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Product management and company size

11/27/2011

6 Comments

 
A couple of years ago I led a Product Camp Boston discussion about start ups and product management. That got me thinking, is it more important to have product management in a small company or in a large one?

Some of my entrepreneur friends claim that they are product managers. After all, they identified a need, did market research and built the product. But once VCs are involved, the founder has to manage them, so who manages the product?

At large companies product management exists, but more often than not customer needs are compromised for reasons beyond the product manager’s control.

My claim is that every company needs product management, regardless of its size. All companies need someone who will assess market needs, talk to customers, drive the strategy and define the product. The difference is in the execution.

 Critical points:

·         Voice of the customer – Product managers should be the customers’ advocates. This is often achieved by visiting and interviewing one’s customers. Traveling and meeting face to face may be limited due to lack of funds at a small company, whereas a larger company may not face the same problem.  

·         Vision & strategy – VCs often limit the expansion of the small company if it is not aligned with their view. Large companies often have a vision, but are too slow to execute.

·         Best practices – Small companies tend to do “true” product management, while large companies tend to stick with “this is the way we’ve done it before”.

So whether you are in a small company or a large company, the bottom line is make product management work. If you have limited travel funds, be creative—use online video tools to communicate with your customers. When vision is limited, bring data to support your findings and make a convincing argument. Finally, being a product manager takes effort, good communication skills, and above all, diligence. Remember, having a good product requires not only vision, but also a great product manager to drive it.

6 Comments
Aviram Cohen
11/28/2011 10:36:47 pm

Thoughtful, precise and concise. I enjoyed reading and learning from it.

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Mahuya Ghosh
11/29/2011 03:47:31 am

Very True & Honest Article -- being a Product Manager, I could relate to every word!

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Ruth Wasser link
12/6/2011 05:24:24 am

I find it frustrating when the voice of the customer isn't driving product development. As a Trainer, I align with Product Managers in prioritizing customer needs - but that is not always enough to get the features into a product!

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Bruce McCarthy link
1/2/2012 06:24:18 am

Hi Sarela,

I agree a PM - or someone doing the job of a PM - is needed at every size of company. And you've highlighted some of the pitfalls of product strategy at different sizes.

One point you made that I would emphasize is the need for someone to take over being the voice of the market and the every day practice of product management from the founder when the company grows beyond version 1 of it's first product, gets VC money, etc. At that point, the CEO becomes too busy managing the VCs and his team to listen deeply to customers and plan at the detailed level needed for success.

So I'd argue you need to hire an experienced PM with your first sizeable round. That's exactly what our VCs insisted on at NetProspex.

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Sarela Bliman-Cohen link
1/3/2012 08:11:05 am

Bruce,
Thank you for your comment. Indeed, the CEO at a startup is busy running the company and needs an experienced person to take over the product management role. I am happy to hear that your VCs understand and support your needs.
Sarela

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CFNM Stories link
7/13/2012 04:22:40 pm

I thoroughly enjoyed this blog and created a Weebly account too.

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    Sarela Bliman-Cohen is a product management executive with over 20 years experience in Technology. 

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