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Product Management certainly predates Google by at least a generation. Indeed, Google is notoriously skeptical on the product management role and requires their
by cbsmith 4y ago
Product Management certainly predates Google by at least a generation. Indeed, Google is notoriously skeptical on the product management role and requires their product managers to have a technical background to at least some degree.
- danielmarkbruce 4y agoGoogle isn't skeptical of the product management role. They are skeptical that non-technical people can do it well. And that's mostly right, but there are exceptions.
- cbsmith 4y agoWhen I look at the ratio between engineers and product managers, it seems they are skeptical about the role.
- danielmarkbruce 4y agoBy that logic they skeptical of the VP role, CEO, Staff software engineer, more.
- cbsmith 4y agoThey do seem to be pretty skeptical of the VP role as well. ;-) I wouldn't say that about CEO or Staff Software engineer role though.
- danielmarkbruce 4y agoThere will always be less VPs than others, less PMs than engineers, less CEOs than everything else. It doesn't say anything.
- cbsmith 4y ago<pedantic>That's not exactly correct. What is true is there will be fewer VPs than people they manage, fewer PMs than engineers, and fewer CEOs than almost everything else. ;-) </pedantic> Given that principle though, what do you think I meant by "When I look at the ratio between engineers and product managers, it seems they are skeptical about the role."? Do you really think I meant that since there are fewer product managers than engineers, I've concluded they're skeptical about the role?
- danielmarkbruce 4y agoThe statement suggests a belief there is some information in the ratio. Google tends toward about a dozen engineers per PM overall. It varies across the org depending on the product. Google is explicitly pro PM. The CEO was one. There is no information in the ratio.