Trying to come up with a single, global definition of what “Product Management” is and what it incorporates, often seems like a massive exercise in folly. Wikipedia describes Product Management as “an organizational lifecycle function within a company dealing with the planning, forecasting, or marketing of a product or products at all stages of the […]
First, Kill All The Product Managers!
There’s a very famous quote that’s used quite often when people are expressing their dislike of lawyers: “First, kill all the lawyers.” This, they posit, is something that good old Bill Shakespeare himself advocated for, after all – and what better way to stabilize our society than to dispose of the bottom-feeding trolls and sharks […]
You Go to Market With the Dev Team You Have, Not the Dev Team You Want
This is the second time I’ve massacred a quote from former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, and while I personally have no love for the man, he’s a font of applicable and interesting quotations on the subject of battle tactics, strategy, and resource management. This particular quote comes from a hearing in which he was […]
Five Things a Clever Product Manager Should ALWAYS Do
In a prior post, I talked about five things that clever PMs should never do — traps that we often fall into as a result of our focus on getting things done and delivering value, while perhaps not being as mindful as we should about leading through influence. Today, I’m going to flip that post […]
Product Manager or Product Owner – What’s the Difference?
In the search for a Product Management role, many people become confused by the deceptively similar descriptions, expectations, and requirements that they find for Product Owner and Product Manager roles in various organizations. I’m sorry to say, this is another reflection of the inability of our Product Management culture and discipline to adopt a clear […]
How to Minimize Workplace Disruptions With One Easy Trick
How often do we as Product Managers complain that we’re constantly bombarded with all sorts of distractions as we try to do our jobs on a daily basis? What if I told you that there’s one clever trick that you can use to minimize those disruptions and secure more time to focus on doing your […]
Five Things a Clever Product Manager Should NEVER Do
There are a lot of things that Product Managers can be accused of “doing wrong” when it comes to our daily jobs. As a wise mentor once told me, if there’s not at least one stakeholder upset with you, you’re not doing your job right. However, that doesn’t mean that we’re without fault. If we’re […]
Better Brainstorming – A Framework for Success
I know, we’ve all been in a “brainstorming” session which devolves into either a pointless series of discussions that never goes anywhere, or which are code for “let the executives speak, and follow their lead.” The simple fact is that most people aren’t trained to work in a true brainstorming fashion, and that most businesses […]
The Myth of the “Faster Horse”
I’m sure you’ve heard of the allegorical story that, when asked why he built his cars the way he did, Henry Ford is alleged to say, “If I had asked my customers what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” Unfortunately, there’s no evidence that supports the claim that he is to have said […]
You’re not Agile Unless You’re “agile”…
Probably the single most common question that I run into nowadays is which process is the “best” one to be Agile, with a capital “A”. And people are often surprised when I tell them there’s no right or wrong answer here, but that they’re focusing on the wrong thing if they’re trying to be Agile […]
Who Watches the Watchmen — Where Should Product Managers Report?
A common question in the world of Product Management is where exactly the role should sit in a company’s organization chart. Some people claim that the role “needs” to be part of Marketing. Some people claim the role “needs” to be a part of Development. Everyone seems to have some opinion on the matter, and […]