Mar
20
2010
Swiss Army Knife via Software Product Management
Posted by TJ Crawford in My Work, TechnologyIn the below slide show is a comical, but largely true, version of what the legendary Swiss Army Knife could have been if the compromises, of so many software products today, were allowed to fly. So if this wouldn't work for the Swiss guys why is it ok for the software industry? I think there are many factors including….
- Feature requirements vs. Time & Money – We all have great aspirations and almost always bit off more than we can chew in a release.
- Separation of Product Management & Engineering – If you ask most PM's & look at almost all Product Manager job postings you will find the PM is almost always the lone guy/girl who is the interface between the business side and engineering but has no managerial control over either.
- Strength or Type A Personalities – This one is often overlooked but a PM has to have a strong personality. Often engineering will see a feature from a developers eyes, and many times that's not a clients nirvana. PM's have to be able to stand up for clients regardless of what team members it can upset. I tell everyone I work with that "If your not saying something bad about me at some point, I'm not doing my job right and definately not pushing you enough." If a PM can't fight for what they want in their product they are just PB's (Product Babysitters). I do want to point out this does not mean a PM has to have a poor or adversarial relationship with Engineering, quite the contrary. This should be viewed as a means to strengthen the relationship much like a family that argues but loves each other through thick and thin.
There are many other reasons but if your a PM consider yourself the shepherd for your clients and you may have to stand your ground and beat engineering with that crook, but they and your clients will love you more for it in the long run.
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