Michael Hirsch, founder of Break a Pencil Consulting, is a seasoned product leader with over two decades of expertise in product management. However, his career hasn’t always been easy. Early on, Michael saw product teams struggling to launch products efficiently or build products that actually mattered to customers. With Pragmatic Institute’s training, Michael quickly learned to leverage product best practices to rise above the status quo and build a career delivering great products.
The Story of Michael Hirsch
Michael Hirsch has built a diverse career, working with companies ranging from mid-sized enterprises to global corporations. His expertise spans various industries, including internal platform technologies, consumer electronics, telecommunications, education, automotive, big data, and machine learning.
Michael is known for his innovative approach and dedication to excellence. As a product leader, he continually explores new ideas, enters new markets, and seizes emerging opportunities. Through his work at Break a Pencil Consulting, Michael helps product managers elevate their skills and increase their business impact with personalized coaching.
The Challenge
As a new product manager, Michael faced the challenge of streamlining product operations and optimizing product offerings while navigating the rapidly advancing technologies and evolving consumer preferences. He recognized that as competitors embraced agile methodologies, the companies he led risked falling behind if they didn’t adapt swiftly. The lack of cohesive strategies and disparate workflows presented significant obstacles to growth.
Michael consistently aimed to scale operations and expand market presence at every company by implementing robust management methodologies and fostering cross-functional collaboration. But revamping internal processes, aligning teams, and changing company culture was easier said than done.
“What I saw consistently was product management done wrong. I hate to say it, but still, to this day it astonishes me how often I find product managers or product management teams that are really doing project management.”
Michael understood the critical importance of flexibility and innovation in product management, a theme that is common in today’s business landscape.
Pragmatic Institute’s Solution
Aware of the critical need for immediate action, Michael turned to Pragmatic Institute for comprehensive solutions tailored to address the daunting challenges.
Through Pragmatic’s training, Michael adopted concepts that allowed him to lead with a focus on customer needs and market dynamics. He embraced foundational product practices such as engaging directly with customers through NIHITO (Nothing Important Happens In The Office) interviews, conducting thorough research, and deriving actionable insights.
In just three days of training, Pragmatic Institute equipped Michael with streamlined product management processes, enhanced collaboration tools, and personalized training modules. Michael left with a deeper understanding of his target audience and the tools to stay attuned to market trends.
When he returned to work, Michael and his team had the skills to make informed decisions about their products and implement product strategies. This helped them respond swiftly to market demands and align products to wider business goals.
“That was in 2007, I did 3 days of classes. It was life-changing, it really, really was. It completely opened my eyes to what I had already known a little bit about but learned so much in those classes.”
This structured approach streamlined processes, reduced inefficiencies, and ensured that the company remained agile and responsive to market changes.
The Results
Pragmatic Institute’s solutions yielded transformative results and unprecedented growth for Michael’s team. With enhanced product management capabilities and streamlined workflows, the organization dedicated more time to critical tasks such as crafting comprehensive product requirements, soliciting customer feedback, and delving deeper into research and insights. This helped the team understand their target customers, their problems, and how their products could provide solutions.
“There are things from my training that I still reference today. I learned a ton, I brought that back, and I implemented some things right away. One of the first things I introduced to our team was having a ‘Product Day.’ This allowed our product managers to get out of the office and gain a deeper understanding of the market and our customers.”
By implementing Pragmatic principles, Michael created a culture of continuous improvement and drove meaningful business results. By improving their processes, his team developed breakthrough solutions that increased market share and reduced product development cycles.
Customers praised the improvements and team members reported noticeable progress in efficiency and collaboration. These achievements underscore the profound impact of Pragmatic Institute’s training, solidifying Michael and his team as industry leaders.
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