A MECE Framework for Product Metrics (3-2-1 by Story Rules #25)

Welcome to the twenty-fifth edition of '3-2-1 by Story Rules'.

A newsletter recommending good examples of storytelling across:

3 tweets
2 articles, and
1 long-form content piece

Let's dive in.

🐦 3 Tweets of the week

Emotions are what drive us to act - this handy wheel gives you a fairly comprehensive and structured list.

Fascinating factoid about how some supply chain links can be so crucial.

🤣🤣🤣 Loved the framing of the first line leading up to second one.

📄 2 Articles of the week

a. Selecting the right product metrics by Jason Cohen

Knowing what metrics to optimise (and what to satisfice) is a crucial role of a leader. Jason makes a pretty strong claim in this article:

"...how do we select metrics that satisfy everyone?

Much blood has been spilled on this topic. Frameworks range from poster-sized interconnected networks of boxes and arrows, to reductively selecting a single North Star metric to rule them all, to cascading goals like OKRs. An organization should pick whichever framework is most likely to be adopted and honored.

I used to believe that “one true metric” with a smattering of operational indicators was the best way to focus a team on “what matters most.” But I’ve come to believe in a more comprehensive system, that addresses all of the needs outlined in the opening paragraph.

Here is that system.

The core part of the article is this thought-provoking framework (especially for Product leaders).

I'm not a Product guy, so don't really understand many of the terms in the diagram above... but I love myself a good MECE-looking framework that tries to simplify several complex ideas... and this one looks the part!

b. John Mayer on what the songwriting process can teach us about writing (and life!)

A LinkedIn post by Billy Oppenheimer on some profound songwriting wisdom from John Mayer. Some extracts:

1/ “Whenever I want to write a big song, I can't...That's when I get writer's block: when I try to write a song to fill the entire galaxy. But if I write about something the size of a glass of water—a week later, I notice it's got the universe in it.”

3/ “Writer’s block is when the two people inside of you - the writer and the reader - when the reader doesn’t love the writer...It's a failure to catch the feedback loop of enjoying what you’re seeing and wanting to contribute more to it.”

🎤 1 long-form listen of the week

a. Stephen Colbert: How “Breaking” on Stage Unlocked His Comedic Powers

Guy Raz, the star podcaster behind shows like 'How I Built This' and 'Wow in the World', has launched a new show called 'The Great Creators with Guy Raz'. He interviews leading actors, musicians, and other performers on their journeys and the secrets of their craft.

Guy is a master at making his star guests (Tom Hanks was one of them) comfortable enough to go beyond stock answers and show their vulnerability.

This episode with Stephen Colbert is a great example where Colbert shares the massive challenge he faced when he started 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' ... and how he had do strip away all masks and 'be himself' to make the show work.

That's all from this week's edition.

Ravi

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Ravishankar Iyer

A MECE Framework for Product Metrics (3-2-1 by Story Rules #25)

🐦 3 Tweets of the week

📄 2 Articles of the week

🎤 1 long-form listen of the week

Ravishankar Iyer

Seinfeld on the Craft of Comedy (3-2-1 by Story Rules #64)

A Balanced View on India's Economy by TN Ninan (3-2-1 by Story Rules #63)

Real Estate's Falling Allure by Tomas Pueyo (3-2-1 by Story Rules #62)