The document discusses the career progression and responsibilities of product management roles from individual contributors to executive positions. It emphasizes the importance of demonstrating skills beyond one's current role and highlights the varying focuses and scopes of product managers, directors, and vice presidents. Key takeaways include the need for alignment, strategic vision, and effective communication at different organizational levels.

1. Understanding
the
Next
Job
Up
(and
Ge5ng
Promoted)
ProductCamp
PDX

2. About
Rich
Mironov
• Veteran
product
manager/exec
– Business
models,
pricing,
agile
– Organizing
product
organizaEons
• 6
startups,
including
as
CEO/founder
• Founded
Product
Camp,
chaired
first
agile
product
manager/owner
tracks
www.MIRONOV.com
2

3. Roles
and
Promotions
• Individual
PM
role
is
different
from
Director
or
VP
Product
Management
• The
promoEon
funnel
is
narrow
– Not
an
enEtlement
– Not
(just)
by
being
the
best
at
your
current
job
• Do
you
demonstrate
skills/scope
beyond
your
current
role
• Do
you
want
that
next
job?

4. market information, priorities,
requirements, roadmaps, epics,
user stories, backlogs,
personas, MRDs…
product
bits
strategy, forecasts,
commitments, roadmaps,
competitive intelligence
budgets, staff,
targets
Field input,
Market feedback
Segmentation, messages,
benefits/features, pricing,
qualification, demos…
Markets &
CustomersDevelopment
Marketing
& Sales
Executives
Product
Management
WHAT
DOES
A
PRODUCT
MANAGER
DO?
©
Rich
Mironov,
2014

5. Mythical
PM
Organization
Dir
PM
Dir
PM
Pricing
Analyst
Sr
PM
PM/PO
Sr
PM
CompeEEve
Analyst
Sr
PM
PM
PM/PMM
Product
Owner
Channel/
Partner
PM
VP
Products

6. PM
as
Individual
Contributor
Focus
on
single-­‐product
content
and
planning
• Knows
more
about
product,
market,
roadmap,
compeEEon,
use
cases,
personas,
trade-­‐offs
than
anyone
else
• Talks
benefits
with
customers;
tech
with
engineers
• Relentless
communicator
of
the
truth
• Timeline:
Next
2-­‐4
quarters
Get
it
done
with
what
you
have

7. Director
of
Product
Management
• Focus
on
processes,
resources
and
teams
– Cross-­‐funcEonal
cooperaEon
and
prioriEes
– PLM-­‐level
trends
and
market
input
– StandardizaEon
and
simplificaEon
– Mentor
your
replacement
• Scope
– Next
6
quarters
– Broad
product
strategy
and
budget
• Keep
the
trains
running

8. VP
Products
• Focus
on
aligning
strategy,
organizaEon
and
products
– Is
the
company
succeeding?
Is
PM
succeeding?
– Company-­‐wide
issues
and
disconnects
– Market
success
($ales)
• Scope
– 3
year
trends
– Thoughful
member
of
exec
team
• How
do
we
build
organizaEonal
support
to
do
the
right
things?

9. Example:
Agile/Lean
Adoption
• PM
– “Let’s
review
roadmaps,
personas,
user
stories,
backlog,
acceptance
criteria
for
my
product.”
• Director
– “Here
are
training
and
coaches
and
processes
and
metrics
and
tools
to
move
us
toward
Agile/Lean.”
• VP
– “Our
Agile/Lean
compeEtors
are
out-­‐developing
us
by
30-­‐60%.
We
need
a
12-­‐month
execuEve
commitment
to
invest
in
Development
and
PM
improvements”

10. Take-­‐Aways
• OrganizaEonal
levels
do
different
things
• Demonstrate
skills
one
level
up
• Decide
what
you
want

11. Contact
Information
+1-­‐650-­‐315-­‐7394
rich@mironov.com
www.mironov.com
@RichMironov
www.linkedin.com/in/richmironov