Rich will give a talk on “Product Managers, Product Owners, and the need for Real End User Validation” at Agile Summit Greece, 21 Sept 2018.
Product managers (owners) need to drive market acceptance and actual user adoption, not just on-time software delivery. What market-facing skills does this demand?
Various product management schools, workshops and certificate programs strongly suggest that attendees will get jobs as product managers. Success metrics seem critical here, but are notably missing. “Of the people who’s already spent thousands of their own dollars on this course, how many are now working as product managers…?”
Recruiters and hiring managers wade through a tall stack of incoming resumes, most of which are not at all a fit, and often miss subtleties. Strong candidates may need to work around the process to make an impression and get hired.
New product managers have often studied the daily mechanics of the product development process, but tend to be light on soft skills, product strategy, organizational savvy, and market insight. Where do they get into trouble?
My “bootcamp” presentation at Agile2015 (DC) on agile product management: scope vs. product owner, assorted failure modes, and ways to re-bridge organizational gaps.
Very early stage startups don’t have dedicated product managers / product owners. But once they get to 30 people or have a few big-revenue customers, lack of product management can be disastrous.
Rich joined 50+ members of Agile@Cork for a discussion of product owners, product manages, and why writing/accepting stories isn’t sufficient to drive successful software.
Slides from a Product Camp discussion about what Directors of Product Management do, how a PM might signal interest/demonstrate competence for that role, and who might want it.
There are thousands of open product management jobs: suddenly product management seems sexy. Optimism and Pessimist argue about whether product management’s value shifts with the fashion.