The Cranky PM

Fixer of Broken Product Teams ❤️‍🩹

Anti-BS newsletter for product people: tools, templates & truth bombs 💣

Agile theater → Panic planning → Roadmap regrets → Fixed ✅

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Articles

Your Client Isn't Demanding. You Just Didn't Set Expectations

Oct 20, 2025

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10 min read

Your Client Isn't Demanding. You Just Didn't Set Expectations

Stop blaming demanding clients. You never set expectations. Your expectation management is broken, and that's why projects turn into nightmares.

Why I Keep Bringing Up Cargo Cults (And Why You Should Care)

Oct 13, 2025

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9 min read

Why I Keep Bringing Up Cargo Cults (And Why You Should Care)

Cargo cult thinking destroys software teams copying agile practices without understanding why. Learn the difference between mimicking and understanding success.

You Don't Need More Alignment Meetings. You Need Fewer Delusions.

Oct 6, 2025

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7 min read

You Don't Need More Alignment Meetings. You Need Fewer Delusions.

Your alignment problem isn't communication. It's decision avoidance. Stop scheduling alignment into oblivion and start making the hard choices.

Why Smart People Become Priority Addicts (And How to Cure Them)

Sep 29, 2025

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12 min read

Why Smart People Become Priority Addicts (And How to Cure Them)

Your smartest stakeholders are priority addicts who hoard urgent projects. Understand the psychology behind it and learn how to cure them.

You Can't "North Star" Your Way Out of Poor Execution

Sep 22, 2025

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13 min read

You Can't "North Star" Your Way Out of Poor Execution

Stop confusing direction with capability. Learn why execution management moves North Star metrics, not strategic planning.

RACI Charts Aren't the Problem. You Are.

Sep 15, 2025

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11 min read

RACI Charts Aren't the Problem. You Are.

RACI isn't broken, you're using it wrong. Stop massive matrices and accountability avoidance. Learn effective responsibility assignment.