Turns out, I’m a theatre snob. I didn’t think I was, but then I booked tickets to Spamalot at Epsom Playhouse on a whim, and realised I most definitely am. What I’m trying to say is this – I was completely unprepared for the performance to actually be good.
And it was more than good, it was laugh-out-loud, wipe-tears-from-your-eyes hilarious. The theatre – which itself blew me away by how nice it was – was packed. Almost every seat was filled, and every member of the audience was fully engaged.
From the first lines uttered by the Historian, we were hooked. By the time the first song – the Finnish fish slapping song, appropriately – was finished, we were hanging on to the actors’ every word. The fact that I’m still so incredulous is, unfortunately, all the more testament to what a snob I’ve been. I never imagined there would be such strong acting, musical theatre, orchestral music, staging, everything – outside of central London!
That being said, as amazing as the experience was, I did feel a little uncomfortable about the way they tackled the Lancelot-is-gay scene. I first saw Spamalot back in 2006 or 2007, and then again in 2015 or so, and there did seem to be some progress in that timeframe. My first experience had Lancelot momentarily transform into the most stereotypical queer the second he saves Prince Herbert, but the second was a decade or so later, and that part was omitted. So it was a surprise that Epsom Playhouse brought it back. It made for slightly uncomfortable viewing.
I was also surprised by their choice to have gratuitously revealing costumes for their (female) dancers. It didn’t add to the plot, and it felt unnecessary in this day and age. Then again, as my husband pointed out, they clearly knew their audience, because everyone else seemed like they were having a whale of a time. So maybe I’m overthinking it, but even so, I just feel like we should’ve moved beyond this.
Those two gripes aside, the rest of the show was fantastic. I can’t praise it enough. It definitely showed this secret theatre snob that good theatre shouldn’t be judged by its proximity to West End. Unfortunately, the run of Spamalot at Epsom Playhouse has now ended, but I, for one, can’t wait to go back.
Life is a series of tradeoffs. You priotise what’s important to you. The trick is prioritising the right thing at the right time, which is exactly the part I find most challenging. See, I want everything all at once. I want to stay fit, learn new skills, spend time with family and friends, progress in my career, travel to new destinations, and all while saving money and making sure I get enough rest. In other words, I want more than I have time for.
So after having spent the week stressing over failing my driving exam, I decided to unwind by going bowling on Friday night. Looking at the tradeoffs, I prioritised time spent with family (my mother in law’s first time bowling) versus staying fit (drank a G&T), saving money (cost an obscene amount), and getting enough rest (came home late). All this to say, I didn’t exactly prepare for yesterday’s first cross country meet of the season. Indeed, I was feeling distinctly under the weather when we showed up at Epsom Downs. The sudden drop in temperature wasn’t helping matters.
Still, cross country was back. I loved it last season, so I was keen to get back into it. This time, the course was a similar portion to what we ran for the Tadworth 10, just considerably shorter – 6km for women and 8km for men. As one of my teammates said, I may be a feminist, but I’m also okay with the inequality here. We started at 13:00, doing two laps around the race course.
The way the cross country league works is that each teammate scores the amount of points as the position they finish in. The team with the lowest score at the end of the season wins. Tricky thing is, it’s all done on gun time, and there’s no allowances for age. Given that my club skews older – and we’re more about inclusivity than competition – we’re typically towards the bottom. Then again, it’s much more enjoyable when you’re not under pressure to perform.
I didn’t do as well as last week, but the course was pretty hilly and the afternoon sun made for an uncomfortable run. Despite feeling the chill at the start, I was grateful I had had the foresight to take off my base layer. I started fast, but wasn’t able to keep the momentum in the second lap. It was a struggle until the last half a kilometre or so, when I could finally see the finish line in the distance. I always do a sprint finish, so I started picking up the pace. As we rounded the last corner, I locked on to the girl in front of me and raced ahead, overtaking her right at the finish.
My moment of euphoria lasted all of two seconds before one of the marshals started yelling at me to slow down. Not entirely sure what the logic was there, given that I was slowing down and the whole point of a race is to fight to the end. But it was all worth it, because I managed a respectable 100th place (out of 283 participants) with a time of 31:56 and was first back from the Sutton Runners.
Next up, the men. They were running at 14:30, and while we were waiting for their race to start, we experienced the full spectrum of London weather – from grey and overcast to a 20 minute downpour to bright sunshine, we saw it all. My husband went through two or three wardrobe changes, but luckily took off all the base layers before starting off, because, like with the women’s race, the sun was blazing down by the time they were running their 8km. Cristian made an even more impressive sprint finish than I did, flying around the corner and battling it out against two competitors – he won against one of them, and was rewarded 182nd place (out of 322) with a time of 37:48.
