Jun 2 2010
SVPMA event: Best Practices in Product Management for V1 products (or how to create something from nothing).
Here's some essential differences between activities for a first release versus ongoing development post-launch. The main takeaway is that for the first release you’re much more concerned with the quantitative aspects, namely “what it is”, as opposed to the qualitative aspects of “what it does”. And if we take Dan’s expert advice, here’s how it’s done.

Feb 23 2010
SVPMA event: What every Product Manager should know about Intellectual Property: Patents, Copyrights, and Trademarks.
You may well be familiar with those terms, but if you think you know all the details you're probably in for a few surprises, and in this sensitive area surprises are definitely to be avoided. Read on and get on the right track ...

Oct 7 2009
SVPMA event: Product Management Productivity: How to get twice as much done in half the time.
Successful Product Managers and Marketers in Silicon Valley have to be productive at work while avoiding burn-out and maintaining their enthusiasm for the job. Brian Lawley of the 280 Group shows us how, which some tips on how to manage your boss thrown in for good measure.

June 16 2009
Report: The German Solar Market and Implications for US Renewable Energy Policies, San Francisco
With an entire day devoted to the presentation of current solar technology, costs and benefits compared to other energy sources, environmental concerns, and government policies, the day could best be summarized as an attempt to answer one key question: Why is there more solar capacity deployed in Germany than in the US?

June 9 2009
Report on BayCHI event: Getting from Research to Design
In a fascinating, interactive pair of presentations on product and services design, the audience gained valuable insights into design thinking and the design process. Both presenting companies, Adaptive Path and Portigal Consulting, help companies with the design process for product and services creation and improvement.

May 12 2009
Report: The Future Size of the Carbon Footprint seminar, San Francisco
Carbon usage and the associated production of carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, occurs across all business activity and the entire life cycle of a product. The panel explored how software systems can help track and report on carbon usage, provide accountability and trading of carbon credits, help reduce costs, and increase the credibility of corporations with ecology-aware consumers.

April 28 2009
Report: Digital Media Thought Leadership Seminar, Palo Alto
Expert opinions on trends in convergence of broadcast TV and the internet, and the future of media, came from a range of current players in the field. Winning ingredients for the next success story were choice, personalization, and interestingly, the importance of your home town community.

April 23 2009
Report: ad:tech 2009 - can advertising agencies still engage a web audience with effective brand stories?
There's loads of potential for digital advertising. But marketers, publishers, creatives, and the technology folks need to sit down and plan a roadmap that provides an engaging brand experience, worthwhile direct response, complements search, and mitigates the obtrusive get-out-of-my-space backlash.

April 17 2009
Report: Traditional companies adapt to collaboration, community and branding in a web 2.0 world.
Some companies are born into the web 2.0 world, others are struggling with it. The traditional companies that embrace new technologies to increase employee collaboration within the company, and succeed in increasing brand engagement with their customers in the broader world will be the winners.

April 2 2009
Web 2.0 Report: The Power of Less with Web Squared
Tim O'Reilly's keynote pointed the way to an intelligent web grid sensing the state of the planet, and all of us contributing to the collective intelligence to make the world a better place. Definitely something to twitter about.

March 14 2009
P-Camp Report: World's largest free get-together of Product Managers
Here's what happened when a bunch of Product Managers and Marketers spent a day at an unconference.

Jan 6 2009
SVPMA event - Agile Development & Project Management
Kemarra is an active member of the Silicon Valley Product Managers Association, and we like to blog their presentations. Aided by her active roles as both a Product Manager and Product Marketer, Catherine Connor of Rally Software gave a very insightful presentation on Agile, as rather than just telling us the mechanics of Agile, she highlighted the all-important business value and, crucially for this particular audience, focused on what switching to Agile means in the day-to-day life of a Product Manager.
Here's the full write-up.