Startups & Product Management

• How is the role of the product manager expanding due to the growing importance of data, increased customer focus, and the evolution of software-development methodologies [via McKinsey Insights]
• Jared M. Spool, on the caveats of using Net Promoter Score as a metric in your business
• A collection of startup pitch decks from ventures like AirBnb, LinkedIn Tinder or WeWork
• An interesting game for team workshops: Manage What You Measure. The game pushes participants to understand how customer behavior impacts higher level company objectives to direct organization effort on what matters most

Digital Strategy and Trends

• LinkedIn Data reveals the most promising jobs and in-demand skills of 2018
• Tomasz Tunguz, partner at the VC firm Redpoint, blogs on his predictions for the Saas industry in 2018
• The importance of Employee Experience, how to measure it and why is it becoming more relevant in sectors where a war for talent rages [via Forbes]

Crypto and Finance

• Ethereum and Stellar join Ripple in BBVA bank tests as an alternative to wire transfers and SWIFT payments
• Kodak to launch their own cryptocurrency, and stock price soars after the announcement [via BBC]

Must-listen Podcasts

• VP of Product at Reddit Alex Le, CEO of Rabbit Michael Temkin, and CEO and co-founder of HVMN Geoffrey Woo discuss about online communities: how new subcultures are formed, how are relationships build, and what are the latest trends. [via a16z Podcast]
• Chris Dixon, partner at the venture Andreessen Horowitz, talks about the major trends in technology, including cryptocurrencies and the future of autonomous vehicles and drones. [via Investors Field Guide Podcast]
• Barry Diller, chairman of IAC, on the relation between scaling a business and infinite learning. [via Masters of Scale Podcast]

Interesting Reads

• Bill Gates’ opening essay in this week’s Time Magazine: Some good news, for once. An excellent write-up on the impact of bad news and clickbait, and how beneficial it is to look at things in perspective. Via Gates Notes

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