Thread by @Shripriya

1/ People use the products we create in ways we never predicted. We can’t be held responsible for what they do…right? Wrong. It’s time we take more ownership of the impact our products have on the world. True product leadership is #ProductStewardship
shri.me/ProducttStewar…

2/ The stakes are too high to claim ignorance — particularly in tech, where our products can reach billions of people. We have recently become painfully aware of what can happen when the tools we use encourage our worst instincts.

3/ When I led product at @eBay, we noticed people trading Nazi memorabilia. We asked ourselves: What do we believe? Why did we create this product? Once we framed it in terms of values, the decision about what to do was clear. We banned all hate-related propaganda.

4/ Product stewards also encourage good behavior. Last year, @Airbnb launched Open Home — a way for people to house refugees. This was not a PR stunt. They invested in a new product that allows people to offer their homes for free to refugees and disaster victims.

5/ Product stewards also protect us from ourselves. Apple launched Screen Time to track the time you spend online, as part of iOS 12. Jony Ive said: “It's part of the culture at Apple to believe that there is a responsibility that doesn't end when you ship a product.”

6/ How can you create that kind of culture at your company? Here are a few steps we could take towards regaining control over the way our products live in the world:

7/ Step 1: Define. Before you begin designing, sit down with the team to define how you want your product to be used — and how it shouldn’t be used. Drawing this line upfront will provide clarity for a muddy future when the world changes around you.

8/ Step 2: Imagine. Think about all the things people could do with your product, including edge cases. What could happen in the worst case scenario? How can you structure the product to encourage positive experimentation and curb the negative?

9/ Step 3: Communicate. Discuss your beliefs, values and intentions to everyone at your company. If a stranger asked anyone how the product should and shouldn’t be used, every employee should know the answer.

10/ Step 4: Measure. Product people measure everything. How can you measure the ways people misuse your product? What early warning systems could you put in place? Review the data and the signals they are sending you at least once a quarter.

11/ Step 5: Do Something. There will always be unexpected surprises. But since you already know your moral line in the sand, when you see something that crosses that line, you’ll know it. And you’ll know how to take action.

12/ Technology should enhance human connection and help make the world better. The first step is to see product leadership as #ProductStewardship. How do you think about these issues at your company? Have you seen other companies practicing #ProductStewardship? Let me know. /fin