Product management is often described as a role with a lot of responsibility and not a lot of authority. Many product managers feel consumed by the tactical duties of the role, balancing between inbound and outbound tasks, attending meetings with engineering, going on sales calls, replying to tons of emails and such. Many product managers feel there is not enough time to do what they'd really like to do - and that is define a well reasoned strategy for their product. No wonder then, that most executive stakeholders such as the CTO, General Manager, Head of Engineering, Head of Sales all the way up to the CEO feel that their product managers are not strategic. What now?

1. “Our Product Managers Are Not Strategic”
& Other Complaints
Rahul Abhyankar
www.rahulabhyankar.com
@RahulSAbhyankar
LinkedIn: /in/rahulabhyankar
24 years in high-tech
Principal, ProductSuccess Consulting
Lean Startup Instructor/Mentor
ex-VP PM, McAfee (Intel)

2. “Not talking with
enough customers”
“Roadmap doesn’t go
beyond next release”
“Have the PMs spend a
week in the field”
“Everything is
high priority”
“Don’t show up for
meetings”
“Requirements are not
well written”
“Don’t think about
packaging and GTM”
“Too inbound focused”
“Don’t think about
the business”

3. What Does the Company Want?

4. But …
Product Managers are CEOs of their
Products, right?

5. CDOs, not CEOs
Chief Doer = Set up for Failure

6. Career Growth
Sr. Product
Manager
Dir/Sr. Dir
Product
Management
VP/SVP
Product
Management
GM
CEO
Act today, as if you are in the next role already

7. Product Managers CEOs
Have a tough time saying NO Say NO a lot
Sales initiated customer visits Seek out customers to visit
Fill the gaps in the organization
ourselves
Fill the gaps in the organization
Fight fires, let our time get sucked
by other organizations
Define initiatives, oversee
execution, measure
Don’t have insight into product
performance
Seek to know what moves the
needle
No time for strategy Own the vision, strategy
Not disciplined enough Highly disciplined
Feel as if they need to have all the
answers
Are good at asking the right
questions

8. As CEO of Your Product
• Do you have an executive team?
• Who is on it?
• Do you drive the right agenda for this team?
• Does everyone understand what goals to drive
towards?
• Do you focus on the business and not just the
product?
• How does this team measure performance?
• Are you building your relationships and influence?

9. The CEO Constellation
PM
Engg
Scope, schedule,
roadmap execution,
platforms,
architecture
Marke
ting
GTM, launch,
pricing, packaging,
positioning,
collateral, demand
gen programs
Sales
Chan
nels
Deployment,
field
knowledge,
sales &
channel
enablement
TME
Competitive
benchmarks,
demos
Finan
ceP&L, QTD, YoY, geo
trends, discounting
Mfg
COGS, supply
chain, RMAs
BD
Alliances,
partnerships,
ecosystem
Supp
ort
Call drivers,
volumes
Business &
Product strategy,
Roadmap,
“Buck stops here”

10. Manage the Business, NOT Only the
Product
PM
Engg
PMM
SE
TME
Supp
ort
Finan
ce
Mfg
BD
• Define & agree on KPIs
• Leading, Lagging
• Define cross-org initiatives
• MOVE THE NEEDLE

11. When You Go Back on Mon
• Who’s in your constellation?
• Connect
• What are the right questions to ask?
• Over communicate, Inspire, Lead
• Strategy = Knowing when to say NO

12. That’s What I Think,
What Do You Think?
Don’t Be a Product Manager
Be a Product Leader
ALL THE BEST