Product Management Job Design

Product Management
» Job Design «
Raphael Bossek, Head of Product Management
Last updated 1/23/2017
General Understanding Classification Self-Perception

How would I describe PM to my grandma…
Source: © Tracy Barrell (2010), https://www.flickr.com/photos/tracybarrell/4699232523/; https://www.flickr.com/photos/ganeshaburn/2465351255
7.de Raphael Bossek 2

-
Product Management as a Profession
General Understanding
The History Management in General Effective Management

Modern product management started in 1931 with a memo written by Neil H. McElroy at Procter &
Gamble. It started as a justification to hire more people but became a cornerstone in modern thinking
about brand management and ultimately product management.
What he laid out in his 800 word memo was a simple and concise description of “Brand Men” and their
absolute responsibility for a brand – from tracking sales to managing the product, advertising and
promotions. Uniquely he outlined that the way to do this was through thorough field testing and client
interaction.
They interpreted the Brand Man ethos as putting decision making as close as possible to the customer,
and making the product manager the voice of the customer internally.
The History of Product Management
Source: http://www.mindtheproduct.com/2015/10/history-evolution-product-management; http://cdn02.mindtheproduct.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/McElroyBrandMan.pdf

" Management is the profession of achieving or bringing about results.
Key measures of success are the fulfillment of objectives and the
completion of tasks.
Its application becomes necessary, useful, and even urgent when
results are not achieved automatically—when real effort is required.
Management in General
Source: Malik, Fredmund F. (2015): Managing Performing Living: Effective Management for a New World, p.74

Tasks Tools
 Providing Objectives
 Organizing
 Making Decisions
 Supervising
 Developing and Promoting People
 Meetings
 Reports
 Job Design and Assignment Control
 Personal Working Methods
 Budgets and Budgeting
 Performance Evaluations
 Systematic „Waste Disposal“ – Renewing the
System
Effective Management
Source: Malik, Fredmund F. (2015): Managing Performing Living: Effective Management for a New World, pp.151

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Job Design (and Assignment Control)
Classification
Key Activities Model Compilation Differences

" An assignment is a key task that has top priority in a position for the upcoming
period.
A job is a set of tasks that have been bundled according to organizational
aspects. At any given time, these tasks can be assumed to have to be done for
an unlimited period of time (until the job itself has to be changed). They are not
linked to any specific priorities. Priorities can only be set for a specific and
current situation, never in general terms.
The Difference Between Job and Assignment
Source: Malik, Fredmund F. (2015): Managing Performing Living: Effective Management for a New World, p.273

Evaluating the Core Competencies
Source: Haines, Steven (2012): Managing product management, p.48

Five General Elements That Make Up the Product Manager Job

Product Management Process Mind Map

From UX/Tech/Business to Communication/Organization/Execution
Source: LeMay, Matt (2016): A New Skill Model for Product Managers, https://medium.com/on-human-centric-systems/a-new-skill-model-for-product-managers-71769a2de7b7

From UX/Tech/Business to Communication/Organization/Execution
Source: Schmidt, Dan (2014): The Product Management Triangle, https://productlogic.org/2014/06/22/the-product-management-triangle/; LeMay, Matt (2016): A New Skill Model for Product
Managers, https://medium.com/on-human-centric-systems/a-new-skill-model-for-product-managers-71769a2de7b77.de Raphael Bossek 13

Product Focus© Product Activities Framework
Source: Product Focus© Product Activities Framework, https://www.productfocus.com/resources/product-activities-framework/

Roman’s Product Management Framework
Source: Pichler, Roman (2015): Roman’s Product Management Framework, http://www.romanpichler.com/tools/product-management-framework/

Source: proProduktmanagement GmbH: Open Product Management Workflow™, http://www.pro-produktmanagement.de/open-product-management-workflow.html

Source: Johnson, Steve: The Stratetgic Role of Product Management, http://pragmaticmarketing.com/strategic-role-of-product-management.aspx

Source: The Pragmatic Marketing Framework, http://www.pragmaticmarketing.com/about-us/framework

Source: SiriusDecisions: The SiriusDecisions Product Marketing and Management Model, http://artandscience.siriusdecisions.com/h/i/218508933-the-siriusdecisions-product-marketing-and-
management-model-overview/2351977.de Raphael Bossek 19

