From our CEO

Uncensored advice about product development and building a high-growth software company from Brian de Haaff, co-founder and CEO at Aha!

Collection886 articles
What Is Your Career Sentence?
December 27, 2016
What Is Your Career Sentence?

Everyone should have a career mantra that reflects your vision. Follow these 4 steps to create a personal career sentence that will always motivate you.

There Is a Bear Hibernating in Your Office
December 20, 2016
There Is a Bear Hibernating in Your Office

Let me set the scene. It is sometime after noon. The hypnotic hum of fluorescent lights, the drone of hushed conversations, the rhythmic tapping of keys. The thermostat…

The 17 Great Myths of Product Management
December 19, 2016
The 17 Great Myths of Product Management

We issued a warning to product managers last month — beware of bad advice. The Aha! Customer Success team (all former product managers) weighed in. And many of you added…

You Feel Like a Burned-Out Product Manager — Now What?
December 15, 2016
You Feel Like a Burned-Out Product Manager — Now What?

One slide, every few hours. That’s how a former colleague and friend told me that he put together his annual strategic plan. When I asked him why, he said, “If I thought…

Hey Boss: You Are Wasting My Time
December 13, 2016
Hey Boss: You Are Wasting My Time

I once worked for a boss who had a Ph.D. in time-wasting. This person’s signature move? Pointless meetings. I would spend my days shuffling from one to the next. Few were…

4 Words That Make Hiring Managers Cringe
December 9, 2016
4 Words That Make Hiring Managers Cringe

I really cannot think of a company that wants to hire a jack-of-all-trades. I learned this the hard way early in my career when I was speaking with the VP of the group at…

Your Toxic Boss Gets Promoted — What About You?
November 29, 2016
Your Toxic Boss Gets Promoted — What About You?

Ever had a bad boss who seemed to fool everybody? I am sure you have. You know the type. They fire off indiscernible last-minute requests. Play favorites. And take sole…

Whoa! Product Manager: Your Customer Despises You
November 28, 2016
Whoa! Product Manager: Your Customer Despises You

I remember the first time a customer yelled at me. I was a senior product manager and the company was working on a new network optimization device — one we promised would…

Your Startup Is Failing — This Question Tells You Why
November 23, 2016
Your Startup Is Failing — This Question Tells You Why

So you want to start a company. You have done your research. And you know it will be hard work. You probably found the oft-cited statistic that 80 percent of startups…

I Never Had a Boss Who Said, 'I Am Sorry'
November 22, 2016
I Never Had a Boss Who Said, 'I Am Sorry'

There was the boss who yelled at me for doing what she asked. There was the CEO who threatened my career when I told him that I was leaving for a new company and a major…

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