Is Product Management Obsolete?
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The document discusses the evolving role of product management. It argues that while techniques like Lean Startup and Lean UX are valuable for startups, they have limitations for larger companies with existing products and markets. Product management becomes more critical as companies grow beyond the startup phase to address challenges like coordinating multiple teams and products, long-term planning, and portfolio management. The role of product managers is to drive strategy, make tradeoffs, and ensure alignment across functions on priorities and plans.
Is Product Management Obsolete?
- 1. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE Is Product Management Obsolete? Rich Mironov SVPMA August 6, 2014 1 © Rich Mironov, 2014
- 2. • Veteran product manager/exec/strategist • 6 startups as “product guy” or CEO • The Art of Product Management • SVPMA board, first Product Camp, first agile product manager/owner tracks ABOUT RICH MIRONOV 2w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m
- 3. Tool Sets and Methodologies • Lean Startup • Lean UX • Agile Product Ownership • Crowd-Sourced Roadmaps We struggle to explain overall value of product management CHALLENGE: OTHERS (RE)DEFINE PARTS OF WHAT WE DO 3w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m
- 4. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE RIGHT TOOL FOR RIGHT PROBLEM?
- 5. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE 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?
- 6. • Drive* whole product strategy and revenue • Make* hard trade-offs among complex choices • Communicate and align around (current) plan * We collaborate but it’s not a democracy * Get the smartest people/ideas into the room * Take personal responsibility for market outcomes HOW PRODUCT MANAGERS ADD VALUE 6w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m STARTS
- 7. • Looking for product/market fit • Organizationally simple • < 8 people • Founder is Chief Product Officer • Often following Lean Startup STARTUPS ARE DIFFERENT FROM ENTERPRISES 7w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m
- 8. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE “Companies are not larger versions of startups… A startup is a temporary organizaOon designed to search for a repeatable and scalable business model. A company is a permanent organizaOon designed to execute a repeatable and scalable business model.” -‐ Steve Blank w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m 8
- 9. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE WHERE DOES PRODUCT MANAGEMENT BECOME CRITICAL? products pre-‐$ startup Mass-‐Market Tech Revenue Internal IT/ Cost Center Product/ market fit Custom Development 15-‐30 employees porXolios business units revenue product management
- 10. • 15-30+ people • Development sits apart from Sales/Marketing • Confusion about plans, dates, priorities • Everyone has a good idea, a customer input, a helpful insight, an urgent fix… THINGS START TO FALL APART WHEN… 10w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m
- 11. EARLY PRODUCT MANAGEMENT VALUE 11w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m • Keeper of the (current) plan • Backlog, strategy, target segment, actual features… • Named person to buffer dev team • Especially from founders and early sales people • Framer of trade-offs • Calls BS on magical thinking
- 12. • N 2 communication cost • Need for more (predictable) revenue • Infinite list of customer requests • Investment decisions vs. current products REVENUE COMPANIES HAVE NON-STARTUP PROBLEMS 12w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m
- 13. Hungry, impatient man on street full of restaurants… • Every restaurant has a 20 minute table wait • After 10 minutes, the hungry man gets frustrated, leaves, and puts his name in at next restaurant • He eventually dies of hunger OVER-PIVOTING FABLE 13
- 14. • Devotion to Build- Measure-Learn • Fanatical focus on data-driven market validation • “Will they buy it?” I ♥︎ LEAN STARTUP 14w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m
- 15. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE Markets & CustomersDevelopment Marketing & Sales Executives Product Management LEAN STARTUP
- 16. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE WHAT’S GREAT? TYPICAL GAPS (NEED for PM) Data-‐driven process informs opinions Focus on what customers will buy Fastest possible learning/ validaOon Least technology, not development-‐led I ♥︎ LEAN STARTUP, BUT… w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m 16 WHAT’S GREAT? TYPICAL GAPS (NEED for PM) Data-‐driven process informs opinions Wrong tool for exisOng markets and performance products Focus on what customers will buy Fastest possible learning/ validaOon Least technology, not development-‐led WHAT’S GREAT? TYPICAL GAPS (NEED for PM) Data-‐driven process informs opinions Wrong tool for exisOng markets and performance products Focus on what customers will buy No help on porXolio decisions Fastest possible learning/ validaOon Least technology, not development-‐led WHAT’S GREAT? TYPICAL GAPS (NEED for PM) Data-‐driven process informs opinions Wrong tool for exisOng markets and performance products Focus on what customers will buy No help on porXolio decisions Fastest possible learning/ validaOon Encourages short-‐term thinking (strategy follows product) Least technology, not development-‐led WHAT’S GREAT? TYPICAL GAPS (NEED for PM) Data-‐driven process informs opinions Wrong tool for exisOng markets and performance products Focus on what customers will buy No help on porXolio decisions Fastest possible learning/ validaOon Encourages short-‐term thinking (strategy follows product) Least technology, not development-‐led Assumes we can build it, encourages technical debt
- 17. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE "The reason that God was able to create the world in seven days is that he didn't have to worry about the installed base." -‐ Enzo Torresi 17
- 18. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE I ♥︎ LEAN UX 18IDEO Human-‐Centered Design
- 19. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE “Do these customers have this problem? How can we solve it?” Customers Development Executives Product Management LEAN UX UX + Tech + PM
