Product Management in Practice

Chapter 12. Conclusion: Whatever It Takes

Nearly 10 years ago, I hoped that simply having the title “product manager” would grant me power and influence. The word manager suggested that I would be in charge of something. The word product suggested that the thing I was in charge of would be an entire product and, in turn, all the people whose work goes into building that product. Who wouldn’t want that job?

But this could not be further from the truth. As a product manager, your title gives you nothing—no formal authority, no intrinsic control over product direction or vision, and no ability to get a single meaningful thing done without the help and support of others. To whatever extent you are able to lead through influence and trust, you must earn that influence and trust every minute, every day. And you must chart your own path to earning that influence and trust in a role full of irresolvable ambiguity and irreducible complexity.

Without exception, this means that you will make mistakes—glaring, egregious, embarrassing mistakes—as you build your product management practice. You will be evasive when you need to be direct. You will be impulsive when you need to be patient. You will follow “best practices” to the letter, and they will still backfire in ways you never could have imagined. The mistakes you make will have real repercussions for yourself, your team, and your organization. You will be humbled by the generosity and forgiveness shown by your colleagues. And over ...