Product Management Festival - is it worth it?

First of all, let’s start with the most important thing, the talks. You are probably attending a conference in hope of finding new insights, which can transform your daily work and enhance your productivity. Unfortunately, you won’t find a silver bullet here, at least not all the time. I had the feeling that the quality of the talks was very diverse at PMF.

On the one hand, there were presentations which did not deliver any special content at all. Their main messages were on a very basic level. Touching relevant topics only on the surface, they left me with an unsatisfied feeling. Given the time restriction of less than 30min per talk and the diverse audience, this is not a surprise, since the speakers job is extremely difficult under these conditions.

On the other hand, there were lots of inspiring speakers who managed to find the right balance of covering the basics and providing in depth insights, therefore appealing to audience members who are completely new and audience members who are already experienced in the topic as well. One example I want to point out besides the key notes was the talk from Anton Genkin. His talk on “Avoiding cognitive biases” covered the very basics such as the difference between “System 1” and “System 2” thinking which was researched by Kahneman and Tversky. However, he still managed to keep this talk exciting for somebody familiar with the topic by including applicable daily examples such as the tool Get Guesstimate, which he uses to make better guesstimates.

With regards to the organization I have only had good experiences at PMF: The cinema location in Zürich was an excellent choice with its comfortable chairs. It was very easy to get there and find the place. The talks were always on time, thanks to the strict time management. Furthermore, the organizers have prepared a nice goodie bag which includes a water bottle. These refillable water bottles were the main source of hydration and were a great choice with respect to sustainability. Last but not least, the food was excellent. There was always the choice between a vegetarian and an option which includes meat.

Now this is also a point where the festival shines. Going to PMF will guarantee you a very international crowd. I got to meet product managers from all over the world, including countries such as Australia, Azerbaijan, Yemen and many more. Overall the attendees were excited and open minded. This contributed to the overall inspiring and motivating atmosphere at PMF. Of course, we also didn’t forget to had fun, such as at the cozy kickoff event. There you had the chance to play some rounds of table tennis or playstation and get to know each other.

Now, let’s get to the big question: “is it worth it?”. In my opinion, definitely yes! Personally, I had a fantastic time in Zürich, thanks to the great job of the organizer, the inspiring speakers and the postive vibes of the fellow product people. I will look forward next years edition, where I will hopefully see familiar faces again.