Product vs content (Scott Kubie)

 

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A few weeks ago I made a post on LinkedIn that caused a little bit of a stir. I said that content designers need to do more in considering how content supports the greater product ecosystem...and why that lack of curiosity might be holding them back.

In essence, I was asking: which is more important - product or content?

I got a lot of great responses, but Scott Kubie's was one that stood out to me. His view was that my assessment of the situation was a little upside down, and that we should talk about it.

So I did.

Scott and I agree that content designers need to think bigger, but we're coming at this from slightly different directions. This episode, we hash it out. I hope you enjoy it - it was a productive, pleasant, and deep conversation that really left me with a better understanding of Scott's position.

What we talked about:

  • Why Scott thinks content people are “playing small” — and what they can do about it

  • What "content" actually is

  • The real role of content in a product 

  • The difference between interface copy and content that truly drives value

  • Why structured content and content operations are the future

  • Scott’s candid thoughts on how to navigate industry challenges and thrive

  • The content "death star":

Notable quotes:

  • “Content is what people are there for… not just the words on the screen.” 

  • “There’s a massive opportunity available to any product manager who wants to pick it up and run with it, which is to start thinking about your content ecosystem.”

Resources Mentioned:

Where to find Scott:

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Patrick Stafford