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This assumes equal competence and maturity levels on both roles. However often this isn't the case at all because there usually is a well defined career progres

This assumes equal competence and maturity levels on both roles. However often this isn't the case at all because there usually is a well defined career progression to EM role while PM can come from any set of roles (Business analyst, operations, project management, sales etc). The best PMs I have seen come from business/operations and bring valuable domain experience to the table. The worst ones come from Project management/ scrum master/fresh MBA grads etc where there is constant chip on the shoulder mentality to ensure EM/devs don't encroach on their decisions. Even though the article highlights the 'who' as contentious, in reality even 'what' can be equally contentious when the PMs don't bring enough customer or domain understanding to the equation.

eatonphil 5y ago
The best PMs I've worked with were engineers 10 years ago. While some with this background may be insufferable on the "how", the best PMs I've worked with don't do that. Paradoxically these PMs just never think about implementation and do think seriously about the product on the whole and about P&L. The worst PMs I've seen were from business/ops side, they never looked for a whole picture they just focused on individual features and as a result constructed a completely incoherent product. Of course a good PM can probably come from any background just wanted to share my different experience from yours.
- dpeck 5y ago
  I think the key is that they come from A background. Few, if any, people have the people skills, technical know how, and domain knowledge to be a PM early in their career. Instead we diluted the PM role so much to allow new grads to have a place to go, and so that PM leadership could increase their headcount, and now we have engineering managers having to manage their product counterparts because they lack the experience to manage themselves.

eatonphil 5y ago

The best PMs I've worked with were engineers 10 years ago. While some with this background may be insufferable on the "how", the best PMs I've worked with don't do that. Paradoxically these PMs just never think about implementation and do think seriously about the product on the whole and about P&L. The worst PMs I've seen were from business/ops side, they never looked for a whole picture they just focused on individual features and as a result constructed a completely incoherent product. Of course a good PM can probably come from any background just wanted to share my different experience from yours.

dpeck 5y ago
I think the key is that they come from A background. Few, if any, people have the people skills, technical know how, and domain knowledge to be a PM early in their career. Instead we diluted the PM role so much to allow new grads to have a place to go, and so that PM leadership could increase their headcount, and now we have engineering managers having to manage their product counterparts because they lack the experience to manage themselves.