After my last meeting with Jason, the product manager from a web analytics company, I felt a bit rudderless. Going into the meeting I thought that I had nailed down my desired job title which gave me a sense of direction in my job pursuit. However the more he talked about product management (specifically in the context of software) the less appealing it became.

This was a setback for sure, but not a deterrence to reaching my goal of working in San Francisco as part of a team helping developing fun products that would one day reach a storefront.

Lucky for me I knew a creative visionary living in San Francisco who I could call on to give me some perspective. Patrick is a force in the design world whose high profile clients include Daft Punk, Microsoft, HTC, Paper’s Fifty Three, and relevant to our background together, Chima Designs.

Patrick’s valuable advice was to get involved in some fun startups, learn a bunch, build a resume and a reputation and take this to any company or design firm in the city to land my dream job.

His words took a lot of pressure off of me to “make the leap” right away to the big leagues.

Last Saturday I grabbed some coffee with Jason Evanish (@evanish) a bright, dare i say wise, product manager from KISSmetrics (think of a supercharged version of google analytics giving you better information about user experience). Jason Shen, who is also a superstart but I have yet to meet, hooked the meeting up after learning about my interest in product management.

Some take aways from our conversation.

1. The vision I had of product management, and I don’t know exactly what influenced this vision, is not what it REALLY is. Will elaborate below.
2. San Francisco’s tech culture makes it easy to get almost anyone’s time. Apparently this comes from a tradition of mentoring. Everyone who has “made it” in the Bay at some point received advice at a time where they couldn’t offer anything back. Good news for me because I have little to offer anyone immediately. However I see these blogs entries as way to share something and hopeful someone take something away.
3. “If you want advice, ask for a job. If you want a job, ask for advice.” Jason adopted this from a saying in the startup community. It reasons if you want money from someone and ask them for it there likely to offer only advice, however when your agenda is ostensibly just advice they may actually surprise you with an investment.

Meeting Jason was useful to shatter my picture of what a product manager is. Going into the meeting I thought  PM functioned like a conductor of a ship. Ensuring the product stayed on the track, on time, and maintaining QC.

While this is a part of the product manager’s role this description leaves a lot of flesh on the bone. It also doesn’t acknowledge the vastly roles played by software product managers and those who manage physical ones (which maybe we could call hardware).

In the Bay Area most of the jobs for product managers center around developing and releasing web and software products.

In his book Inspired: How to Create Products Customer’s Love, Marty Cagan identifies the first role of the product manager as to, “discover a product that is valuable, usable, and feasible.”

After this phase the product manager clearly defines the product so the design and engineering teams can make it a reality. The PM takes a firm stance on what gets included into the immediate software build. Any ad hoc features, no matter how cool or useful, delay development and add unwanted complexity.

I don’t want to bore you with anything too technical here, I just wanted to briefly define the role of a product manager in the web and software world. Learning exactly what a product manager does in this role I was faced with a question.

Did I come to San Francisco to do this type of work?

“NO”

But now I know what I have to do.

I have to find another way to define the role I am pursuing out here in San Francisco because “product manager” or my favorite, “creative product manager” isn’t it. It probably only confuses those who I talk to in a position to help me because it is too vague, toofuzzy, too imprecise.

My next objective is to find someone who does product management for physical goods in the Bay and have a sit down with them to see how their role differs from PM in software. And lastly learn if this is the work I am after.

If you know any product managers for physical products in the Bay Area please have them contact me on twitter @oodlesofudo or email me at udoka@oodlesofudo.com.

If you have any other questions about my journey so far or any ideas you want me to explore in my next blog post please contact me about that too.

I don’t normally get too personal on my blog. But moving to a new city to pursue your dreams merits a little reflection.

I am here. I am living in San Francisco. The decision to move and my arrival into the city happened in one week. There is a good chance that if I had given it any more time I would have stayed in Seattle. Luckily my rational mind couldn’t keep up with my forward motion and I avoided being talked off the ledge.

I had many convincing reasons not to move. I was leaving my hometown of Seattle, an awesome place in itself. A city containing friends, my family, and plenty of comfortable familiarity (do you know how hard it is to learn a different public transportation system?).

On top of all of that and truthfully greater than all of that, I was leaving a very happy situation with my girlfriend of a year 1 and a half.

And for what? Well a promise.

The promise of moving to San Francisco to reach my dreams was to strong to ignore. I came here to pursue my new career path of creative product management and in 3-5 years becoming a creative director of a brand. My experience launching a new product and a new company showed me what hard work and faith could create.

