Product sense: Harnessing your natural power as a PM

Product sense, often misunderstood as an innate ability, is a critical skill set for product managers that requires development and practice. It encompasses the components of empathy, creativity, and curiosity, with the latter being both a skill and a trait. Empathy involves understanding user needs and balancing them with business objectives, while creativity is enhanced through techniques like design sprints that foster innovative thinking. Curiosity drives product managers to constantly research and question assumptions, thereby avoiding pitfalls such as those seen in the cases of Google Glass and Microsoft's Zune. Improving product sense involves intentional activities like user experience walkthroughs and product teardowns. Though curiosity has innate limits, building product sense is a valuable endeavor that can significantly bolster a product manager's career and lead to better decision-making in product development.