It was a great day out, and, as always, I rediscover my love for trail running the second I’m running cross country. The only challenge is determining the tradeoff.
When you hear “product manager”, how much weight do you give to each composite part? How much of the work product managers do would you expect to fall under “product” and how much under “manager”? There doesn’t appear to be much consensus, and it’s this ambiguity — alongside questions of versatility, specialisation, and added value — that drove the agenda for the meetup I attended yesterday.
I had someone reach out to me recently on LinkedIn to discuss product management in web3. As it’s one of my favourite topics, I agreed – and we made plans to catch up at yesterday’s The Product Group London, where the entire audience was invited to partake in a debate over the future of product management.
Rather than a conventional stage and audience, the seating was designed for a roundtable discussion. Our host, Asomi Ithia, asked everyone in the room to introduce themselves and state whether this future is looking good, bad, or unclear, and later tallied up the results to kick off discussions. While the packed venue, easily exceeding fifty participants, made for a rich blend of perspectives, it also constrained the depth of the dialogue.
But given the diversity of talent in the room (besides product managers from different industries and in varying degrees of seniority, we were joined by designers, engineers, business analysts, project managers, recruiters, and the merely curious – as one guy put it, “I don’t really understand what’s going on, but it sounds fun”), there were a number of interesting topics introduced. I’ll cover them briefly in this overview, but I’m inspired to look at each more closely at a later date, so stay tuned.
The future of product management is “good for the good”
While I don’t deny the uncertainty surrounding the tech industry as a whole, and the role of product manager specifically, I still cast my vote in favour of a bright future. My rationale is anchored in my belief that product managers are, by our very nature, extremely versatile. And it’s that versatility that makes us a valuable addition to a tech team – we fill in the knowledge gaps.
One woman at the meetup broke with the standard responses by saying she thinks the future of product management is “good for the good”, meaning that those who can adapt and evolve will continue to thrive. I wholeheartedly agree. If we can use the flexibility of our multidisciplinary approach to whatever challenge we take on — in whichever company we work for — we will continue to be in demand, whether it’s as a “product manager” or by any other name.
The complexity and nuances of defining the “product manager” role
There’s a lot of variability when it comes to product management, both in terms of the expectations, responsibilities and the definition of the job role itself and to external variables – company size, industry, even types of product. In my experience working for start-ups and scale-ups, the scope of the role changes daily. And while some of that can be attributed to poor leadership or mismanagement of the org chart, the reality is that, for better or worse, product managers are generalists who help out where needed most.
Incidentally, this sentiment was echoed by the recruiters present, indicating that a singular, static job description for a product manager hardly exists. What doesn’t change, however, is the need for a versatile skill set, a point echoed across the room.
Is a product manager by any other name still a product manager?
An intriguing point raised was whether product managers will have to specialise in specific areas as the industry evolves. I noticed a trend leaning towards value in the expertise of each individual product manager — be it in delivery, business analysis, tech, project management, customer success.
This is a double edged sword, as my former colleague, who was also in attendance, illustrated with an example from her current work for a web3 project — her job can just as easily be done by the engineer or the designer, depending on the context. It’s here that the product manager adds more value as a “manager” than necessarily focussing on the “product”.
The added value of following an unconventional career path
One of the product managers working for an incumbent financial institution made a case for the value of a non-linear career path into product management. He argued that this winding road often equips PMs with a distinct set of skills and perspectives, making them irreplaceable in discussions. He even mentioned that he’s sceptical of anyone who’s taken a straightforward educational route into the profession, suspecting they might lack the textured insights that come from diverse experience.
Pursued by uncertainty
Though much of what we discussed throughout the conversation was about being comfortable with uncertainty, towards the end the mood pivoted towards the overarching uncertainty in the market. In other words, are we feeling insecure because our roles are inherently unstable, or is it a reflection of the volatile market conditions? After all, when tech was booming and the money was rolling in, nobody was questioning whether product management should have a seat at the table. And as a former CPO with more than a decade and a half of product experience under her belt pointed out, at least now “product” is an option on career questionnaires.
Do product managers actually make products better?
Finally, the one question that seems to summarise the entire debate: does product management result in better products overall? To me, this can only have one answer, one that is almost a tautology, echoing the same words as we started with — “good for the good”. A great product manager doesn’t just fill a basic management function, they go beyond, elevating the entire product and team. They make products better — not necessarily good products, but better products than there would be otherwise — because they apply a better way of thinking about product. And for these “good”, career prospects are good, and so is the future of product management as a field.
