Unpopular PM opinions on duty, founders, exploitation, and more
Unpopular opinions. We got even more of 'em.
After my first post on unpopular PM opinions, I asked Reddit what their unpopular PM opinions were. The thread got 85,000+ views and 250+ comments.
We, as a community, seem to have a lot to say.
So this is part 2 of… well, perhaps a series?
This is painful… but true.
Product managers must do whatever it takes to make the product successful.
Here are two recent examples:
Earlier this year, we spent an entire quarter on tech debt. My product contribution was minimal. Instead, I spent the quarter 'project managing' the work to completion. Read my (painful) experience here: Lessons from a (tough) quarter.
A few weeks back, I was asked to onboard a customer. Their requirements were particularly tricky and, given my in-depth knowledge of the product, it was thought I could help deliver quicker. I dropped everything I was doing and spent the next 48 hours implementing & delivering to the customer.
These are intense examples. But even in the day-to-day, our job fluctuates a lot.
We do what it takes. And that’s part of the fun.
Founder mode baby!
In all seriousness, though, I agree with this.
To up-level the take a bit, I think it's generally fine for anyone at the business to have a vision, make a case for it, and give it a try.
I have founded two businesses (both acquired). I have seen first-hand that non-founders can have a similar impact. But they do need to be passionate enough to push the vision through.
My final note on this is to be wary of ‘industry standards’ and interview results. There are two traps to avoid with customer interviews & research:
It’s very easy to lead customers to pre-fabricated opinions about a roadmap item. This makes customer interviews useless. See post.
Solely relying on customer feedback and ‘industry research’ to create your product means settling for average.
The best products are not built by committee.
I've never taken a product-related class before, so take my opinion with a pinch of salt. However, I have this meme saved on my phone for a good reason:
Look, I don't think you can really learn any role in a classroom.
You take a seminar on sales… and immediately get flustered the first time a prospect picks up your cold call.
You can follow along a course building a tic-tac-toe app… and immediately struggle to remember the syntax of a ‘for’ loop on your own.
You can take a course on prioritisation… and immediately struggle to put your first roadmap together.
Unfortunately, product people love to trick themselves into thinking they know more than they do. Unexperienced PMs think PMing is as simple as slapping a framework on a problem. Unexperienced PMs think creating a product strategy is as straightforward as filling out an off-the-shelf template.
It's not.
It takes experience. It takes trial and error. It takes time, effort, and care.
To learn, do.
Oh boy. Saved the best for last.
This is unfortunately the flip side of the 'do whatever it takes' take above.
PMs have their fingers in so many pies, it's easy to blame them when things go wrong.
Problem with a customer? Product needs to help us, they know the product better than anyone else.
Feature not doing something as expected? Product didn't define the feature well enough.
Sales not closing deals? Product isn't building the right features.
A similar blurred line exists between a PM and the PM’s manager. The 'PMs are the CEO of the product' trope exists for a reason.
I agree: you do have to be a little crazy to be a PM. It's an enormous responsibility and, frankly, often a thankless job. Like good design, when a PM does an excellent job, it often goes unnoticed.
You have to do it for the love of the craft.
Let's hear from you! Do you disagree with any of the takes above?