Source: Software Product Management Association (2014), http://community.ispma.org/body-of-knowledge/

*Own thoughts based on Software Product Management Association (2014), http://community.ispma.org/body-of-knowledge/. Last updated 1/22/2016
Technical
Documentation*
Pricing and
Licensing*
Product Marketing Manager
Technical Product Manager
Explanation of Jobs
To Be Done*
Product Analysis
and Competition*
Market Analysis and
Trends*
Message and Media*
Omni Channel
Interactions*
Ecosystem
Management
and Certification*
Product Owner
Content Manager
Customer
Experience Design*
Customer Research
and Segmentation*
Core (Software) Product Manager
Modifications based on ISPMA Software Product Reference Framework Version 1.2
Product Change
Management*
User Stories and
Requirements*
Release Planning
and Prioritization*
Opportunity
Management and
Advertising*
Product Launches
and Demand
Creation*

Source: Trexler, Keith (2010): The Product Management Value Chain, http://de.slideshare.net/ktrexler/pm-framework

Source: Schure, Pamela (2015): Earned influence and authority for product managers, http://www.slideshare.net/aipmm/earned-influence-and-authority-for-product-managers/27

The IT-Product Manager Pyramid
Source: Herzwurm/Pietsch (2009): Management von IT-Produkten. Geschäftsmodelle, Leitlinien und Werkzeugkasten für softwareintensive Systeme und Dienstleistungen, pp60
Business
Process
Product
Operational
Scope:
Application
Maintenance
Scope:
Application
Positioning
Scope:
Product
Definition
Scope:
Business
Development
Area of Responsibility Tasks
IT-Product
Manager
Type1
Type2
Type3
Type4
Development Requirements Engineering D K - -
Test Management U K K -
Development Principal - - - D
Change Management U D K K
Configuration Management U K K K
Project Management Program / Portfolio Management - - U D
Project Management - U K -
Project Execution U D - -
Marketing Strategy Market Field Strategies - U D K
Market Stimulation Strategies - U D K
Market Parceling Strategies - U D K
Market Area Strategies - U D K
Market Research U U D K
Product Positioning - U K D
Sales Concepts & Tools 4P (Product, Price, Place, Promo) U U K D
7P (Physical Facilities,Personnel, Process Management) - U K D
Sales Strategies - - U D
Potential Assessment& Development - - U D
Organization Product Management Process / Process Management U U K D
Organizational Structure - - U D
Knowledge Management U U K D
Professional Services Service & Support D U K -
Economic Management Cost-Benefit Considerations - - U D
Cost Estimation U U D K
Price Definition and Costing - - U D
D = doing, U = support, K = coordination

Die IT-Produktmanagement-Pyramide
Quelle: Herzwurm, Georg; Pietsch, Wolfram (2009): Management von IT-Produkten, S.60ff

‘small p’ Product Owner Product Manager
Product Owner vs. Product Manager
Source: Mironov, Rich (2014): Product Managers, Agile Product Owners and Building Great Products. http://de.slideshare.net/RichMironov/itcork-pmpo, p4/p7

Source: Muuga, Erkki (2017): Product Manager vs Product Owner, https://medium.com/@erkki.muuga/product-manager-vs-product-owner-614206ee5f03

Product Management vs. Product Marketing
Source: Buscemi, Peter (2012): The Art of Product Marketing, http://fourquadrant.com/the-art-of-product-marketing/

Source: 280 Group/Lawley, Brian (2014): Optimal Product Process™ 2.0, https://280group.com/products/books/optimal-product-process/, p15

Source: Product Manager vs. Product Marketing Manager, https://www.productmanagerhq.com/2015/02/difference-between-product-manager-and-product-marketing-manager/

