The Human Centipede was a 2009 shock horror film about a German surgeon who got bored of separating conjoined twins and wanted to create them instead.
The film somehow managed to spawn 2 sequels.
Here are 5 things the film taught me about product managementπ
The film somehow managed to spawn 2 sequels.
Here are 5 things the film taught me about product managementπ
1. It's important to start small and iterate
The film centres around Dr Heiter's ambitious plan. His MVP involved "connecting" 3 dogs. The experiment didn't work out well but gave him invaluable information for his next attempt.
PM takeaway: Start small & iterate
The film centres around Dr Heiter's ambitious plan. His MVP involved "connecting" 3 dogs. The experiment didn't work out well but gave him invaluable information for his next attempt.
PM takeaway: Start small & iterate
2. Concentrate on the problem, not the solution
Dr Heiter spent so long trying to determine whether he could perform his operation that he forgot to coherently explain why he even wanted to do it.
PM takeaway: Don't get obsessed with technology. Concentrate on use cases.
Dr Heiter spent so long trying to determine whether he could perform his operation that he forgot to coherently explain why he even wanted to do it.
PM takeaway: Don't get obsessed with technology. Concentrate on use cases.
3. Sustainability is important
It didn't take long before the victims of his scheme started to suffer from his short-term thinking & poor hygiene practices.
PM takeaway: Even the best product has tech debt - you need a plan to mitigate it
It didn't take long before the victims of his scheme started to suffer from his short-term thinking & poor hygiene practices.
PM takeaway: Even the best product has tech debt - you need a plan to mitigate it
4. Communication is everything
Dr Heiter reduced his chance of getting timely user feedback by only allowing one of his victims, a Japanese man, the ability to speak. Crucially, Heiter didn't speak Japanese.
PM takeaway: Give everyone a voice & be aware of cultural differences
Dr Heiter reduced his chance of getting timely user feedback by only allowing one of his victims, a Japanese man, the ability to speak. Crucially, Heiter didn't speak Japanese.
PM takeaway: Give everyone a voice & be aware of cultural differences
5. Where there's a will there's a way
Dr Heiter was eventually thwarted through a combination of the efforts of his victims and local law enforcement. They battled incredible odds to "win" the day.
PM takeaway: Even when times are hard, sometimes you have to keep pushing
Dr Heiter was eventually thwarted through a combination of the efforts of his victims and local law enforcement. They battled incredible odds to "win" the day.
PM takeaway: Even when times are hard, sometimes you have to keep pushing
This has literally been sitting in my Medium drafts for 2 years
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