Anticipate Problems, Don't Live in Them
Good PMs anticipate the serious product flaws and build real solutions before the flaw becomes a crisis. Bad PMs spend all day putting out fires, and Horowitz notes they tend to point this out proudly, as if being swamped were the job.
The all-day-firefighting PM feels busy and looks dedicated. But firefighting is a lagging indicator of planning that never happened. The essay treats 'I'm so busy' not as a status symbol but as a confession.
Related: good PMs manage the product; they don't become the team's note-taker and errand-runner. Horowitz is specific that a good PM doesn't get absorbed taking meeting minutes and doing gopher work. Someone has to do those things, but if it's the PM, nobody is doing the PM's job.
“Bad product managers put out fires all day. Good product managers anticipate serious product flaws and build real solutions.”
Key idea
Constant firefighting isn't dedication, it's the bill for anticipation that never happened. Good PMs pay in advance.