I have done several things that worked well as a first time product manager. And done several things that failed spectacularly. This is a set of reflections on those things, and my advice for people starting their Product Management Careers.

1. First time as Product
Manager
Shobhit Chugh
VP Product, High Start Group
@shobhitchugh shobhitchugh@gmail.com

2. http://www.pinterest.com/pin/47850814760834849/

3. About Me

4. Congratulations!
You got your first time PM Job

5. It might feel like this at times

6. It might feel like this at times

7. It might feel like this at times

8. It might feel like this at times

9. But sometimes

10. The 4 Rs of Product Management
success
Clarify your Role
Establish Relationships
Build your Reputation
Deliver Results

11. The 4 Rs of Product Management
success
Clarify your Role
Establish Relationships
Build your Reputation
Deliver Results

12. Welcome to your first product
management role
http://www.mindtheproduct.com/2011/10/what-exactly-is-a-product-manager/

13. Three Primary Product
Management Roles
1. ADVOCATE for the Voice of the Customer in the company
2. ORCHESTRATOR who coordinates the activities of the
various resources to define, develop and deliver product that
customers need and generate profit for the company
3. ENTREPRENEUR who articulates the product’s vision
and manages his/ her product as a business

14. Clarify your role!
Varies by company
Do not accept vague descriptions. Ask questions. LOTS of
questions
What are the deliverables needed at each stage?
How important are they?
Who does them?
Why should you them?
Decisions
What decisions can you make?
What decisions do you need to drive with a set of
stakeholders?

15. The 4 Rs of Product Management
success
Clarify your Role
Establish Relationships
Build your Reputation
Deliver Results

16. Relationships
Stakeholders
Customers
Manager(s)

17. Stakeholder Relationships
Establish early – first 30 days
Take all stakeholders out to lunch.
Do NOT talk about product
Get to know them
Next ask them about stuff relevant to their jobs
What are their top goals?
What does the company need to do better?
What do they need to do better?
Where does product management fit in?
Ask them who else you should talk to?

18. Customers
Insist that you have personal relationships with top customers
Type of relationships matter! Customers are not for dictating
you requirements. You are peers. You are here to listen to their
problems and help solve the ones that align with your company
strategy
First go on customer meetings (early!)
Go from silent listener and observer -> contributor
Then establish your own meetings
Product council with customers
Prospect calls
One on one customer feedback sessions

19. http://www.pinterest.com/jefflash/product-management-comics/

20. Manager
Guide
How does work actually get done at the company?
What processes are important?
What meetings and decisions are important?
Supporter
Promote what you are doing to the executive level
Help influence the right people
Coach.
Honest about how you are doing?
Workload?
Attitude?
Results?

21. The 4 Rs of Product Management
success
Clarify your Role
Establish Relationships
Build your Reputation
Deliver Results

22. Reputation
Establish your personal brand
Earn your seat at the table

23. http://www.pinterest.com/pin/480055641500953367/

24. Personal Brand
What do you want to be known as?
What activities promote it?
What activities detract from it?

25. Example personal brand - Strategic
What helps?
Lay out vision and communicate endlessly
Outlines how do we get there
Get to the root cause of problems + solve for long term
What hurts?
Jumping to action and conclusions too fast without
enough thought
Focusing on next week vs. next year
Agreeing too soon

26. Earn your seat at the table
Everyone else is responsible for something concrete
You have a vague objective – ensure the success of the
product
So you need to earn your place
Market knowledge. Do you know customers better than
anyone else?
Competitors knowledge. Are you subscribed to their blogs?
Emails? Read every announcement?
Product knowledge. Do you know product in and out? Top
differentiators? Challenges?
Strategy knowledge. Can you articulate how things line up
with the strategy of the company?

27. The 4 Rs of Product Management
success
Clarify your Role
Establish Relationships
Build your Reputation
Deliver Results

28. Results
Deliverables
Decisions
Difference

29. Deliverables
There is an LONG list of things you could be doing at
any point in time
All of these are NOT required
Again, confirm what is critical, what is good to have,
and what is useless crap that just takes your time

30. Decisions
What decisions can you make?
Does it tie with strategy? Vision?
What you should avoid making?
Tactical e.g., what bugs to prioritize
N = 1
Those you can set guidelines for
What you need to drive?

31. Meetings!!
4 types
Share Information
Make decision
Generate ideas
Get Feedback

32. Meetings!!
Prepare
ONE Objective
Agenda
Slides
Assume they know less than you and have forgotten
EVERYTHING you spoke about the last time
Pre-brief
Manage the flow
Agenda + how important is it to stick to it?
Questions from beginning or presentation first?
Send follow up notes

33. Difference
Making a difference comes down to one thing –
FOCUS
In the beginning there is a temptation to do
EVERYTHING and take on tons of new initiatives.
Ask yourself for each initiative
Is it my role?
Can I make a significant difference?
Is n>1?

34. The 4 Rs of Product Management
success
Clarify your Role
Establish Relationships
Build your Reputation
Deliver Results

35. Thank you so much for the
standing ovation!
Shobhit Chugh
@shobhitchugh
shobhitchugh@gmail.com

36. What do engineers want?
Vision
Less thrashing + more clear specs
Want to know that it matters
They get blame when things go wrong but much less
recognition. Recognize them. Individually

37. Other advice
Have a set of advisors
Within the company
Outside the company
Senior + peers

38. Guide to first 90 days
30 days – observe, learn
60 days – participate
90 days – act, change