Taylor Swift Is a Product Manager

The Secret Hidden in Plain Sight

The ‘Midnights' album made it very clear to me that Taylor Swift is not a country-turned-pop singer. If you haven’t picked the cues, let me walk you through them.

Baby love, I think I’ve been a little too kind
Didn’t notice you walkin’ all over my peace of mind
In the shoes I gave you as a present
Puttin’ someone first only works when you’re in their top five
And by the way, I’m goin’ out tonight

It’s clear that this is the reaction of a product manager that got fed up with being pushed around and learned to say ‘No’ to everyone’s opinions on what should be done next.

‘Going out tonight’ is the code sentence that means starting to listen to users as the primary source of prioritization. Obvs.

The shoes ‘were given as a present’ when in the intro meetings she tried to make herself available to everyone and listen to everyone’s points and agendas but the user’s.

It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me
At tea time, everybody agrees
I’ll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror
It must be…