What I’m Dedicating 2024 to: A Look at the Year Ahead

As we see 2024 on the horizon, I've decided to use some time to reflect and plan ahead. The annual ritual of penning this blog post helps me align my goals, and I hope it inspires you in your professional journey, too. Here's a look back at 2023 and a glimpse into what 2024 has in store for me.

My 2023 Retro

Product at Heart

This was definitely my 2023 highlight: We ran Product at Heart, our first independent product conference, in June. And despite the fact that our stress level was through the roof and it was hard for us to fully enjoy every moment, we got so much product community love reflected back to us that week. Our team, our vendors, and our speakers worked so well together and the attendee experience seemed to be exactly as we wanted it (despite some logistical hiccups with our lunch catering).

Attendees enjoying some sunbeams during the breaks, Teresa Torres and me during the Leadership Fireside Chat, and the disco ball in action on our conference stage at Product at Heart.

Book Birthday(s)

Not only did STRONG Product People have its second birthday this year (as mentioned in the last annual post), a new book saw the light of the day as well. We published STRONG Product Communities this October and I contributed a chapter to the German book Digitales Produktmanagement.

Coaching Product Leads

In the coaching realm, I took a bold step this year. I shifted my focus to Leadership Team Coaching and said goodbye to my Group Coaching sessions. This has been a game-changer! It's allowed me to dive deeper and make a more significant impact with existing leadership teams.

It was tough to let go of public group coaching, but the switch-up was worth it.

Plus, the demand for my 1:1 sessions has continued to grow—I've got a waitlist that won't quit! It's a great problem to have, showing that what I'm doing really resonates with folks. But it also nudges me to think about ways to make my coaching magic more accessible to everyone.

Communities of Practice Client Engagements

I’m so happy that a few more clients asked for help with their product communities of practice. Helping several clients nurture their product communities has been a journey of discovery and fulfillment. Many interesting workshops and conversations later, I still think “product communities of practice” is an important topic!

Other notable things

I celebrated 10 years of solopreneurship
I’ve continued donating the proceeds from all DIY coaching cards to charities like UNICEF and Back to School. Every time I make one of those payments it warms my heart, so thank you for your continued support!

Content Creation

In 2023, I published 24 blog posts, 4 newsletters , and countless social media posts.

Here are the newsletter archives in case you’d like to review them (each one features a main topic as well as a roundup of my favorite resources for product leaders):

Radical Optimism or Why Every Leader is a Futurist - Read Post
The Responsibility of Product Leaders in the AI Era: Steps to Develop an Informed Opinion - Read Post
The Product at Heart Leadership Forum - What we've learned that day - Read Post
Thinking Things Through: Creating Space for Clear Leadership - Read Post

Most Read Blog Posts:

KPI Trees: How to Bridge the Gap Between Customer Behavior, Product Metrics, and Company Goals - Read Post
Why Agile Coaches Can't Be Product Coaches - Read Post
The PMwheel – a Compass for the Product Manager Development Journey - Read Post
A Brief List of Product Management Assessment Tools - Read Post
Why There’s No Such Thing as Perfect (Agile) Transformation - Read Post

Traveling for Work

I had the chance to go to Dublin, Paris, Copenhagen, Berlin, and Stockholm to meet with the product community and long-time product friends.

Meeting my product friends at INDUSTRY Dublin and La Product Conf Paris

Life in General

My little one is in her last year of kindergarten, so we’re feeling like it’s almost the end of an era (more on that in a moment). I’ve been pursuing my outdoor hobbies of wing foiling, kitesurfing, and camping. At the same time, our parents are not doing great healthwise, which has kept me and my husband busy.

Biggest Learning

This is nothing new, but juggling so many roles—coach, mom, wife, author, and event organizer while staying true, creating value, and maintaining focus is only possible if I say “not now,” “not yet,” or just “no” to so many things. And I personally struggle to say no to people. That is why writing posts like this one and regular personal check-ins are so important.

Most Emotional Moment

The three minutes before Arne and I walked onto the Product at Heart stage for the very first time. We’d been hiding in the backstage shadows, listening to Sarah Plochl perform our opening poem knowing that 800 product folks were waiting for us to come out after 12 months of intense preparations for that day. We felt so many expectations on us at that moment. And then: Sarah finished, the music started (Ladytron’s The Night was playing), and a giant disco ball started spinning and we had to get out of the shadow and into the light. Definitely a moment to remember.

2024 Outlook

Product at Heart

We are doing it again and already have Kate Leto, Melissa Perri, and Bruce McCarthy as confirmed speakers. Tickets are already on sale and going fast so far. Early Bird Tickets are already gone. We hope to see you here in Hamburg in September.

South Africa Trip

This February I’ll be heading to South Africa with my family for a month. We’ve chosen this timing mainly because it’s the last year we’ll be able to take such a long break with our little one. (School laws are pretty strict here, so we will no longer be flexible in our vacation decisions after she enters primary school). It’s not just a vacation, though.
Of course I have to meet the product community in Cape Town. We are planning a meetup and a leadership gathering to make the most of the time while I’m in SA.

Ongoing Work

I’m continuing to support Novo Nordisk in their transformation alongside my colleagues Shaun Russell and Kate Leto.
I will continue to offer 1:1 coaching (because I love this format). I have already confirmed some 1:1 coachees till summer 2024. These slots are filling up quickly and people have to wait ages for coaching. This is one area where I don’t have a good solution other than having a waiting list.
Team Coaching for several corporate clients continues (as I just started these engagements) and I’m currently onboarding two additional Community Coaching clients.
I still enjoy content creation and I’m thinking of offering a self-paced training course. But as the parent generation’s health is not at a good spot right now, this might be wishful thinking for the moment. ☹️

As I navigate the year ahead, balancing professional endeavors with personal commitments, I focus on meaningful impact and growth for both my clients and myself. Here's to a year of challenges, opportunities, and transformation!