Just finished this book, and I feel like it encapsulates the life of a product team or manager in its pages. However, it offers much more depth than merely recounting experiences. Tony has structured the book in a narrative fashion, demonstrating meticulous planning and execution. The chapters progress seamlessly from the inception of an idea, through the stages of building a product and team, to the eventual accomplishment of the mission.

Similar to Marcus Aurelius’s reflections, every beginning leads to an end, and the goal is to have that end planned out. Tony dedicates a chapter to this aspect towards the end of the book, although a deeper exploration would have been appreciated.

While essential reading for those in product-related roles, the book transcends physical products, being equally applicable to services. It provides valuable insights for anyone surrounded by product-oriented individuals, offering an understanding of their thought processes and decision-making methodologies.

It is definitely a book beyond the “oh yes I’ve been there” type so there are real life examples to decisions made by teams who created the products we probably use every day.

Most importantly, it sheds light on how these individuals work and why they make the choices they do.