New Terrain Same North Star
The stakes are higher for any PMs in the era of LLM driven solutions. LLM models are a real source of leverage for any product team. Able to…
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A personal site of Mihir Patel. Book summaries, deepdive notes, short essays and art.
Latest posts
Doomer Mentality
The weight of the world feels heavier when you are responsible for small shoulders. As a father to my 3-year-old and one on the way, I feel…
The Forcing Function Of Momentum
In 1983, Michael Bloomberg unveiled a desktop computer known as “the terminal” that would revolutionize financial markets. The keyboard…
Unpacking Prioritization
Prioritization is the single most challenging responsibility of an organization. Sustaining a competitive advantage requires a continuous…
The Ideal Team Player by Patrick Lencioni
I. Brief Summary This book was recommended to me by my boss at Builders Vision. His management style is inspired by the ethos from this book…
Problem Exploration Guide
At times, workplace problems are already defined at a strategic level, requiring only execution. Other times, we must proactively explore…
The Upanishads by Eknath Easwaran
I. Brief Summary Easwaran translates and frames the Upanishads not as religious dogma but as “supreme science” of the mind. He treats the…
Good Energy by Casey Means
I. Brief Summary Dr. Casey Means argues that modern lifestyle factors like processed foods and poor sleep create “bad energy” at the…
Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
I. Brief Summary Antifragile by Nassim Nicholas Taleb argues that some systems not only withstand shocks but actively improve from them…
Writing Culture
The most effective approach to addressing dystopia within a large organization is to establish a writing culture. This is equally true for…
Scope Master
Who defines the scope? It may sound like a simple question, but it is not. Is it a customer, a CEO, a board of directors, an operations team…
A Splendid Exchange by William J. Bernstein
I. Brief Summary William Bernstein’s shares a collection of pivotal historical events which illustrates the profound impact of trade on…
Intricate Details
The crucial role of details and moving beyond the surface has a significant impact on an outcome, but is often overlooked by intellectuals…
On Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) focuses on creating intelligent machines. Within AI, Machine Learning (ML) is a specialized area that…
An Ode To Taste Building
Aesthetic value depends on an individual's taste. What might seem beautiful to one person might not be the same for others. The reason for…
Richer, Wiser, Happier by William Green
I. Brief Summary A book on investment legends. William Green is a well-known financial journalist and has access to many of the world's best…
Factfulness by Hans Rosling
I. Brief Summary A fresh perspective on human progress at a global level in poverty, wealth, population increase, births, mortality…
Simple Analogies
I have a collection of favorite posters and analogies that I am drawn to. Here are a few of my favorites. Porsche Ad: Honestly now, did you…
Skunk Works by Ben R. Rich and Leo Janos
I. Brief Summary If you are a fan of aviation and aerospace, the cold war, and how the US military and government run secret operations then…
Principled Decision Making
Driving results is one of the core responsibilities in a product management function which must align with company's strategy. To drive…
Observe Not Absorb
Observe not absorb were the wisest words shared with me by my mentor during one of the recent conversations. She shares a similar point of…
Celebrate The Doers
I recently came across a post where the folks were being made fun of who built a wearable pin called Humane. My first reaction was why hate…
Build Vs Rent
The trade-off between rent vs own is a dilemma in every corner of our lives. Whether it is regarding homeownership or a software platform-it…
Good Design
Have you ever wondered how in the world a design or a solution speaks to you loudly? For example, while you are at REI, shopping for a hat…
Worshiping Agency
My taste for work was unusual as a teenager and young adult. I blindly signed up for a pyramid scheme which I didn't know about. I liked the…
The Master Algorithm by Pedro Domingos
I. Brief Summary The book was recommended by Mark Cuban when I had emailed him out of the blue on his book recommendation on the topic of…
Competing In The Age Of AI by Marco Iansiti
I. Brief Summary An overview of how industries and organizations are going to be shaped by Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. The…
Befriending Entropy
There used to be fewer problems at work. What is happening? Life used to be simple. What happened? The wheel of time goes through its…
The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
I. Brief Summary A beautiful book about “you are not your thoughts.” This made me more aware of how my inner voice operates and how I can…
The Warrior Ethos by Steven Pressfield
I. Brief Summary A short and investigate read on warrior mindset. It's a classic Pressfield book. He provides numerous examples from the…
Open by Andre Agassi
I. Brief Summary A compelling autobiography that takes readers on a journey through the life and career of one of tennis’s most iconic and…
Lean Analytics by Alistair Croll & Benjamin Yoskovitz
I. Brief Summary An overview of key metrics and benchmarks. By measuring and analyzing as you grow, you can validate whether a problem is…
On Analytics
Analysts come in various forms, which is why data analytics has become highly specialized. However, analytics as a whole is a crucial…
Shadows Of A Superpower
Knowing your superpowers are important, but knowing the shadow of your superpowers are equally important. Imagine getting your performance…
Monkey Management
Harvard Business Review in 1974 published “Who's Got the Monkey” authored by William Oncken Jr and Donald L. Wass. The article described…
Leveraging Both Ears
You are having a conversation with someone and next thing you know is you divert your attention to something else. Then you pull yourself…
Finding Magic
A question worth exploring-where do you find your magic? Here is my list: Hiking in the mountains Walking and biking on trails surrounded by…
Shape Up by Ryan Singer, Jason Fried
I. Brief Summary A book on how Basecamp (one of my favorite organizations with inspirational founders) does software and product development…
Competing Against Luck by Clayton M. Christensen
I. Brief Summary A guide on how to create products that customers will choose even in a crowded market. This book is more than innovation…
Measure What Matters by John Doerr
I. Brief Summary OKRs have been a better part of my entire professional journey but the framework rarely got implemented the way it was…
A Man For All Markets by Edward O. Thorp
I. Brief Summary Edward Thorp recalls his life starting from childhood while sharing valuable lessons about gambling and investing. He…
Algorithms To Live By by Brian Christian & Tom Griffiths
I. Brief Summary A book about maximizing human cognition and decision-making using computer science algorithms. Cognitive load is expensive…
Letting Go Of Perfectionism
Perfection isn't nature's way. It has continued to experiment for billions of years, and yet we are in constant motion of searching for…
A Little History Of The World by E.H. Gombrich
I. Brief Summary Ernst Gombrich authored a book on history of the world for younger readers. He accounts the full span of human history from…
Same as Ever by Morgan Housel
I. Brief Summary Morgan Housel captures timeless lessons that are same as ever. It is a collection of stories that amplifies human behavior…
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin
I. Brief Summary Rick Rubin provides wisdom on creativity. Rubin is a legendary music producer, and he asserts that we are all inherently…
On Complex Systems
I strongly believe the most valuable skill in the world is understanding complex systems and how they interact with each other. They are all…
One from Many by Dee Hock
I. Brief Summary A beautiful chronicle by Dee Hock, the creator of VISA which had a profound impact on our society at scale. It is a part…
Thinking In Systems by Donella H. Meadows
I. Brief Summary An essential primer on systems thinking which can help better understand the biggest problems we are facing in the world…
Embracing Unfair Advantage
Life isn't fair-this is one thing I am absolutely sure about because every stage of life has presented me with this fact. As the saying goes…