These are some of my experiences as a product manager. They are not, by any means, best practices. Use them if you like them and pass on if you find them to be effective!

1. PRODUCT MANAGER
Some of my experiences as a Product Manager

2. Product Manager Expectations
¨
Just get s*(it) done! (aka
make it happen)
¤ Think
how… not ‘WHY
NOT’…
Move the needle forward…
no matter what...

3. Brutal Prioritization
On any given day you have buffet of fires to fight!
¨ Answer: BRUTAL PRIORITIZATION!
¨
Ahh!!!... So many
opportunities and so little
time. Which one do I
choose?

4. Before getting to action…
¨
Take a step back…get things into perspective
How do we get better
at it?
What are we solving?
Is it worth Solving for?
Why are we solving it?
What are the considerations
when solving for it?
How are we going to
solve it?

5. Noise (aka Distractions)
Competition has it
¨ We will get the next big deal
¨ CEO wants it
¨ It’s a corporate compliance
¨ Other very nonsensical reasons…
¨

6. Impact Analysis (Asking Why?)
¨
Doing SMART Trade offs for successful ‘Brutal
Prioritization’…
¨
Over time
¤ Immediate
¤ Short-term
¤ Long-term
Who? And What is the
impact?
¨ Impact Management
Strategy
¨

7. Impact Analysis (Being Objective)
¨
¨
Move from vague anecdotal evidence to real data
with hard measureable numbers
Go to the source…

8. Think Holistically
Join the dots…
¨ Understand the impact of
things on each other!
¨

9. Alignment
¨
It’s all about people…
There’s the person with
the title and then…
¨ There’s the person who
calls the shots!
¨

10. Tips for creating Alignment
¨
People hate CHANGE…so what’s in it for them? And how it
impacts them?
¨
Use the right medicine at the right time for the right patient
¨
It’s a relationship game… Start bridge building NOW!
¨
Identify the influencers and decision makers
¨
Avoid SHOCKS when possible
¨
MAKE THEM PART OF IT!!!

11. Take Action… Pull the Trigger. NOW!
Don’t get stuck in analysis paralysis
¨ Do the best you can and take decision and ACT
¨ Be open to evolving as things change.
¨

12. Expectation Management

13. Scaling…
¨
Apply the same philosophy on a larger scale…
Industry
Company
Organization
Team
Personal

14. The journey
¨
Hence know the purpose of your journey…

15. The ‘rewards’
¨
More often than not the reward for trying to do
something…
¤ Get
blamed for everything thing that’s wrong with
Product, the business, world hunger and everything in
between
¤ You
are supposed to have answers to everything!
¤ Get
critiques from everyone…

16. The real rewards… just to name a few.

17. Two Types of Product Managers
The Doers
The Talkers
Focused on solving problems
Focused on managing bureaucracy
Works with other hands on people
Works with other managerial people
Spends majority of time on product
related activities
Spends majority of the time on setting
fielding (aka alignment)
Less planning more doing (execution)
More planning and less doing
(execution)
More bottoms up
More tops down
Focused on nitty-gritty
Focused on strategy
Knows the product inside out
Knows the organization inside out
Spends more time internally
Spends more time externally

18. The Third Type of Product Manager
¨
The All in one…

19. Ownership by Influence

20. To Summarize*…
* This quote if from a article I read…