It also spoke to my lifelong passion of building something out of nothing, and than dropping it on the world’s doorstep. There is nothing more mystical and eternal to me than being in a space with other creative people and fusing your brains together.

Reaching, failing, harnessing, dreaming, and transcending (excuse the warm and fuzzy language).

The truth is back when I was producing music everyday  my favorite part part of the process was the collaboration. Being a studio with another person and not knowing what they will bring to the mix, and not knowing what their contribution will in turn bring out of you. The 2 + 2 = 5 effect.

So im out here man, and I know it is where I am supposed to be. I am meeting contacts faster in my first 7 days here than I did in a Seattle year.

Heres to  following your dreams. If your in San Francisco reading this get at my at @OodlesOfUdo and lets create something big!

Where has Mannie Fresh been lately? Where is Mystikal been lately? Well the answer to both is coming into focus. In this video the two formerly bright stars connect and the results look electric!

Mannie Fresh and Mystikal have a spontaneous listening session in Mannie’s coup. Mannie has reportedly been contributing to the upcoming G.O.O.D. Music collaboration album. And Mystikal is signed to Cash Money and working on his next project.

UPDATE Here is some of the fruits of their labor. Heat!

Da Internz who produced one of the biggest records of 2011, Big Seans “Dance A$$”, take you into their studio and reveal how the track was made.

Who are Da Internz? Well you might have to start paying attention. This scrappy Chicago based production group are on the come up.

Today Rihanna released the remix to “Birthday Cake” with Chris Brown which features Da Internz production with co. production by The Dream.

via the LRG Life Files

The formally unknown hip hop producer Sak Pase made a big debute on 2011′s Watch The Throne by Jay-z and Kanye. Sak Pas produced “Made in America” and “Who Gon Stop Me.”

Even if you have heard of Sak Pase who may not know his full story and how much he has in common with Kanye West. Like Yeezy this NY producer, with Trinidadian roots, dropped out of college to pursue music full time. And by the looks of it, it wasn’t the dumbest career move.

Interviews with hip hop producers make for some compelling content. Especially when there story is as fascinating as Sak Pase’s. As you are watching the clip ask yourself, would you have the courage to drop out of school to follow your dreams? What is the biggest sacrifice you have made for your music?

via the LifeFiles.com

In many regards your clothing choices are a reflection of your personal style. My question is where does good style come from?

I don’t have an answer for where yours comes from but mine highly is influenced by the images I see in my daily online excursions.

I would not consider myself a fashionista (that’s not the female form is it?) by any stretch of the imagination. But every once in a while something I see catches my eye and I have to save it for later. Did you notice that the long sleeve wrapped around the waist look is coming back?

I have a folder on my desktop labeled “fashion inspiration” and it is chalk full screenshots of cool fashion trends. I thought it would be neat-0 if I shared them with you.

And if you want to check out a fashion site that is really killing it check out my friends Vanessa’s 24Blogazine.com.

Sources include: street etiquette, Ryan Lewis youtube channel, Complex

I have been away, but the blog is still in effect. In fact I just put down cash money with my hosting company so that I can keep bringing you pieces of my mind.

Today I am posting about the Flatbush Zombies and their song Thug Waffle. The Flatbush Zombies have a family connection to the Madbury Club. These folks are weird in the best way!

I love the sounds, the look, and the concept. If you want to get the featured track Thug Waffle go to the Flatbush Zombie’s Bandcamp page. It is a $1. I know! Who sells music anymore, especially if you are an unknown group.

Enjoy the song and visuals below, and if you like the Flatbush Zombies (or not) let us know below!

I am reading Steve Stoute’s new book “The Tanning of America.” The jist of his book is that we are in a new era in this country where the cultural boundaries, especially seen between races, are eroding. Black kids in Harlem skateboard, white kids in Vermont who have “urban” sensibilities don’t necessary need to get the label of a wigger. You understand?

While reading the book I came across a really great example of how hip hop  shaped a Sprite’s brand identity boosting it’s cool facto. If your like me and you were born anytime in the 80′s most likely you remember the ads.

In the mid 90′s Sprite went after the urban demo hard with the Obey Your Thirst campaign. If you remember they had Grant Hill commercials, footage of rappers free-styling in the studio and they even sponsored hip hop concerts and street ball festivals

Continue to watch the video and leave a comment with your reaction.

Grand Puba and Sadat X in Sprite commercial

 Nas and AZ in Sprite Commercial