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Allan Neil
Product Camp Ottawa 2015
Is Agile Killing the Product Manager?
• Allan Neil, 20 years in technology product management
• Pragmatic Marketing class of 1997 (San Francisco)
• Volunteer Leader of Toronto Product Management Association from 2004-2015
• President 2014/2015• Currently contributing to the community
in a different way….PODCASTING• www.readyproductradio.com• Like one of my favorite childhood comic
characters – Sgt. Rock……• Grizzled old veteran planning to fight on the
product management field forever• Contact Info - @allanneil on Twitter,
ca.linkedin.com/in/allanneil on LinkedIn
About your presenter
• Thank you to the whole Ottawa team for a great day of networking and sharing and learning
• We have had 8 product camps so far in Toronto• I know how much work it is to organize and run these events• Thanks to all the organizers (APPLAUSE for the organizers)• And if any out there is interested in VOLUNTEERING for the
OPMA please reach out to the team Andrew or Mike or others…..the lifeblood of these organizations is a steady stream of committed/dedicated volunteers
• Let’s make this session fun and interactive – jump right in if you have a question or a counter-point to make!
• HOW MUCH TIME DO WE HAVE?
Housekeeping Notes
“The Product Manager is the CEO OF THE
PRODUCT”
1997 Pragmatic Marketing Training
“The Product Owner is the CEO OF THE PRODUCT”
2015 Podcast “Agile for Humans”
Who REALLY owns the product?
So………..
Does it really matter?
And…..
Define “Personas”
to help understand the needs of the customer
1997 Pragmatic Marketing Training
Define “Jobs to be Done”
to help understand the needs of the customer
2015 Outcome Driven Innovation
1997 Product Manager“Jobs to be Done”
2015 Product Owner“Jobs to be Done”
Seems like the same mandate to me!?A cage match?
Two roles enter, one role leaves?
Hmmmmm…..
Is it a Perfect Match?A Dynamic Duo?
Or…..
Biggest Complaint of Product Managers:
“Not enough time for strategic activities. Too
many tactical distractions”
1997 Pragmatic Marketing Training
• Pragmatic Marketing Survey• “Need more resources to deal with day-to-day tactical activities”• 280 Group• 57.4% said Product Managers too tactically focused , not
strategic enough• (of those using Agile 69.9% say Product Manager and Product
Owner same person)• 56% say too much focus on Dev+QA and not enough on other
stages (Conceive, Launch, Maximize, Retire)• PMA.LA (Las Angeles Product Management
Association)• Actual Time Allocation – 64% Tactical, 34% Strategic• Ideal Time Allocation – 50%, 50%
2015 Biggest Complaint of Product Managers
It’s not a matter of ROLES or METHODOLOGIES but of
FOCUS!?
Maybe……..
Craig Stull (President of Pragmatic)• (yes he was a trainer himself in
1997)• “You have to get out of the office”• “You can’t understand the customer
inside the four walls of your office”• “The answers are OUT THERE”
1997 Pragmatic Marketing Training
Interviewer (me):• “If you could go back 20 years and
give some Product Management advice to your younger self what would it be?”
Kim Phelan:• (without a second’s pause) “Get out of
the office more!”
2015 Interview with Kim Phelan, VP Product at ClearFit
Same as the old voice of the customer (Product Manager)?
Meet the New “Voice of the Customer”(Product Owner)
Is Agile killing the Product Manager?
Are Product Managers Killing Themselves?
Are Product Managers Disempowering Themselves?
Do we all have SCADD?!?
Maybe we need to reframe the question?
A debilitating disease crippling 70% of all Product Managers
Strategy &CustomerAttentionDeficitDisorder
SCADD
SCADD!!!!
Product Managers & Product OwnersUnite Against Our REAL Enemy!
