John Cutler
Product Evangelist and Coach at Amplitude
One of the most prolific writers and thinkers in product management, worked at Amplitude where he had unique access to hundreds of product teams, known for his authentic leadership philosophy rooted in self-awareness and for challenging teams to invest in people over processes.
Dimension Profile
Key Themes
Episode Summary
John Cutler shares his philosophy on authentic leadership through radical self-awareness, arguing that investing in people matters far more than investing in processes. Drawing from his unique vantage point at Amplitude where he worked with hundreds of product teams, he emphasizes that coherent leadership across organizational levels is essential, and that prolific writing is fundamentally a tool for clear thinking rather than audience building.
Leadership Principles
- → Authentic leadership starts with radical self-awareness — know your defaults, your comfort zones, and where you need to flex
- → Investing in people is almost always more valuable than investing in processes — the best process in the world won't save a team that doesn't trust each other
- → Coherent leadership means alignment across every level of the organization — if the layers contradict each other, no amount of strategy documents will help
Notable Quotes
"The best process in the world won't save a team that doesn't trust each other. You have to invest in people first."
— On why teams should prioritize people investment over process investment
"Authentic leadership starts with knowing your defaults, your comfort zones, and being honest about where you need to flex."
— On the foundation of effective leadership
"Writing forces you to think clearly. It's not about building an audience. It's about building your own understanding."
— On why he writes so prolifically about product management
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