dragging a 1960s kitchen into this century. This summer it’s painting the wood siding. Again. 
 None of that means the house was…
I came across a tool called toktrack that charts my Claude Code token usage over time. I’m on the $200-a-month Max plan, so I’d never thought hard about it. 
 Then I saw the chart. 
 Twenty-seven days of May: $2,160.73 in token consumption. I paid $200. Somebody paid the other $1,960. 
 That’s not a discount. That’s a subsidy. 
 And companies are making…
Thanks for catching the talk. If you want more like it, drop your email below and I’ll send you the things I’m learning about AI, product management, and shipping software that actually works. 
 No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. 
 
 
 
 Name 
 
 
 
 Email 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Subscribe 
 
 
 
 What you’ll…
Thanks for catching my talk on AI Tools during the Technical.ly Builders Conference. If you want more like it, drop your email below and I’ll send you the things I’m learning about AI, product management, and shipping software that actually works. 
 No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. 
 
 
 
 Name 
 
 
 
 Email 
 
 
 
 
 
 
…
Last month, MyFitnessPal acquired Cal AI, a health app built with what people are calling “vibe coding” — using AI to generate most of the codebase. Seven days after the acquisition, a hacker walked into their open Firebase database and stole 3.2 million health records . 
 The attack wasn’t sophisticated. The database had no authentication on it. None. 
 I’ve built…
I use Claude Code for everything. Coding, filing receipts , managing my productivity system . But every session started from scratch. Zero memory of what happened yesterday, last week, in a completely different project. 
 The only way to reference past work was to open another Claude Code window, switch to that project folder, and ask Claude about it there. Context in one silo. Knowledge in…
I once worked at a SaaS company where the CEO lamented the lack of blog posts touting new features. I understood his point (sort of) but mostly thought: why are you focused on output rather than outcomes ? 
 I heard that CEO’s voice once again reading a recent HBR article about AI burnout . 
 Particularly this passage: “Firms are incentivizing employees to build and oversee…
Asked Siri to play a song through CarPlay the other day. She told me she couldn’t play any music until I accepted a new privacy policy. 
 Cool. I’m driving.
Introduction 
 One of the most powerful features of Claude Code is the ability to customize its behavior through a global CLAUDE.md configuration file. Think of it as your personal operating manual for how Claude should approach your projects—from coding standards and testing philosophies to team dynamics and tool preferences. 
 In this series, I’ll share how I’ve configured…
Talk to Your Documents: A Practical Dive into Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) 
 Most people don’t talk to documents—they search them. But that’s changing fast. 
 Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) flips the script. Instead of just feeding a language model a question and hoping it knows the answer, RAG lets you ask questions with the help of your own content . Whether it’s…
Ready to Transform Your Product Management? 
 Are you facing challenges with hiring, training, or scaling your product team? Do you need expert guidance to refine your product strategy, accelerate delivery, or validate your product vision? I’m here to help. 
 Whether you’re looking for: 
 
 Tailored coaching to elevate your team’s capabilities 
 Strategic support in recruiting…
A few years ago, my doctor prescribed Ubrelvy for my migraines. If you’ve ever had a migraine — I mean the close-the-curtains, can’t-function, two-day-wipeout kind — you know how life-disrupting they can be. 
 Ubrelvy changed everything.
I take a pill when a migraine starts, and within an hour? It’s like nothing happened. No pain. No brain fog. No lost productivity. Just… back to life.…
Why Behavioral Psychology Matters in Product Management 
 As product managers, we often assume our users make rational decisions based purely on data and logic. While data and analytics are crucial, there’s another powerful aspect at play: predictable irrationality in human behavior. 
 I once convinced a group of usability testers to strip down to their underwear in exchange for…
Overview 
 Looking to implement Getting Things Done (GTD) using OneNote ? You’re in the right place. In this guide, I’ll show you exactly how I set up my GTD workflow inside OneNote—from project lists and next actions to mobile capture and automation with Zapier. 
 After years of using Omnifocus , I made the switch to OneNote to create a more flexible, cross-platform system…
Have you ever opened a conference agenda and immediately felt overwhelmed? So many sessions, panels, and networking events—how do you even start picking what’s worth your time? 
 I’ve been there. And I’ve figured out a smarter way to handle it. 
 Whether you’re heading to a massive tech expo or a niche industry meetup, you can use ChatGPT to cut through the noise and build a…
🚨 In the rush to implement AI into everything , we risk losing sight of core product principles: 
 ✅ Solve real user problems 
✅ Provide actual utility 
✅ Meet users where they are 
 I was recently reminded of this when I moved (don’t ask) from Google Docs to Microsoft Word. I had a long document that needed formatting, so I fired up Copilot and prompted: 
 