- 20. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE I ♥︎ LEAN UX, BUT… w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m 20 WHAT’S GREAT? TYPICAL GAPS (NEED for PM) CollaboraOve team: UX and PM and Dev Deep UX experOse in understanding users, processes, problems Mix of qualitaOve, quanOtaOve research Hypothesis/process-‐driven WHAT’S GREAT? TYPICAL GAPS (NEED for PM) CollaboraOve team: UX and PM and Dev Product managers ogen don’t show up (or not invited) Deep UX experOse in understanding users, processes, problems Mix of qualitaOve, quanOtaOve research Hypothesis/process-‐driven WHAT’S GREAT? TYPICAL GAPS (NEED for PM) CollaboraOve team: UX and PM and Dev Product managers ogen don’t show up (or not invited) Deep UX experOse in understanding users, processes, problems Assumes correct segment/customer, goals, strategy Mix of qualitaOve, quanOtaOve research Hypothesis/process-‐driven WHAT’S GREAT? TYPICAL GAPS (NEED for PM) CollaboraOve team: UX and PM and Dev Product managers ogen don’t show up (or not invited) Deep UX experOse in understanding users, processes, problems Assumes correct segment/customer, goals, strategy Mix of qualitaOve, quanOtaOve research Hard-‐nosed economic view: worth invesOng in this problem or segment? Hypothesis/process-‐driven WHAT’S GREAT? TYPICAL GAPS (NEED for PM) CollaboraOve team: UX and PM and Dev Product managers ogen don’t show up (or not invited) Deep UX experOse in understanding users, processes, problems Assumes correct segment/customer, goals, strategy Mix of qualitaOve, quanOtaOve research Hard-‐nosed economic view: worth invesOng in this problem or segment? Hypothesis/process-‐driven Passionate driver/owner: UX seen as outside advisor/expert
- 21. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE Product Backlog Epics & User Stories Release Backlog Epics & User Stories Sprint Backlog User Stories PotenLally releasable soNware SoNware release Accepted story (“DONE”) Review Demo, feedback Retrospec5ve Process improvement 1 day Daily Standup Sprint: 1 to 3 weeks No changes in duraLon or goal Release planning Sprint planning Charter Release Retrospec5ve Process improvement N sprints AGILE METHODOLOGY WITH SCRUM
- 22. • “…represents the customer’s interest in backlog prioritization and requirements questions... available to the team at any time.” • Intense sprint-level focus: stories, backlog, prioritization, acceptance • Feeds the hungry agile beast I ♥︎ AGILE PRODUCT OWNERSHIP 22w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m
- 23. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE FEEDING THE AGILE BEAST w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m 23 Steam engine “fireman” needs to shovel coal constantly, otherwise the train will stop
- 24. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE backlog, priorities, epics, user stories, personas, demo feedback product bits Markets & CustomersDevelopment Marketing & Sales Executives Product Owner ‘small p’ PRODUCT OWNER 2 showcase customers
- 25. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE I ♥︎ AGILE PRODUCT OWNERSHIP, BUT… w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m 25 WHAT’S GREAT? TYPICAL GAPS (NEED for PM) Deep collaboraOon with development team Granular enough to get right sogware bits PM steering at sprint level (early course correcOons) Highest value first, more frequent value delivery WHAT’S GREAT? TYPICAL GAPS (NEED for PM) Deep collaboraOon with development team Training/coaching at story level, not product or porXolio or business Granular enough to get right sogware bits PM steering at sprint level (early course correcOons) Highest value first, more frequent value delivery WHAT’S GREAT? TYPICAL GAPS (NEED for PM) Deep collaboraOon with development team Training/coaching at story level, not product or porXolio or business Granular enough to get right sogware bits Fully consumes PO, no cycles leg for broad market input PM steering at sprint level (early course correcOons) Highest value first, more frequent value delivery WHAT’S GREAT? TYPICAL GAPS (NEED for PM) Deep collaboraOon with development team Training/coaching at story level, not product or porXolio or business Granular enough to get right sogware bits Fully consumes PO, no cycles leg for broad market input PM steering at sprint level (early course correcOons) Development-‐driven, development-‐ hired, so most POs lack market skills Highest value first, more frequent value delivery WHAT’S GREAT? TYPICAL GAPS (NEED for PM) Deep collaboraOon with development team Training/coaching at story level, not product or porXolio or business Granular enough to get right sogware bits Fully consumes PO, no cycles leg for broad market input PM steering at sprint level (early course correcOons) Development-‐driven, development-‐ hired, so most POs lack market skills Highest value first, more frequent value delivery Depends on “business decider” or strategic higher authority
- 26. CLICK TO EDIT MASTER TITLE STYLE ASSUMPTIONS/EXCUSES INPUT CAN BE USEFUL… Customers really know what they want/need CollecOve thinking can be strategic ParOcipants are representaOve of segment, don’t game voOng Following compeOtors is a product strategy I CROWDSOURCED ROADMAPS 26w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m ASSUMPTIONS/EXCUSES INPUT CAN BE USEFUL… Customers really know what they want/need Some products are community-‐ driven (open source) CollecOve thinking can be strategic Some products have trivial purchase intent (sog drinks) ParOcipants are representaOve of segment, don’t game voOng Strategic curator must balance against other inputs, stakeholders Following compeOtors is a product strategy Don’t crowd-‐source your pricing strategy
- 27. • Lean approaches are outstanding for customer validation. Learn and apply them! • Agile/scrum needs full-time product ownership. But beware declining market focus • “I am the CEO of my product” TOOLS AND ROLES 27w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m à “I collaborate with the smartest kids in the building, and make the best answers stick”
- 28. 1. Enterprises are not startups 2. Learn and use best tools for each problem 3. Don’t be dogmatic 4. You need a product strategy 5. Organizations still need to be understood, led, coaxed, managed, buffered, motivated, calmed down TAKEAWAYS 28w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m
- 29. CONTACT Rich Mironov, CEO Mironov Consulting 233 Franklin St, Suite #308 San Francisco, CA 94102 RichMironov @RichMironov [email protected] 29w w w . M I R O N O V . c o m