PRODUCTHEAD is a regular newsletter of product management goodness,
curated by Jock Busuttil.
permanent product #
every PRODUCTHEAD edition is online for you to refer back to
tl;dr
If you think product management is dead, you may not understand what it involves
Human connection is what really knits organisations together, not process and artefacts
Product roadmaps reflect the dysfunction inherent in your organisation
hello
The venerable Windows Notepad app has sprouted formatting controls, proving the adage that even old dogs can still learn new tricks. If that isn’t a beacon of hope in dark times, I don’t know what is. Alternatively, you may hold the view that this was the addition of a feature set nobody needed. Progress!
For you this week #
I have a collection of more thoughtful articles that will hopefully provoke some reflection on the working habits of you, your team and wider organisation.
Thor Mitchell wrote an article back in May, which I’ve been meaning to share with you. He reiterates the importance of the human side of product management, which cannot be usurped by generative AI. However if you believe product management is purely about the process and artefacts, then maybe you do have something to be worried about. So every time you see someone post clickbait that ‘product management is dead’, just reply with ‘no, it’s not’ and send them the link to Thor’s article.
Jen Briselli also has a considered article, which discusses the invisible infrastructure at your organisation. As she explains, this is the undocumented combination of informal relationships and tacit knowledge that is actually how things get done, as opposed to the formal process, artefacts and org charts. I particularly like Jen’s analysis of how corporate clichés such as ‘shared accountability’ and ‘storytelling’ really manifest, in contrast with how executives try to make them happen.
And to finish this week, while reeling from the surprising admission that his CTO doesn’t trust any of the product team, Maarten Dalmijn reflects on how the roadmap can manifest the organisation’s dysfunction that lurks beneath the surface. He talks about the anti-patterns he’s observed and offers suggestions on why they may be caused.
Speak to you soon,
Jock
what to think about this week
If Product Management dies, you’ll be fine
Firstly, and most importantly, framing the question this way, even in a well intentioned attempt to trigger healthy debate, is neither helpful nor constructive. I work with a lot of young people who are trying to break into Product Management. Imagine for a moment how it feels to be pursuing this in a challenging market while surrounded by people who are telling you that the role won’t survive? Product people should be the exemplars of empathy, so please, let’s all do better.
[Thor Mitchell / LinkedIn]
Invisible Infrastructure
What keeps showing up, subtly but consistently, is the significance of an organization’s connective tissue: the informal relationships, back channels, and small acts of trust that make the formal systems actually work.
What makes an organization adaptive isn’t in the org chart
[Jen Briselli / Medium]
Blood, Sweat and Roadmaps
“Because I don’t trust any of you”, the CTO blurted out
The room fell silent. All eyes were darting around the room, looking at each other in disbelief. I was sitting in a meeting room with all ten Product Managers working at a local department of a multi-billion-dollar company.
Nobody knew how to respond. Did he really just utter those damning words?
[Maarten Dalmijn / Maartin’s Newsletter]
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Navigating your product management career
Ross Webb and I have been chatting about product management career progression.
We cover topics including:
» Thinking of visibility as a strategic competency, not self-promotion
» Controlling your narrative through regular updates
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» Mapping your stakeholders’ preferred communication styles
A roundtable chat on moving into product leadership
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can we help you?
Product People is a product management services company. We can help you through consultancy, training and coaching. Just contact us if you need our help!
Helping people build better products, more successfully, since 2012.
PRODUCTHEAD is a newsletter for product people of all varieties, and is lovingly crafted from esoteric reflections on the nature of water.