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My Ignite talk on how to develop your career when you are a Product Developer or Manager. Like a Terry Gilliam movie, it starts slowly and then ends in a blinding paroxysm of violence, except for the violence.
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Career Development in Product
Ty Ahmad-Taylor
Product Essentials
Let’s take it as a given that product exists as the fulcrum/linchpin between business goals and engineering. This lumps UX and creative into ‘engineering’ for reasons of expediency.
Business
EngineeringProduct
The Product Process
This may be received wisdom, but it bears establishing what I am talking about, when we describe what product people actually do. This is the overall product process, and it includes the entire company.
Problem
Market
Market size
Thesis
MVP
Validation
Rinse/repeat
Whence productThe sports model, or . . .
Coach QB Linemen
WR
RB
GM Product Engineering
UX/Design
Businessdevelopment
and sales
. . . The Ty-Maslow model
GM
Product
Engineering
UX/Design Business
This model has business leading the effort, and product as the “QB.” It is one way to think about you role in your business.
This is my preferred lens, where product sits at the middle of three legs of a slightly unbalanced stool.
ProductDevelopers
Problem
Market
Market size
Thesis
MVP
Validation
Rinse/repeat
Product developers should own this.
Product Managers
Problem
Market
Market size
Thesis
MVP
Validation
Rinse/repeat
Product managers should own this.
Product Leaders
Do all of the above as well as drive the business goals/define the business goals. They are super-efficient but also are people-people.They are responsible for the customer experience and programming the customer experience.
Product Strategists
These people think of pretty lights.I am not sure what they do.There is no product without actually rolling up one’s sleeves.
Managing or not‣ If you view management as a chore, you shouldn’t manage
‣ The best product people are the best managers in addition to knowing product because product is multidisciplinary
‣ If you don’t want to manage, you could be a product architect
‣ Management should be about clearing a path for your staff to be successful, presuming that they are good and work hard
‣ Management is not just other product people, but engineers and UX
‣ You are the lynchpin for the customer experience.
Hope is not a plan‣ Coined by Anderson Cooper
‣ We can’t hope that our careers will work out
‣ It takes active planning‣ I have told my mentees that this means: plant seeds where you want trees to grow
‣ You can’t be upset with your office for not planning your future; that is your responsibility
Getting a plan
‣ Network‣ Advice on your options‣ A sponsor‣ A mentor (or two)‣ If Product people can’t create a career plan, then shame on us
1 Mentors
‣ They can make introductions
‣ Lay out career options‣ Help with salary negotiations
‣ Assistance managing up and down
2 Sponsors
‣ Usually have a direct connection to your workplace
‣ Put you up for jobs you don’t even know about
‣ Keep an eye out for you in a different group or division
‣ Also known as your rabbi
Consigliere
Clue needer
3 Reading
‣ Get a feed reader, or use Twitter
‣ You should know more about your market than anyone else.
‣ If you don’t, you should be in another market
4 Learning
‣ Go to conferences in your field
5 Networking
‣ Go out, see what others are doing, volunteer.
‣ Product, by definition, is about the user experience, writ large.
‣ Don’t wear your “party shirt”
6 Informational meetings‣ Take people for coffee.
‣ It is low cost and high value
‣ If they don’t like coffee, meet them for breakfast
The Netflix model?‣ Interview with another company once a year
‣ Unclear if this yields great results
‣ A lot of effort with unclear benefit
‣ Could tarnish your reputation
The overall mix for your Plan
1. Mentors2. Sponsors3. Networking4. Informational
interviews5. Reading6. Learning
Your goal for your 40s
Like a boss, you want to . . . 1. Name your company2. Name your position3. Name your city4. Name your salary
My contribution, to this jam
‣ Career development is your responsibility‣ Product is new, and thus the efforts to grow your career are new
‣ Pick your passions‣ See my other decks‣ How to Choose a Mentor‣ How to Choose Your Next Product Job