(Technical) Product Manager Product Marketing Manager
Focus on the User Focus on the Buyer
Get excited about Solving Problems Get excited about Selling Products
Knows what to say about the product
Knows how best to communicate the messages to the
market
Works closely with Development Works closely with Sales / MarComms
Try to develop a single product that can
work across all markets
Focus on specific market segments (e.g. customers,
competitors, legal)
Reads up on the latest Technology Trends Reads about Sales Optimization
KPI is Costs KPI is Revenue
Together Responsible for Gross Margin
Source: brainmates (2013): Product Management Roles - Briefly Explained, http://de.slideshare.net/brainmates/product-management-roles-briefly-explained, pp.5; Product Management Journal.
Product Marketing (14). https://www.productfocus.com7.de Raphael Bossek 31

Areas Technology expertise
Technology expertise is about how the product works. From
their daily interactions, product managers pick up a deep
understanding of product and technical capabilities; they
achieve this by playing with the product, by discussing it
with customers and developers, by reading and reading and
reading. For a technology expert, the product almost
becomes their personal hobby. They think of themselves as
product experts.
Typical titles: product manager, product owner, technical
product manager, business analyst
Four types of skills for product managers
Source: Johnson, Steve (2014): Expertise in Product Management, https://www.under10playbook.com/ebooks/expertise-in-product-management, pp7

Areas Market expertise
Market expertise is a focus on geographic or
vertical markets, either by country or by industry.
They know how business is done in that market.
They know the major players, and the jargon or
colloquialisms of the market. Market experts
define themselves by the market they serve: “I’m a
banker” or “I support BRIC.”
Typical titles: industry manager, product marketing
manager, field marketing manager

Areas Domain expertise
Domain expertise is about the discipline your product supports,
such as security, fraud detection, or education. Domain experts
know (and often define) the standards for the discipline and can
explain the latest thinking in that area. They understand the
problems that your product endeavors to solve, regardless of the
market or industry. And for a domain expert, your product is
merely one way of addressing the problems of their specialty.
Domain experts define themselves not by the product but by their
topic area.
Typical titles: product scientist, principal product
manager

Areas Business expertise
Business expertise is where your traditional business leader or
MBA graduate brings strength. These experts know the mechanics
of business and can apply that knowledge to your product. A
business oriented expert knows how to use research to determine
product feasibility, can determine how the product generates
profit with lots of financial analysis to back it up. Ideally these
business skills need to be combined with one of the other skills or
provided as a support role for the other areas of expertise.
Typical titles: product strategist, product leader,
portfolio manager

Organizing expertise
Source: Johnson, Steve (2014): Expertise in Product Management, https://www.under10playbook.com/ebooks/expertise-in-product-management, p10

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Product Management Manifesto
Self-Perception

 I am dedicated to bringing great products to
market. Products that delight my customers.
Products that are massively profitable for my
company.
 I am the voice of my customers and represent
them in every critical decision that is made.
 I believe that Product Management is one of
the toughest, yet most rewarding jobs in the
world. Though I will face great odds and
challenges I refuse to become jaded or
negative.
 I refuse to settle for mediocrity and I will be
tenacious and professional in my approach to
getting the best possible results.
Excerpt of Product Management Manifesto (1/3)
Source: Solomon, Cindy F.: Product Marketing Management Manifesto, https://sites.google.com/site/cindyfsolomon/product-marketing-management

 I am committed to using the best
methodologies, tools, templates and techniques
available to be more efficient and effective at
my job.
 I have a strong vision for my products and
develop winning strategies that align with my
company’s goals and ensure that our
investments of time, money and energy are
well‐spent.
 I am an expert in all areas regarding my
products: customers, the market, technology,
competition, channels, press, analysts, trends
and anything else that must be taken into
account in order to win.

 I am a leader. I develop strong alliances with
everyone that I need to in order to ensure the
success of my product. This includes sales people,
engineers, support, customers, channel and business
partners, management, the Board of Directors and
anyone else necessary.
 Though I have all of the responsibility, it is highly
likely I have little or no formal authority. Therefore I
will do whatever it takes to persuade others to do
what is right for customers and my company.
 I have a plan for my career and I will further my
professional status by attending training
courses, becoming certified and reading books,
blogs and newsletters to learn best practices.

/raphael.bossek
/RaphaelBossek
/RaphaelBossek
/Raphael_Bossek
/raphaelbossek
/+RaphaelBossek
/RaphaelBossek
+49 (151) 59 177 535
raphael.bossek@durchsieben.de

Product Management Job Design

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