5km really is the best distance. I used to think it was 10km, but now that I’m a bit older (read: lazier), I’m happy with 5km. It’s hard enough to make you feel like you’ve worked for it, but easy enough that you’re not in recovery the rest of the weekend.
In other words, I really enjoyed today’s RBC Race for the Kids at Hyde Park. Not only was it an excellent cause, supporting the Great Ormond Street Hospital, but it was also the perfect day — fantastic company, impeccable organisation, wonderful weather, what else could I really ask for?
Well, maybe a timed chip. Instead, I have to rely on my Strava, which was more or less accurate — I started it a bit too early, but I stopped it as soon as I crossed the finish line and collected my medal. Still, despite using the run as a chance to chat to my husband, I think we managed alright — 24:39.
I guess it’s a big ask given that there were more than 7000 of us running the 5km. And it was more of a family fun run than a competitive race, so fair enough. If I wanted competition, I’d have signed up for tomorrow’s Royal Parks Half Marathon. Maybe next year.
The run itself went quickly, and I only found myself struggling with the head on the last kilometre, but it was one final push and we were at the finish. Cristian was tempted to take one of the little RBC plush lions, but I chastised him that it was for the kids — and now regret it. They really were very cute.
While we waited for our friends, who were jogging/walking the route, we enjoyed our VIP access to the Royal Bank of Canada marquee, offering free burgers, salads, sweets, and ice cream. We warmed ourselves in the sunshine and replenished our energy with all sorts of delicious snacks.
After they finished and found us, we had a mini-picnic on the lawns of Hyde Park and then took a walk by the Serpentine before parting ways. I made sure to give a generous donation to the Great Ormond Street Hospital in thanks for the amazing experience, and spent the remainder of the day taking it easy.
This is most definitely an event I’d do again — but while we wait for next year, there’s always the first Surrey XC race of the season to look forward to next weekend!
Ah, Paris. You’d think after numerous visits, its charm would wane a tad, but au contraire! Each time is simply magical – and this past weekend was no exception. I popped over for a short weekend getaway to visit a friend and got to experience a tiny slice of Parisian life. She lives in a quaint flat in the very heart of the city – think creaking floorboards and peeling walls, but endlessly charming and romantic.
We had the whole Saturday to explore. The day started with a classic Parisian breakfast – coffee and a single tasty pastry, bought for less than €2 in a nearby patisserie. We wandered along the Seine, posing for photographs at key landmarks and enjoying the autumn sunshine.
A visit to the Musee d’Orsay was, of course, on the cards. While it’s virtually impossible to soak in every art piece, there’s a unique delight in discovering something new with each visit. We paused in contemplation, admiring a Delacroix painting. Who would’ve thought that puma wasn’t black? Jokes aside, it was a fantastic visit.
It was a little bit of a shame to find out that the nearby Musee de l’Orangerie was showing a Modigliani exhibition, which I would’ve loved to see – but, well, there’s always next time. Paris is just two hours away, after all.
The rest of the day was beautifully languid – sipping rosé by the river, moving from one side to the other as ferries docked, and warming ourselves in the sun. We then headed to a typical French restaurant for dinner, which was mostly enjoyable, but I don’t think I will ever understand why some people insist on smoking while dining.
In the evening, we relaxed at home, watching the Barbie movie. I can’t say I’m a fan of the film, but it was definitely a fun experience in the company of a good friend. We headed to sleep soon after the credits started rolling, keen to make the most of the few hours we had left on Sunday morning.
The plan was to visit the Google office, where my friend works – but turns out, it’s closed on weekends. So we took a long walk instead, walking first to the Louvre via Jardin des Tuileries, and then inevitably to the Gare du Nord, where the Eurostar was waiting to take me home.
I had noticed that everywhere was more crowded than usual, but it wasn’t until I was in the Eurostar chatting to my seat mate (turns out, we’re connected on LinkedIn – small world!) that I found out why. It was Paris Fashion Week! It definitely explains all the stunning outfits, including the brave women flaunting sheer blouses sans bras. Talk about making a statement!
The trip back passed quickly, and I soon found myself in London with enough weekend left to indulge. My husband met me at the station, and we explored the local area. As south Londoners, we rarely venture north, so it was a great chance to walk from Kings Cross to Camden along the canal and check out the pop-up vintage market by the station. I walked away with a stunning faux fur coat, danced to 70s disco tunes, and admired vintage cars, two of which, to my amazement, belonged to the manager of Led Zeppelin!
All in all? An absolutely splendid weekend! Paris, I’ll be back soon.
Swordfoosh 