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John B Nolt
John B Nolt

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John B Nolt
John B Nolt

Project and Research Locker

Category: Blog

Product Noir

The Sore Spot

JBN, October 9, 2023October 11, 2023

On a fog-laden night, a neon glow from a digital billboard flickers outside the large glass panes of the office. The city’s hum is barely audible over the synchronized dance of raindrops and the whirring thoughts of a weary Product Manager trying to get to the end of another late…

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Product Noir

Capability, Usability, Beauty

JBN, September 25, 2023October 11, 2023

The Product Manager sighs and ignores the elements as he leans against his wooden desk, hands pressed flat against the surface. Outside, the rain runs in rivulets down the glass, each drop a reminder of the relentless push and pull of his job. Shadows oozing around the office are broken…

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Product Noir

Tools

JBN, September 6, 2023October 11, 2023

It was one of those nights, the kind that makes you question every choice you ever made. The neon glow from the sign outside casts a sickly light over the Product Manager’s cluttered desk. He’s staring down an empty bottle of bourbon and a computer screen filled with the hopes…

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Product Noir

Stay In Your Lane

JBN, August 21, 2023October 11, 2023

The glow of computer screens flickers like the distant fires of a city under siege as a Product Manager watches rain carve a path down the window of a filthy conference room on the 31st floor. The team calls it the war room, and they’ve all been here long past…

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Product Noir

The New Roof

JBN, August 11, 2023October 11, 2023

Alright, pal, come on in and have a seat. Don’t mind the springs in that chair, they probably won’t give you tetanus. This is it, livin’ the dream. Take a big whiff. Smell the must, old paper, and that half-forgotten coffee cup over there with its own ecosystem growing in…

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Product Noir

The 3 Legged Stool

JBN, July 24, 2023October 11, 2023

In the high stakes poker game of product management, the house always deals the same cards: Quick, Good, or Cheap. Pick any two, but don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re holding a royal flush. Welcome to the three-legged stool of product management, where each leg bears the weight of a…

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Product Noir

Testing

JBN, July 19, 2023October 11, 2023

The patter of rain against the office window sets the rhythm of the product manager’s thoughts. He leans back in his worn leather chair, running his fingers along the brim of his hat while he stares out at the neon haze of the city. His mind chews on a topic…

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Product Noir

Different != Better

JBN, July 16, 2023October 11, 2023

In the labyrinth of SaaS, the pulse of product management beats a steady rhythm. I’ve been at it for two decades, caught in the crosshairs of armchair critics and would-be virtuosos. U X Designers, Tech Writers, and we product managers are the usual suspects on their list. If you’ve been…

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Product Noir

On Perfection

JBN, July 10, 2023October 11, 2023

They whisper in hushed tones in the grungy back alleys of software product management. They spread tales about the mythical beast – the quantifiably perfect product manager. The one who’s got all the pieces lined up well before the game starts, the smooth talker with the slick slide decks, the…

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Product Noir

Stupid Questions

JBN, July 1, 2023October 11, 2023

In this concrete jungle of sharp minds and fiery conversations, fear lurks in the shadowy corners. It’s not the fear of failure, but something more insidious – the terror of looking like a halfwit. Picture this. You’re surrounded by nodding heads, an idea just bounced off your skull, and you’re…

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Software Test Drive: Runway Gen2

JBN, June 28, 2023July 10, 2023

Runway gives you a few credits to try out their services, and I blow them all on a bunch of prompts to see if I can get something useful out of it. It doesn’t go very well, but YMMV.

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Can’t Stop Won’t Stop

JBN, June 28, 2023June 28, 2023

TL;DR the chatbot can’t help itself, it has to respond, even when the input is something a human would take as ending the conversation.

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Software Test Drive: Boomy

JBN, June 28, 2023July 10, 2023

I give “AI” music generation app Boomy a try.

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Chief Expectation Officer

JBN, June 8, 2023August 10, 2023

Welcome to the dark, twisted carnival of product management, where the regular rules don’t apply. Here, we dance a drunken waltz with science and art, wrapped up in the grimy trench coat of expectation management. Strap in, folks. It’s gonna be one hell of a ride. Take customers for instance….

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Surprises Suck

JBN, June 1, 2023August 10, 2023

No Surprises.

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Recent Posts

  • The Sore Spot
  • Capability, Usability, Beauty
  • Tools
  • Stay In Your Lane
  • Sir Hugo and the Fart Machine

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