I see product managers as the masterminds behind all product launches. They are the ones that fit together each of the puzzle pieces. Based on what LeMays says, a PM’s job can’t be defined as a rigid set of responsibilities, especially if we consider the differences between PMs are different stages of companies. I felt the most standout part of a PM’s job is needing “trust, collaboration, and delegation”. The PM is responsible for everything, but has little authority over it. Instead, they must trust and invest into their teams. I like how LeMay says “The best product managers I’ve met are those who truly believe that their team’s success is their own success.” It kind of reminds me of the relationship a parent might have with their kid. They invest into their kids, and the kids are their responsibility, but ultimately it’s up to the kid to make their own decisions and actions.
When I interned at a large enterprise organization my team did not have a PM. Maybe my wider org did, but I never interacted with a PM. From the reading I feel like on this team the manager and principal engineer worked together to serve as a PM. That team was honestly a bit dysfunctional though, and there was a lot of mismanagement and pushback. Now I know maybe having a PM would have helped! Then I interned at a small-medium sized company and worked very closely with a PM on my team. The PM was the go-to source of truth when it came to pretty much any decision. They were also in charge of spearheading communication with outside stakeholders. My PM was always in meetings, and I remember him being worried when he needed to take time off. He was taking time off for his bachelor party though, and so I remember him saying he just sent out a handoff doc and put trust in the team that things wouldn’t fall apart. I feel like this matches Lemay’s explanation.
Questions
- How can we leverage AI to help PMs do their jobs more effectively and with more ease?
- I’m curious about the dichotomy between listening to what your PM tells you to do, but also knowing they can’t do it without you. Does that cause tension? Does this fall under one of the Bad PM profiles?
- How do technical PMs add to the mix?
