I read Creative Selection by Ken Kocienda. It's been over a year, but the book is still with me. Kocienda dives into his journey at Apple, from the creation of Safari to the idea and development of how a touchscreen mobile keyboard should behave. What makes this book fascinating is the glimpse into the world of Apple - a world shrouded in secrecy, especially when it comes to product development.

The book also sheds light on Steve Jobs, an enigmatic and polarizing figure in technology. Kocienda's anecdotes and insights are fascinating.

The book is full of gems. Well worth reading.

The idea, as I understand it, is to trust your gut when making product decisions. Call it "product sense" or "instinct". Essentially, it's about listening to your inner voice when making product decisions without waiting for user feedback. It's the Steve Jobs approach.

Take, for example, the decision to add a new feature. The refined-like response approach suggests that if you (believe you) deeply understand your users and their context, you shouldn't wait for user feedback. Instead, iterate internally and go ahead with the feature.

But this strategy isn't for everyone, especially if you're new to product development. Beginners are advised to experiment and explore. Without experience, gut feelings are just guesses.

Relying on instinct without a foundation of experience is risky - it is untested and unproven. And to be honest, experience alone isn't always enough. A systematic approach to getting results, even if it's slower, is often preferable.

However, for those with experience, developing and relying on "refined-like responses" can be invaluable. This is what companies look for in experienced product professionals. The ability to make quick, accurate decisions can save immense amounts of time. Plus, there's a certain charisma that comes with being right most of the time.

Hiring for this skill is difficult. Common methods include product design interviews and measuring years of industry experience. The assumption is that experience equals exposure. I don't have solid advice on this yet.

So what if you think you have this refined gut instinct? My advice is to proceed with caution. Be humble. Avoid arrogance. Articulating product decisions based on instinct can be challenging. Sometimes you can rationalize your choices, and sometimes you can't. It's okay to admit that it's just a hunch.