Product Management

I've been in software product management for 15+ years and have trained and coached many PMs. These posts explain my product management philosophy, tips, tricks, and stories.

What is Product Management? (the core, the over-extended, and the totally dysfunctional)

The expectations and responsibilities of Product Management are defined very differently from company to company, even within a tightly defined industry sector. But what are the core activities that every PM must take on?

What are your favorite products and why?

A favorite interview question for Product Managers is "What's your favorite product and why?" Here are some products I truly love. They either solve a major problem for me, actually deliver on their promises when their

I hate the term "Product Guy"

Seems like the title "product manager" is going out of fashion. I keep seeing PM types who are now introducing themselves as "the Product Guy." I can't stand this term. And I'm

Market interviews GONE BAD (with comics!)

Ever wonder why so many startup entrepreneurs put out misguided and doomed products, even after taking four steps toward an epiphany and reading the "Lean Startup"? Face Palm Alas, I have witnessed similar "attempts" at market

Keeping Your Startup CEO & CTO from Thrashing

Q: How are startup CEOs (and CTOs) like seagulls? A: They both fly by, swoop in, ruin your lunch, shit on you, and leave. Ahh, the Startup CEO and CTO. God bless 'em. The ones that are capable enough

How to Grovel Like the Best of Them

There's a book, called "On Apology" by Aaron Lazare. He's a guy who actually got a PhD in this stuff. Anyway, he lays out the steps for a proper apology: 1. Acknowledge your offense.

Product Line Hoarding: Don't let this happen to you

I have recently become obsessed with the TV Show Hoarding: Buried Alive. If you are unfamiliar, it is a reality show that profiles people who hoard stuff -- tons of worthless artifacts and even unsanitary crap (literally crap! think rotten

Quora: What level of coding experience should a good product manager have?

My answer, originally published on Quora [http://www.quora.com/What-level-of-coding-experience-should-a-good-product-manager-have/answer/Sue-Raisty] . Q: What level of coding experience should a good product manager have? My Answer Caveat: I'm assuming we are talking about software products. In THEORY,

Yes, Product Manager, you too can (help) acquire companies

Let's say that you're a junior-ish Product Manager. Your product is NOT killing it (not yet, anyway). You have stiff competition. Your product is missing key capabilities that the market demands -- perhaps because this technology

The Brain of a Tech Sales Rep - A Visual Guide

Behold, I have developed a visual guide to the inside of a Sales Rep's brain! Or more specifically, an Enterprise Software Sales Rep's brain, as viewed from Product Management. Please do not show to any sales

The (ahem) "Art" of Pricing

Originally published in 2010. Updated and republished in May, 2015. A reader asks: "Can you please enlighten me on the art of pricing?" At the risk of misinterpreting, I believe the reader is asking specifically about enterprise software,

A Dangerous Combination: Sales People and the External Product Roadmap

This is my youngest son. He's a total goober. Let's call him "J". J is probably going to be a sales person when he grows up. He is extroverted, charming, funny, naturally positive, and

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Sinister Sales Engineer

Ah, the Sinister Sales Engineer. Many companies have one. Early in my career, when I was not even a "Senior" Product Manager yet, this guy scared the bejeezus out of me. Let's just say that this

Why Product Management is so misunderstood

I've encountered lots of software startups that want to start up a Product Management function, even though they don't really understand what the Product Management role is or its activities. (I guess that's why

Stuff Product Managers Should Do, But Don't (and vice versa)

Let's start off by adding some things to your to-do list.... Four Things you SHOULD do, but probably don't: 1. Understand the product financials. Make a little spreadsheet of how your product makes money. How many

The Problem of Analysis Illiteracy Among Users

I’ve worked on several "Big Data" products over the years. I’ve always inspired myself and others (or at least attempted to inspire others) with goal of helping regular people gain true insight from the hoards of

The Content Manager Product Pattern

Content Management is huge in enterprise software, and thus the Content Manager Pattern is one of the most important high-level Product Patterns.  Content management is the primary function of most software described as a platform, server, or online service.  It’

Product Patterns: What is Content?

In my posts about Product Patterns [https://blog.sueraisty.com/macro-product-patterns-enterprise-software/], I’ve mentioned the word “content” a lot.  I’ve even mentioned a few high-level product patterns called the “Content Manager” and “Content Authoring Tool.” This is an important

Product Patterns: The big ones you see over and over in Enterprise Software

Since I’ve become attuned toProduct Patterns [https://blog.sueraisty.com/product-patterns-everywhere/](buckets of software functionality that appear in product after product), I’ve noticed dozens of them.  Some are big, top-level patterns.  And some are really sub-patterns, that exist

Product Patterns Everywhere

In my entire Product Management career, I’ve probably done hands-on, formal analysis of the functionality and usability of over 300 software products and online services (not including mobile apps). Why so many? Well, I am extremely good at competitive