…
The Infuriating Experience 
 Today, I experienced firsthand how quickly anti-patterns in product design can erode trust and permanently damage brand loyalty. As a senior product manager, I obsess about crafting excellent user experiences. Unfortunately, today I saw what happens when that goes wrong—while helping my son file his taxes. 
 Setting the Scene 
 We chose TaxAct because of…
I started my career playtesting video games . I wasn’t some prodigy developer—I was at the bottom of the skill ladder, doing the kind of work that doesn’t make it into origin stories. But I was lucky: I got to work with brilliant engineers. I watched how they thought. I paired with them. I spent hours pouring over code to fix a random bug that turned out to be an uninitialized pointer.
App for iOS launched in 30 days as an experiment in AI driven development workflows
When I step into an organization as a fractional VP of Engineering, one of the first things I look for is where the technical bottlenecks are. Recently, that meant tackling a legacy Postgres database that was critical to the business — and completely undocumented. 
 The original devs were long gone. The team had questions. I had no time to try to sift through the database schema just to…
Generative AI has reshaped how we think about building software—but not always in the right ways. In the rush to automate everything, two big (and opposite) fallacies have taken hold in tech circles: 
 Fallacy #1: CEOs think AI can replace software developers. 
 Fallacy #2: Developers think software built with AI is trash. 
 Here’s the reality: both are wrong. 
 And I say that as…
Executive Summary 
 Companies are under pressure to innovate, cut costs, and accelerate digital transformation. This case study reveals how AI can help companies launch products faster, reduce costs, and maintain quality—all through a real-world example of how I built an AI-powered product team from scratch. 
 
 Sometimes, the best product ideas emerge from our own experiences and…
Product design insights often emerge from unexpected places. While many companies invest heavily in customer research and focus groups, sometimes the most valuable product lessons come from observing everyday frustrations. This story about a simple lotion bottle reveals a powerful lesson about Jobs to be Done, customer loyalty, and why seemingly minor design flaws might be costing companies more…
It’s the time of year when you get hit up with a gazillion “holiday guides’’ and you know what that means dear reader. No, I’m not hawking some crappy t-shirt that falls apart in the wash. I’m dropping some product management wisdom onto your holiday shopping list. 
 🎉 Presenting the 2025 Essential Reading List for Product Managers 
 
 Think of this list as your personal…
I recently needed to schedule a bloodwork appointment that required fasting for 12 hours. Knowing that I can’t function without my morning coffee, I aimed for the earliest slot possible to minimize discomfort, but booking it was much harder than it needed to be. 
 This app’s main job was to help me find an early appointment easily. Did it succeed? Not even close. Instead, it forced…
While booking a trip on Airbnb today, I needed to update my emergency contact phone number. Simple enough, right? But instead of being able to type in the country code with auto-complete, I had to manually scroll through a drop-down list. 
 The frustrating part? Airbnb already knows my address, preferred language, currency, and even my IP address. They could have easily inferred a country…
What Is Blue Ocean Strategy—and Why Should You Care? 
 Most businesses compete by trying to win market share in crowded spaces. This is what the authors of Blue Ocean Strategy call the “red ocean”—bloody with competition, pricing wars, and diminishing returns. But what if you could play a different game altogether? 
 Blue Ocean Strategy , by W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne, challenges the…

 Key points 
 
 What is software product management? : It’s described as delighting customers by offering them meaningful products. This role involves strategic planning, execution, and refinement of a product, acting as a bridge across various teams to meet market needs and ensure alignment with business goals. 
 Historical evolution : Originating in the 1930s with Procter…
I once worked for a company that had a culture of CC’ing & Reply all to everyone in a department for every email. This resulted in lost hours everyday trying to pick through emails to determine which ones I actually needed to pay attention to. 
 
 This memory resurfaced vividly as I delved into Cal Newport’s “A World Without Email.” The insights I gained felt like a…
Inspired by Marty Cagan is one of the essential books on Product Management . It’s the first book I recommend to anyone interested in or just getting into product mnagement. I refer to it often. 
 To help me internalize the content more effectively, I’ve created this study guide. It gives you an overview of each chapter as well as questions to consider after reading each section.…
🔑 Key Points from Crossing the Chasm 
 
 The “chasm” is a critical gap between early adopters (visionaries) and the early majority (pragmatists) that many tech products fail to cross. 
 Success requires a laser-focused niche market strategy —dominate one segment before expanding. 
 Marketing and product development must shift from selling “tech features” to…
I had my first real experience at coaching years ago when my daughters laced up their cleats for their first soccer season. 
 These young athletes, had enthusiasm but lacked experience and they looked to me for guidance. 
 I set a unique goal for myself: to cultivate a love for soccer within these young players, measuring success not by wins, but by the number of girls eager to return next…
I just finished reading The Principles of Product Development Flow by Donald G. Reinertsen . It’s really giving me some perspective on how to build products. 
 He introduces the concept of “flow”, an idea with its roots in lean manufacturing but tweaked to fit the product development process. 
 The book walks through flow-based development, offering smart, practical…
I recently read the book The Loop: How Technology Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back by Jacob Ward. This book navigates the complex relationship between human decision making and the progresssion of AI. 
 I put together my notes and a study guide so that I could better internalize the material. I’m sharing it here in the hopes that others might find it useful.…
Recently, my wife and I visited the Ikea cafeteria for a quick bite. As I scarfed down their iconic meatballs, my attention was drawn to an intriguing sign on the wall. 







