The document outlines the multifaceted role of product managers, covering key responsibilities such as product strategy, market analysis, and team coordination within agile frameworks. It addresses the potential failure modes for both product managers and owners when they lack engagement or strategic focus. Rich Mironov, a veteran in product management, emphasizes the importance of understanding market needs and maintaining effective communication across departments.

1. What Does a Product
Manager Do?
Rich Mironov
StartUP Product Talks
16 May 2012
1 - StartUP Product Talks 2012 www.mironov.com

2. What Does a Product Manager Do?
budgets, staff, strategy, forecasts,
commitments, roadmaps,
targets competitive intelligence
Executives
market information, priorities,
requirements, roadmaps, MRDs, Field input,
personas, user stories… Product Market feedback
Management
Mktg & Markets &
Development
Sales Customers
software
Segmentation, messages,
benefits/features, pricing,
qualification, demos…
2 - StartUP Product Talks 2012 www.mironov.com

3. Product Mgmt Planning Horizons
many years
Strategy
years
Exec Portfolio
many mons
Product
PM Release 2-9 mon
Sprint 2 wk
Dev
Team Daily
3 - StartUP Product Talks 2012 www.mironov.com

4. Pragmatic Marketing® Framework
Dir, Prod Strategy Prod Mktg Mgr
Business Marketing
Positioning
Plan Plan
Market Market Buying Customer
Pricing
Problems Definition Process Acquisition
Win/Loss Distribution Buy, Build Buyer Customer
Analysis Strategy or Partner Personas Retention
Distinctive Product Product User Program
Competence Portfolio Profitability Personas Effectiveness
Market Strategy Business Planning Programs Readiness Support
Competitive Product Require- Launch Sales Presentations
Innovation
Landscape Roadmap ments Plan Process & Demos
Technology Use Thought “Special”
Collateral
Assessment Scenarios Leadership Calls
Status Lead Sales Event
Dashboard Generation Tools Support
Tech Prod Mgr
Referrals & Channel Channel
References Training Support
4 - StartUP Product Talks 2012 www.mironov.com
© 1993-2009 Pragmatic Marketing, Inc. All rights reserved

5. Disjoint Communities
Product
Agile Community
Managers
Still nearly empty,
very lonely
5 - StartUP Product Talks 2012 www.mironov.com

6. Agile’s Inner Loop (Development)
After: Mike Cohn
6 - StartUP Product Talks 2012 www.mironov.com

7. Agile’s Strategic Outer Loop (PM)
•Markets •Customers
•Customers •Sales
•Biz Models •Marketing
•Strategy •Support
•Portfolios •Upgrades
•Funding •EOL/EOS
7 - StartUP Product Talks 2012 www.mironov.com

8. Product Owner’s Calendar
8 - StartUP Product Talks 2012 Connor, Rally
Borrowed from Catherine www.mironov.com

9. “small p” product owner
Executives
priorities, requirements,
personas, user stories…
product
owner
Marketing/Sales
Development
Customers
software
9 - StartUP Product Talks 2012 www.mironov.com

10. Product Owner Failure Modes
Solo Product Owner fails the market if…
 Weak on market realities
 Pricing, packaging, selling,
upgrades, service models,
discounting, competitive dynamics
 Missing from outbound teams:
Marketing, Sales, Support
 Trades off company-wide strategy for
product features
 Confuses showcase customers with
broader market
10 - StartUP Product Talks 2012 www.mironov.com

11. Product Manager Failure Modes
Solo Product Manager fails the agile team if…
 Part-timer, not engaged with team
 Lack of detail on stories
 Stale backlog
 Handwaving and bluster
 Best of intentions, but pulled in
too many directions
 “Build what I meant”
11 - StartUP Product Talks 2012 www.mironov.com

12. Contact Information
+1-650-315-7394
rich@mironov.com
www.mironov.com
@RichMironov
www.linkedin.com/in/richmironov
12 - StartUP Product Talks 2012 www.mironov.com

13. About Rich Mironov
 Veteran product manager/exec/strategist
 Organizing product organizations
 Business models, pricing, agile
 “What do customers want?”
 5 startups, including as CEO/founder
 Author of “The Art of Product
Management” and Product Bytes blog
 Founded Product Camp, chaired first
product stage at annual Agile conference
13 - StartUP Product Talks 2012 www.mironov.com

14. PO/PM Organizational Map
GM - VP PM - VP Eng/CTO
Product
Management
Organization
product owners
more market-focused more technical
14 - StartUP Product Talks 2012 www.mironov.com

15. One Problem, Two Viewpoints
Two sides of the problem:
 Product Managers tasked with
what to build (and when)
 Not-so-secretly worries about
delivery, quality, completeness
 Project/Program Managers
tasked with how to deliver
 Not-so-secretly worries about
market success
15 - StartUP Product Talks 2012 www.mironov.com