Comments on: The Product Manager – Role and Responsibilities http://agile101.net/2009/08/07/the-product-manager-role-responsibilities/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-product-manager-role-responsibilities Agile Project Management, Programme Management and Digital Publishing Thu, 22 Jul 2010 09:14:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Review Guide http://agile101.net/2009/08/07/the-product-manager-role-responsibilities/comment-page-1/#comment-1303 Review Guide Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:17:59 +0000 http://agile101.net/?p=788#comment-1303 That rss option on your blog here is magnificent, you should tell people about it in your upcoming post. I haven't noted it for the first couple of times, now I'm using it every morning to check on any updates. I'm on a rattling slow dial-up connection in Germany and it's rather hindering to sit there and wait for such a long time 'til the page loads... but hey, I just found your rss page and added it to the Google Reader and voil? - I'm always up-to-date! Well buddy, keep up the good work and make that rss button a little bigger so that other people can enjoy that as well :-P That rss option on your blog here is magnificent, you should tell people about it in your upcoming post. I haven’t noted it for the first couple of times, now I’m using it every morning to check on any updates. I’m on a rattling slow dial-up connection in Germany and it’s rather hindering to sit there and wait for such a long time ’til the page loads… but hey, I just found your rss page and added it to the Google Reader and voil? – I’m always up-to-date! Well buddy, keep up the good work and make that rss button a little bigger so that other people can enjoy that as well :-P

]]> By: taraleewhitaker http://agile101.net/2009/08/07/the-product-manager-role-responsibilities/comment-page-1/#comment-157 taraleewhitaker Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:36:13 +0000 http://agile101.net/?p=788#comment-157 That's a tough one - it varies. In one area we've got a 1:1 PM:PO ratio, in our largest portfolio team we're looking at more of a 1:10 PM:PO ratio. In the latter example, we rely heavily on the Primary Product Owner for guidance re: portfolio/programme-level priorities e.g. Themes/Epics, however still look to the POs for guidance at an Epic/Story level. That’s a tough one – it varies. In one area we’ve got a 1:1 PM:PO ratio, in our largest portfolio team we’re looking at more of a 1:10 PM:PO ratio. In the latter example, we rely heavily on the Primary Product Owner for guidance re: portfolio/programme-level priorities e.g. Themes/Epics, however still look to the POs for guidance at an Epic/Story level.

]]> By: Bale http://agile101.net/2009/08/07/the-product-manager-role-responsibilities/comment-page-1/#comment-156 Bale Mon, 17 Aug 2009 14:13:47 +0000 http://agile101.net/?p=788#comment-156 Thanks for the reply. Just out of curiosity, how many product managers vs. product owners are there in your organization? Where I work the ratio is about 1 product manager per 2-3 product owners. Thanks for the reply. Just out of curiosity, how many product managers vs. product owners are there in your organization? Where I work the ratio is about 1 product manager per 2-3 product owners.

]]> By: taraleewhitaker http://agile101.net/2009/08/07/the-product-manager-role-responsibilities/comment-page-1/#comment-139 taraleewhitaker Sun, 16 Aug 2009 12:24:23 +0000 http://agile101.net/?p=788#comment-139 That's a really good question. As mentioned in the overview, there are quite a number of responsibilities I've listed above that could be carried out by a Product Owner, Product Manager or both. I suppose each situation/company is different. In my company, the Product Owners and Product Managers work together (to varying degrees depending on circumstance) to define strategy, requirements and priorities - it's a collaborative process. In most situations, the PM will be fluent enough to communicate requirements on behalf of the PO however there are definitely times when we ask the PO to join us for a Requirements Workshop or Sprint Planning Session. It is sometimes not feasible for all Product Owners to join our planning sessions - one team has over 40 POs! In this situation either the PM will be empowered to represent the POs or a Primary PO will attend i.e. the Managing Director. With that said, because of the number of products in our portfolio (+/- 100), it would be impossible for the PMs to give each product the attention and consideration it deserves (particularly if they're low(er) on the list of *current* priorities) - the Product Owners keep track of this and highlight changes in priority across the portfolio. In short - there's no simple answer. What a cop-out! :P Thoughts, everyone? That’s a really good question.

As mentioned in the overview, there are quite a number of responsibilities I’ve listed above that could be carried out by a Product Owner, Product Manager or both. I suppose each situation/company is different.

In my company, the Product Owners and Product Managers work together (to varying degrees depending on circumstance) to define strategy, requirements and priorities – it’s a collaborative process. In most situations, the PM will be fluent enough to communicate requirements on behalf of the PO however there are definitely times when we ask the PO to join us for a Requirements Workshop or Sprint Planning Session.

It is sometimes not feasible for all Product Owners to join our planning sessions – one team has over 40 POs! In this situation either the PM will be empowered to represent the POs or a Primary PO will attend i.e. the Managing Director.

With that said, because of the number of products in our portfolio (+/- 100), it would be impossible for the PMs to give each product the attention and consideration it deserves (particularly if they’re low(er) on the list of *current* priorities) – the Product Owners keep track of this and highlight changes in priority across the portfolio.

In short – there’s no simple answer. What a cop-out! :P

Thoughts, everyone?

]]> By: Bale http://agile101.net/2009/08/07/the-product-manager-role-responsibilities/comment-page-1/#comment-135 Bale Sun, 16 Aug 2009 04:50:23 +0000 http://agile101.net/?p=788#comment-135 Thanks for this post. The product manager's responsibilities you list are what I would normally associate with a product owner, so I wonder: what is left for the product owner to do and why do you need one (or in other words isn't the product manager also the product owner?) Thanks for this post. The product manager’s responsibilities you list are what I would normally associate with a product owner, so I wonder: what is left for the product owner to do and why do you need one (or in other words isn’t the product manager also the product owner?)

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