 
 
 
 The sign introduced the Swedish concept of ‘kraftsamla,’ an inspiring notion of collective effort towards a shared objective. This idea resonates deeply with…
In past articles on prioritization frameworks , I’ve discussed the importance of prioritizing features based on business impact. However, focusing solely on business impact might result in a product that’s great for the business but terrible for users. And yes, those pesky users do matter. Fortunately, there’s a framework (because there’s always a framework) designed to…
VP of Product overseeing one of the world’s most popular database systems.
Elon Musk let Alex Jones back on Twitter. That guy is a shit and I’m so glad I’m off the platform. 
 What finally made me give up Twitter? A bad product management decision. 
 
 It took me a long time to ween myself off Twitter. I deleted my account but kept going back to my favorite tweeters. You could say I was addicted.
Last week I was sent on a quest for smoked sea salt, a key ingredient for our turkey. 
 
 In the turmoil of last-minute Thanksgiving shopping I had an epiphany. 
 Unraveling before me as I went from store to store was Michael Porter’s Generic Strategies , a concept that’s crucial for any business looking to define its market position. 
 What are Porter’s generic…

 Key Ideas 
 
 The Conductor’s Role in Agile Harmony: Product Managers in a SAFe® environment act like conductors in an orchestra, ensuring that different agile practices are integrated smoothly to optimize workflow in large organizations. 
 Synchronized Collaboration with Product Owners: Effective synergy between Product Managers and Product Owners is essential. Regular…
I love finding great software to help me get stuff done. Here is a collection of applications that I install whenever I’m setting up a new Mac. 
 These are all really exceptional applications that I can’t live without. 
 
 Alfred - control your Mac, launch applications and workflows without leaving the keyboard. 
 AnyBox - manage your bookmarks outside of your browser.…
Imagine we’re taking a trip cross country and we’ve plotted out our course on a map, yeah, the paper kind. Stick with me a minute here. Somewhere around Colorado we find out that a massive storm is supposed to hit. Some locals tell us that our vehicle isn’t going to make it over the mountain passes. They suggest taking another way, or even stopping for the night to ride out the storm.
I came across a LinkedIn thread the other day from an Agile Coach writing about Scrum misconceptions. 
 
 You have to complete everything in the Sprint 
 Changes to the Sprint are bad 
 Not finished what you promised means you don’t know what you’re doing 
 You should plan your Sprint at full capacity 
 Doing Sprints means rushing 
 The Sprint Goal is…
“I’m lazy.” 
 That’s how I responded to someone who interviewed me and asked “What’s one quality that makes you good for this job?” 
 After he picked up his jaw from the desk, I went on to explain — “I hate doing anything multiple times and always look for ways to automate repetitive tasks.” 
 My laziness stems from my aversion to…
Product managers, how many times have you seen this in a product manager job description? 
 Must be proficient in project management 
 Lately, I’ve been spending my time reading product manager job descriptions and come across this way more than expected. You know what I do? 
 Swipe left and move on. 
 
 Why? 
 Because this juggling act can lead to frustration and a…
As product manager, or entrepreneurs, getting feedback from people is important to do early and often. Early conversatoins about problems help ensure that you are focused on the right solutions. 
 But interviewing is hard. Especially if you are shy or introverted. 
 I found this great book called The Mom Test that breaks down a framework for interviewing people. My notes and outline are…

 Key Ideas 
 
 Prioritization frameworks help you make sure you’re focusing on the right things 
 Ranking items based on value and effort is a good way to start prioritization. 
 
 
 When I was a kid picking a show to watch was fairly simple. I only had a few choices. 
 Today, I subscribe to too many streaming services, giving me more shows and movies that I…

 Key Ideas 
 
 The RICE framework is a popular prioritization method used by product managers to evaluate features and projects and make data-driven decisions about which ones to prioritize. 
 RICE stands for Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort. Each factor is given a score and then plugged into a formula to create a final RICE score. 
 By using RICE, product managers can…

 Key Ideas 
 
 Product management frameworks are useful tools for organizing and optimizing product development processes. 
 However, blindly adhering to a framework without considering its context can lead to negative outcomes. 
 Prioritizing the right things, such as understanding customer needs and feedback, is crucial for successful product development, regardless of the…