Two great conferences [Productized and Product at Heart] these last two weeks… filled with thoughtful talks and shared experiences and book signings and surprises. (A saxophone quintet playing Bowie.)
Of course, AI dominated the talks and workshops, blending the excitement of new adventures with deep-seated concern for our craft/roles/teams. But so many of the side conversations were completely different – all about community, generosity, helping each other through the turmoil, paying it forward or paying it back. During the Product at Heart speaker dinner, Arne Kittler and Pippa Topp were asking us about how we had each first connected with the event – and to each other. There was a chorus of “I knew X who worked with Y who suggested…” and “I’d been reading Z’s writing for so long…” and “your Product Tank talk really inspired…” Those human connections and we-only-just-met-in-person-after-so-long-on-Zoom moments are what motivate me to show up.
So I borrowed a bit from my 2024 Productized talk as a more empathetic closer to my full-day Money Stories workshop. (We can’t be mercenary all of the time.) This was my prompt:
“Write down the name of someone who helped you at a critical time, provided some crucial advice, made a pivotal introduction, engineered a promotion, reached out when you needed it… and that you haven’t talked with in the last year. Then, right now, send them a short message of appreciation.
And when you're back home, look for someone that you can help pull up the ladder behind you.”
I bet there’s someone that you’re overdue thanking. Now is the perfect moment.
-Rich