In a recent episode of The Ezra Klein Show, Ezra Klein has a conversation with former magazine editor Adam Moss about the role of editors and editing in the creative process. Editing, they argue, is the practice of pushing some thing, some creation to be the best version it can be. And editors help others get themselves and their work there — from good to great.

Klein and Moss discuss editing in the context of creative activities — TV writing, painting, journalism — and refining core ideas until they have the mark of greatness. The core skill Moss brings up is a “sensitivity to reaction” to whatever it is that’s being created. And, importantly, having the confidence to trust that reaction and know what to do about it. In order to have that impulse, one needs to have developed a sense of taste — an appreciation for what great looks like and an understanding of when “good” is not enough. The way to develop that taste is to spend time with those creations, analyzing and distilling them down into their elements and learning to differentiate the signs of greatness. Only through exposure and distillation can one build that instinctive “sensitivity to reaction” that makes a great editor.

Listening to that conversation, my mind instantly transposed the core ideas to developing products. Though there are perhaps more constraints than in some of those other disciplines, finding the right solutions to given customer and/or business opportunities is a creative endeavor. And in many product teams, a product manager serves as a kind of editor, pushing their teams through solution iterations with an understanding of when the solution is enough to meet the needs of its users, and what separates “good” from “great”.

If that’s the case, then, product managers have the obligation to continuously refine and expand their taste. I’m a firm believer in exploring apps and tools as a way to stay up to date with what’s modern and exciting and expand the boundaries of what good great software feels like. This exploration has served me throughout in my career, and I still get a jolt when I encounter something that feels new, exciting, or even has a distinct point of view.

In his book Norwegian Wood, Haruki Murakami has a quote that I often return to when I see the latest thread on Twitter about the books every product manager MUST read. The quote goes: “If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” That applies to reading — books, newsletters, tweets, whatever — but also undoubtedly applies to the kinds of tools, and products we expose ourselves to. As PMs we’re rarely if ever the ones actually crafting the products themselves. We’re not designers or engineers. We have to rely on our taste and the conviction in that taste to know whether we’re building something great or merely good enough — and also when “good enough” is actually the right approach. If we’re shaping that taste using the same resources as everyone else, it’s likely we’ll end up with similar solutions.

Of course, many successful products — tools like Figma, Linear, Notion, or Arc — got that way because they are great, and its helpful to be familiar with them and learn from the patterns and practices they set. But there’s an infinite breadth of products with novel ideas without the same reach or recognition. And in those nooks and crannies lies a wealth of inspiration to craft interesting and exciting experiences when building our own products. For anyone looking to improve their craft, there’s an opportunity to seek out, explore, and play around with tools outside of the mainstream. (Or even get inspiration from outside of digital experiences entirely!) It’s one of the most effective ways I’ve found to build my own “sensitivity to reaction” in the digital realm and gain conviction in myself and my taste. And every now and again it leads to finding my new favorite app.