Two-Way Writeups (Dory & Pulse)
by Lane Shackleton • Chief Product Officer at Coda
Lane Shackleton is the Chief Product Officer at Coda, having previously served as Group Product Manager at YouTube. He began his career uniquely as an Alaskan mountain guide and a manual reviewer for Google AdWords.
🎙️ Episode Context
In this episode, Lane Shackleton shares his deep insights on product leadership, distinguishing between the principles of great individual PMs and the rituals of high-performing teams. He discusses unique frameworks like 'Catalyst' for decision-making, the shift to 'Two-Way Writeups,' and how to measure career growth through discomfort. The conversation covers actionable strategies for turning ambiguity into clarity and building a culture of making over talking.
Problem It Solves
Fixes 'One-Way Writeups' where feedback is hidden in comment margins, dominance of loud voices, and uncertainty if stakeholders have read the doc.
Framework Overview
Evolution from PowerPoint (Phase 1) and Static Docs (Phase 2) to Interactive Docs. Uses tools like 'Dory' (to vote up key questions to discuss) and 'Pulse' (sentiment tables) to democratize feedback and ensure alignment.
🧠 Framework Structure
Democratized Q&A (Dory): List questio...
Sentiment Check (Pulse): Ask stakehol...
Inclusive Feedback: Allows introverts...
When to Use
For product requirement documents (PRDs), strategy proposals, or any asynchronous decision-making process.
Common Mistakes
Debating the core validity of a proposal in the comment thread of the document title.
Real World Example
Lane once proposed a feature thinking everyone agreed, but a quiet lead designer put a negative sentiment in the Pulse table, saving the team from a bad decision he wouldn't have voiced otherwise.
I thought it was going to sail through... One of the lead designers basically said, 'One smiley face. We shouldn't do this.'
— Lane Shackleton