That the best way to review a product experience is to ask 3 questions on EVERY screen: “how did I get here?” “what do I do now?” “where do I go next?” — these questions will reveal flaws in object model, UX, onboarding, and orientation.

That perceived performance matters more than actual performance (perception is reality when it comes to UX!), and can be achieved as much by designers than engineers.

That the best new products ultimately take us back to the way things once were, but with more scale and efficiency.

That an incumbent can only keep winning if they realize they are now an underdog.

That you should never outsource your story or any component of your competitive advantage.

That data helps you iterate, but only vision and clearly articulated strategy (and luck on timing) help you leapfrog. Both are important, but neither is sustainable on its own.

That if you just keep telling, polishing, and retelling your strategy and story, you end up with the gem of the idea, the gem of the value prop for customers, and the core of what your product needs to be.

That a prototype is worth a hundred meetings, and almost all product meetings that aren’t grounded with a prototype are a waste of time (or worse).

That raising the bar of what your team ships is f*cking hard. It requires culture change, a few cycles of missed deadlines (which may frustrate customers), and career risk to set a NEW BIT for everyone.