Inspired by the crankypm’s generic product management interviews (a must see, just hilarious, can’t wait for the rest of them).
This post makes more sense if you watch the generic PM interview clips first.
Yea… I, like many started my IT career in a more technical role. I’ve done it all, from generating a random series of number and encryption algorithms in C and Java to simple .php web development; from data warehousing to simple Excel macros… and make no mistakes, I was pretty fucking good at it.
I always had an entrepreneurial spirit and it was inevitable for me to switch to a product management type of role. When I made the switch, I use to think this is the only way to become a Product Manager, “how else can you intimately know your products?” and I was convinced that this is my so-called key differentiator and I’m superior to others who don’t share the same background.
Time has passed by since and I have a bunch of war stories and scars to show all the fun I’ve been having. Now that I am no longer a techie and am solely a product manager, do I still think the same about having a technical background?
The problem with code-boys isn’t that the lack of business knowledge, nor does GPLing your code mean, not making money. The problem is the technical knowledge itself. It took me a while to realize that my technical know-how is a constraint, not an advantage and it limits my creativity and vision. When considering a business problem, rather than thinking of the best experience for the user, I’d be thinking of a feasible technical solution. At time I would even reject certain alternatives in my head because I’d assume it’s going to be nearly impossible to implement.
In my opinion, that’s the problem with product managers with technical background. Writing or presentation skills can be acquired; everything else, one can learn, but choosing to forget your technical know-how is what code-boys have a difficulty doing.
Once you become aware of this challenge and overcome it, the technical background will be an advantage, till then, I wouldn’t brag about it.
Or you can just become an amazing developer, getting on the good side of the business folk.
I agree with you to a certain extent but realizing your limitations/constraints and overcoming them can make you excel whatever your role is.
Designing for your code will only make a bad product. Designing for the user will make everyone happy. As I always say: anything is possible if you have the budget.
What I really find interesting about your post is that many hiring managers think that software product managers need a computer science background
I’d say the majority of the postings I have seen over the last 18 months have had that requirement or its little cousin “or equivalent experience” (meaning you were a coder)
I can certainly see the benefit of coming from a technical, problem solving field – this will help in understanding the root of the business problem.
My guess is that many postings are written by engineering folks who know they need to stop making the product decisions, but aren’t exactly keen on giving this up to someone from “marketing”.
Product management group can be under product development or product marketing. The technical background requirement in posting is more for companies that have their pm group under product development or if the product itself is highly sophisticated that requires the technical knowledge.
I certainly agree with you that technical background is beneficial, what I was hoping to convey was that it can also be a bottleneck or a draw back based on personal experience.
By the way, did either of you watch the generic PM interview clips? this post has more meaning if you have…
I absolutely love crankypm! A must read for all (and inspiring to become) product managers.
Over six months passed after i posted this blog and I feel like taking everything I said back. I feel like saying Crankypm is full of crap, technical background or at least a solid understanding of the underlying technology will make or break a product manager (fullstop).
Plus, the other episodes of the generic pm interview wasn’t all that clever or funny. disappointed.