I remember when I had the pleasure of first meeting Jeremiah Owyang. We had a conversation which went something like me saying that the social media revolution wasn’t new, only the tools that were now available and how they were used was new. That turned into a conversation that has lasted for more than two years. (And, a great friendship though we do still disagree on things.)
A thought consistently has been with me in conversations I’ve had recently…
When you look at the problems your product may be having, whether it be performance or financial (aka sales,) how do approach the solution?
Do what you enjoy.
It’s the mantra that every parent tells their child, every professor advises the young student, and every friend remind you of when you complain about your job. Go do what you enjoy.
What do successful product managers do? They have the ability to keep their personal emotions out of the conversation when they are collecting/observing market feedback. While the best product managers know you want to be in a face-to-face situation collecting feedback, sometimes you can’t and you are forced to use alternatives like a telephone or video connection.
Today on the OnProductManagement blog (one of my favorites,) guest blogger GeekMBA360 writes about the Triangle Offense in the NBA (made famous by Phil Jackson with the Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers) and what it means to Scrum Mania. It’s a great analogy, with his lesson being: A great team implements whatever system fits it the best. It doesn’t try to impose a system on a group of players.
In today’s blog by Josh Bernoff, he interviews Seth Godin, the guru of all bloggers in my opinion. I love Seth’s quirky insights, delicious dives, and observations on things the rest of us pass right by. Why does he do this? According to Seth in the interview, “the only reason I blog is because I love it.”
While I am no Seth Godin, nor would I ever claim to be, I get asked the same question often by my peers, Why do you have a blog? Is it worth it?
Yes. To me.
I was talking to a friend today who had an interview. During the time he was asked “what is the biggest challenge you have?” And, his answer was pure genius – “overcoming misconceptions. Misconceptions about what I do. Misconceptions about what marketing truly is.”
Genius I say. Genius.
Product management has the same challenge. All too often I am asked the same question. I’ve tried other responses, but none seems to hit the nail on the head the same way.
Being a product manager is about overcoming misconceptions. Trying to help the market understand that you care about their problems, truly care, and are not there to simply promote or sell another gizmo or tool. You’re constantly trying to help your own development team overcome the misconception that the discipline of product management does not mean a slow process with more paperwork and steps. Overcoming the misconception of the executives that you need a technical background to be a product manager in a software company. Overcoming misconceptions.
Looking from the outsidein, product management as a profession requires many unique skills and talents to be successful. But, overcoming misconceptions is a constant challenge in the daily work. How do you prepare for the daily battle?
