Leading Cross-Functional Teams

Always bring the donuts

By Ken Norton

I first gave this talk at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business in November 2005 and then again at the SVPMA monthly meeting in January 2007. I’m pleased that “bring the donuts” has started to become synonymous with product management. These slides have taken on a life of their own and I continue to get emails and tweets from people who’ve discovered them.

“Bring the Donuts”

Here’s the original deck I used in 2005. The SVPMA talk used a longer, derivative version that I don’t like as much now. I got too fancy with images and examples and the like. Short and simple always wins in the end.

Open Slides in New Window


Ken Norton spent more than fourteen years at Google where he led product initiatives for Docs, Calendar, Google Mobile Maps, and GV (formerly Google Ventures).

Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Facebook
  • MOST POPULAR
  • How to Hire a Product Manager: the Classic Essay

    The classic essay that defined the product manager role
    What is product management? What makes a great product manager, and how do you become one? This is Ken Norton's classic essay on the role of product management that launched thousands of PM careers.

  • 10x Not 10%: Bold Product Strategy and Vision

    Product management by orders of magnitude
    In this ambitious essay, Ken Norton looks at the history of innovation and challenges product managers and product leaders to think bigger, to aim for 10x, not 10%.

  • Please Make Yourself Uncomfortable: Jazz and PMs

    What product managers can learn from jazz musicians
    What can product managers and product leaders learn from jazz, an art form that is all about improvisation, collaboration, and being willing to take risks?

  • 43 Best Books for Product Managers in 2021

    Essential product management reading
    Ken Norton shares his recommended books for product managers. The best books on product leadership, innovation, management, shipping winning products, and design thinking.

  • Ants & Aliens: Long-Term Product Vision & Strategy

    Why you need a thirty-year product vision (yes, thirty)
    How do you plan for the future and deliver an innovative and compelling product vision that will inspire your team to deliver winning products?

  • Meetings That Don’t Suck

    Break free from the tyranny of the conference room
    Most meetings suck, but it doesn't have to be that way. Ken Norton shows us how to break free and unsuck our meetings.

  • Building Products at Stripe

    Go deep, move fast, and build multi-decade abstractions
    What is Stripe's product culture like? Interview with a Stripe product leader demonstrate an embrace of going deep, moving fast, and maintaining a multi-decade perspective.

  • What Makes A Strong Product Culture?

    How a company's view of technology, product leadership, and empowerment contribute to product success
    Strong product cultures can produce winning products. They're places where product management is practiced (as we define it), where it is valued by the business, and where PMs can thrive and grow.

  • Building Products at Airbnb

    Snow White, storytelling, and a relentless focus on experiences
    What is Airbnb's product culture like? Interviews with Airbnb PMs demonstrate an embrace of Snow White, storytelling, and a relentless focus on experiences.

Coaching for Product Leaders

If you are interested in growing as a product manager or product leader, I offer product management coaching. I have worked with everyone from new grads just starting their PM careers to newly promoted product directors to experienced VPs of Product and Chief Product Officers. Schedule a free introductory session.

Learn more »