PM Talks S2E7: Sustainability

A Productive Conversation

This episode is the latest in our monthly series, PM Talks, where I’m joined by my friend and fellow thinker, Patrick Rhone. This time around, we dig into something that often gets overshadowed by its louder cousin: sustainability. From routines and rhythms to systems and seasons, we talk about what it really means to sustain—across time, attention, and action.

Patrick and I explore the real difference between consistency and sustainability, and how too many people mistake momentum for something lasting. We share stories about summer, parenting, gardening, and even the war against weeds—all as metaphors for figuring out what’s actually worth sustaining.

Six Discussion Points

• Why consistency often gets more attention than sustainability—and why that might be a generational bias
• The subtle but critical difference between momentum and long-term viability
• How unsustainable systems mask themselves through short-term results
• The role of short-term maintenance in supporting long-term sustainability
• Gardening as a metaphor for attention, patience, and the reality of diminishing returns
• Why paper systems and analog tools often outlast their digital counterparts

Three Connection Points

• Patrick Rhone’s work
• Get Chris Ducker’s book, The Long Haul Leader
• Get The Productivity Diet by Mike Vardy on Amazon

This episode reminded me—again—that sustainability is about more than staying the course. It’s about choosing what’s worth continuing. Whether you’re managing time, energy, or a tomato plant, the wisdom is in knowing your limits and working with them, not against them. I hope this episode helps you rethink not just what you're doing, but whether you can—and should—keep doing it.