No More Superheroes - How to Create an Effective and Scalable Product Management Organization - Saeed Khan at ProductCamp Boston, April 2011

It’s time to change how we think about Product Managers!
No more Rock Stars No more Superheroes

It’s good for our egos, but…
it’s bad for our profession

Hiring the first PM
Highly visible position
Technical Strength
Business Acumen
Strategic Thinker
Tactical Executioner
Marketing Guru
Etc. Etc.

How successful could this person be?

But how do you scale the organization?
?

Like this?

Is this even possible?
Can you even hire a team like this?
Is the whole greater than the sum of the parts?
Is this really how any team scales?

One other factor to consider…

Some real world problems for Product Management organizations

Is this a problem?
Long term planning vs. short term tactics
Getting out of firefighting mode

Is this a problem?
How to work in an Agile environment?
Is the Product Manager the Product Owner?

Is this a problem?
How to work with Marketing?
Why don’t they just “get it”?

Is this a problem?
Just getting outside the building!
How do I gain market authority when I’m stuck at my desk?

And finally…
Truly managing the product across the product lifecycle

So what’s the solution?

Stop talking about the Product Manager
Start talking about Product Management

It’s not part of Marketing
It’s not part of Engineering

Product Management should be a department in your company with differentiated roles DEFINED and STAFFED for overall success
(just like every other department)

Specialized Roles for Specific Objectives
Engineering
Software Engineers
Architects
Project Managers
Development Leads
Database Architects
User Interaction/Experience
Quality Assurance
Etc.
Sales
Account Managers
Named Account Managers
Territory Managers
Inside Sales Reps
Sales Consultants
Business Development
Direct Response
Etc.

What are those Product Management roles and how can they be defined?

The goal of Product Management
To deliver measurable business results through product solutions that meet both market needs and company objectives.
Don Vendetti - http://wp.me/pXBON-WE

Key Product Management Skills
Marketing
Strategy
Forecasting
Roadmaps
Communication
Pricing
Partnerships
Technology
Planning
Selling
Management

Cross-Functional Responsibilities

Sr. Mgmt
Presales
Engineering
Support
Sales
Marketing
Market
Technical
Business
Product
Segmenting the roles
Product Manager

Sr. Mgmt
Presales
Engineering
Support
Sales
Marketing
Market
Technical
Business
Product
Some are more technically focused

Sr. Mgmt
Presales
Engineering
Support
Sales
Marketing
Market
Technical
Business
Product
Some are more business focused

Sr. Mgmt
Presales
Engineering
Support
Sales
Marketing
Market
Technical
Business
Product
How should the roles be segmented

Sr. Mgmt
Presales
Engineering
Support
Sales
Marketing
Market
Technical
Product Manager
Business
Product
Product Manager is business focused
TechnicalProduct Manager

Sr. Mgmt
Presales
Engineering
Support
Sales
Marketing
Market
Technical
Product Manager
Business
Product Marketing Manager
Product
Product Marketing can be added

Sr. Mgmt
Presales
Engineering
Support
Sales
Marketing
Market
Solution Specialist
Technical
Product Manager
Business
Product Marketing Manager
Product
Solution Specialist adds product depth

A scalable & effective team
Other roles UX, BA etc. can be added if needed
Can scale organization (by adding people) across products or product lines

Product Management Grows with the Company
Individuals across groups work together in virtual or physical teams

Product Management problems solved?
Balance long term planning vs. short term tactics
Ability to work effectively in an Agile environment
No barriers to getting out of the building
Enabling Marketing so they “get it”
Managing across the entire product lifecycle

And the real reason you came to listen!

No more Superheroes!How to create an Effective and Scalable Product Management OrganizationSaeed Khanwww.OnProductManagement.netTwitter: @saeedwkhan, @onpm

No More Superheroes - How to Create an Effective and Scalable Product Management Organization - Saeed Khan at ProductCamp Boston, April 2011

by ProductCamp Boston on Apr 04, 2011

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No More Superheroes - How to Create an Effective and Scalable Product Management Organization - Saeed Khan at ProductCamp Boston, April 2011 — Presentation Transcript