3 ms·

Totally disagree. In my experience across three tech firms, Product Managers spend a lot of time selling themselves. They are talking to customers (read: netwo

Totally disagree. In my experience across three tech firms, Product Managers spend a lot of time selling themselves. They are talking to customers (read: networking for their next job), going to conferences (read: shmoozing with their next potential boss), researching competitors (read: figuring out where to apply) researching products (read: learning on the job) Is it any surprise they tend to make more than people stuck in the office coding?

zhte415 8y ago
talking to customers -> Listening to what the customer's pain points are, what the customer needs, what to address going to conferences -> Because face-to-face contact is far faster and richer than sending emails researching competitors -> What aren't we doing that others are doing better / what are we doing that's winning / what to change? researching products -> well, yes, constantly learning Is it any surprise they tend to make more than people stuck in the office coding? Listening to customer needs, staying ahead, constantly learning. Sounds like good general career advice.
- consp 8y ago
  I do not see any activity here which would indicate a higher pay from any other ordinary worker.
  - shard 8y ago
    That's very astute. You are right, there's nothing in those activities that command a higher pay. For product managers, it's the work that comes after doing all the above which commands the higher pay: Synthesizing all the information that was gathered to present a strategy which satisfy consumer needs and exploit competitor weak points. Creating a long term roadmap which gives direction to the work that the engineering department will do. And doing both convincingly enough that upper management buy into the strategy you are proposing. This is the no-right-answer, risky work that product managers are paid for.

3 ms·

Totally disagree. In my experience across three tech firms, Product Managers spend a lot of time selling themselves. They are talking to customers (read: netwo

by anon_0bviously 8y ago

zhte415 8y ago
talking to customers -> Listening to what the customer's pain points are, what the customer needs, what to address going to conferences -> Because face-to-face contact is far faster and richer than sending emails researching competitors -> What aren't we doing that others are doing better / what are we doing that's winning / what to change? researching products -> well, yes, constantly learning Is it any surprise they tend to make more than people stuck in the office coding? Listening to customer needs, staying ahead, constantly learning. Sounds like good general career advice.
- consp 8y ago
  I do not see any activity here which would indicate a higher pay from any other ordinary worker.
  - shard 8y ago
    That's very astute. You are right, there's nothing in those activities that command a higher pay. For product managers, it's the work that comes after doing all the above which commands the higher pay: Synthesizing all the information that was gathered to present a strategy which satisfy consumer needs and exploit competitor weak points. Creating a long term roadmap which gives direction to the work that the engineering department will do. And doing both convincingly enough that upper management buy into the strategy you are proposing. This is the no-right-answer, risky work that product managers are paid for.