Second Order Thinking — A Product Super Power

Always thinking a few steps ahead is vital in leading a successful product

Our brain is wired for gratification — we need to break free from it to create long term health for our products.

Chess isn’t won move by move, it is won through envisioning the future actions and consequences of each move made.

Something similar can be said about creating a product.

A successful product isn’t built decision by decision, but is built through an understanding of the consequence of each decision and it’s effect on all decisions to come.

This is the concept of first order and second order thinking. One calls up on our collective experience to make decisions with ease and minimal effort, the other calls up the need for deep-work and energy, and it isn’t easy. Only one allows us to see the outcome over time.

So let’s break this down and understand why second order thinking is the super power you need in Product Management.

We’re Only Human: First Order Thinking

When presented with a problem, we put more weight behind the immediate results of our actions, ignoring the future consequences. We seek instant gratification. This is what drives first order thinking, and it comes along with the baggage of bias and heuristics.