The 5 types of Product Managers

The most seen type of PM. This professional is always available to suggest a new feature, a new product that will be loved by all the customers. Without any empirical data, no customer survey whatsoever, the Builder will lead hordes of avid teams for doing something different.

Both will never question the PM. Will never require understanding “the why”. After all, the PM must know what is doing and has all the trust from these teams.

Then the development starts, it’s a great party! Tons of meetings to define the technology to be used, the dependencies between teams, the risks, the constellation of partners that will be required on this effort.

It’s amazing the amount of work generated and billable hours. Lots of micro-projects are starting to pop-up so everyone can unite, re-unite, and disband as quick as Buzz Lightyear goes above and beyond!

Amazing demos of the new functionalities are arranged with great feedback from Business Owners, managers saluting their team members and a great ambiance of confidence and trust is built.

Then, there is the release to the market.

Radio silence.

Business managers are calling their preferred and most loyal customers to talk about the new functionalities and how the product has now been elevated to a whole different level. A handful of them respond positively and want to try. Not anyone else.

What was once a promising star product is now relegated to ostracism. But it was a good idea though.

Next time, we will make it better. I have a great idea, says the PM!

This is the tale of John, the PM. John has been a PM for many years now. He is brilliant. A great mind, one would say about him.

John has many qualities, among them, he is very respected in the whole company, because on the back of his ideas, the company could thrive over the last decade, at least. John, lately, has been having these out-of-the-box ideas, which are great, in fact. He is mastering the ancient art of having a vision: Seeing things that no one else can see.

Last January was not different. John had another great vision for a product and, naturally, he got approval immediately without even having to ask for it. He got excited. Assembled a few of his best work fellas and they started working. After a few iterations, they’ve presented the first version of the new product. It was beautiful!

As I heard, it was the best user experience ever. They considered it to be John’s masterpiece.

In his head, John repeated that famous sentence: “Parla!” Little John was in love.

But as any passion, it comes and goes in a fraction of seconds. The product didn’t correspond all the love John has demonstrated repeatedly.

They decided to split apart and follow different paths.

John still thinking about it, late at night, completely alone. Heartbroken. It was difficult to breathe. Then John said what any person who had a big passion like that could ever say in this situation:

Why? Why??

And he found the problem.