Last week I shared a high-level look at impostor phenomenon (the more accurate description of what is widely known as impostor syndrome) and how working remotely intensifies these feelings. This week, we’ll talk about:

• What impostor phenomenon really is (according to one of the women who coined the term).

• Where the feelings and limiting beliefs related to impostorism may come from.

• 5 ways you can better understand and live with impostor phenomenon

In 1978, graduate students Suzanne Imes and Pauline Rose Clance had feelings of just not being good enough and of being frauds despite their high level of achievements. They noticed many of their fellow female students had similar feelings.

After an extensive research project to understand why such intelligent, high-achieving women were feeling this way, they published a paper in which they coined the term “imposter phenomenon.”

This first article includes a self-reflection exercise called the Product Practice Canvas that you can use on your own, or with clients in leadership coaching. A balanced product practice has equal focus on human skills and technical skills. Use this canvas to reflect on your own product practice by measuring the current state of both technical and human skills, and chart small steps to create change.

What makes one product succeed where another fails? Could be the design. Could be the analytics captured and dissected. Could be the technology behind it, or the features and functionality it offers. Maybe it’s the market. Or the customer Or the brand.

I think that is just scratching the surface. 7 Min Read