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Because engineers can't talk to customers. They need a project manager to receive the requirements sent over from the customers, and then bring the requirements

Because engineers can't talk to customers. They need a project manager to receive the requirements sent over from the customers, and then bring the requirements to the engineers (or have someone bring them over).

rwmj 1y ago
You might want to add some indication if this was sarcasm. If it wasn't then that's wrong - engineers should be directly talking to customers, at least some of the time. It's by far the best way to get direct feedback on what real problems customers are having with the product.
- rusk 1y ago
  I think they were describing “is” as opposed to “ought”
- spullara 1y ago
  it is basically a quote from the movie
  - wanderingstan 1y ago
    The relevant scene: https://youtu.be/hNuu9CpdjIo https://youtu.be/hNuu9CpdjIo
- swayvil 1y ago
  Because engineers generally fail to catch such subtleties, righr?
- shiroiuma 1y ago
  Someone really needs to watch the movie...
- pjc50 1y ago
  I think we all agree on that; the problem is that some customer relationship management is .. highly political. Lots of face saving and message discipline. Engineers are not trusted to have the skills to do that even if you've got time to keep them fully briefed on what the story you're allowed to tell the customer is. Sometimes even asking the wrong question can cause an upset. Engineers are prone to thinking or even saying things like, "successfully delivering the project is more important than the ego of a middle ranking procurement manager in the client, right?"
octo888 1y ago
And PMs can talk to customers but don't, because it's better for their career to align with the executives and implement their amazing ideas
- ghaff 1y ago
  Which isn't my experience at all. I've always seen PMs spend a bunch of time on the road talking to customers and in executive briefing centers. (And I was one in hardware at some distant point.) Engineers, sensibly, don't really want to spend that much time with customers--and even if they talk to one or two it sort of colors their opinions by that one customer's requirements.
deleted 1y ago
[deleted]
theoreticalmal 1y ago
Whoever thinks this way probably has a brilliant product idea in their back pocket. If they can ever catch a break to try and prototype it…
ianmcnaney 1y ago
PM: I am good at talking to people! Can’t you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you!? Edit: Having been around for a while I’ve learned to appreciate PMs. You have to be very careful what you say in front of customers or focus groups. If you had two engineers and one customer chatting unsupervised it would turn into a brainstorming session, and after 45 minutes we’re building a flying police box that can travel through time.

rwmj 1y ago

You might want to add some indication if this was sarcasm. If it wasn't then that's wrong - engineers should be directly talking to customers, at least some of the time. It's by far the best way to get direct feedback on what real problems customers are having with the product.

rusk 1y ago
I think they were describing “is” as opposed to “ought”
spullara 1y ago
it is basically a quote from the movie
- wanderingstan 1y ago
  The relevant scene: https://youtu.be/hNuu9CpdjIo https://youtu.be/hNuu9CpdjIo
swayvil 1y ago
Because engineers generally fail to catch such subtleties, righr?
shiroiuma 1y ago
Someone really needs to watch the movie...
pjc50 1y ago
I think we all agree on that; the problem is that some customer relationship management is .. highly political. Lots of face saving and message discipline. Engineers are not trusted to have the skills to do that even if you've got time to keep them fully briefed on what the story you're allowed to tell the customer is. Sometimes even asking the wrong question can cause an upset. Engineers are prone to thinking or even saying things like, "successfully delivering the project is more important than the ego of a middle ranking procurement manager in the client, right?"

octo888 1y ago

And PMs can talk to customers but don't, because it's better for their career to align with the executives and implement their amazing ideas

ghaff 1y ago
Which isn't my experience at all. I've always seen PMs spend a bunch of time on the road talking to customers and in executive briefing centers. (And I was one in hardware at some distant point.) Engineers, sensibly, don't really want to spend that much time with customers--and even if they talk to one or two it sort of colors their opinions by that one customer's requirements.

deleted 1y ago

[deleted]

theoreticalmal 1y ago

Whoever thinks this way probably has a brilliant product idea in their back pocket. If they can ever catch a break to try and prototype it…

ianmcnaney 1y ago

PM: I am good at talking to people! Can’t you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you!? Edit: Having been around for a while I’ve learned to appreciate PMs. You have to be very careful what you say in front of customers or focus groups. If you had two engineers and one customer chatting unsupervised it would turn into a brainstorming session, and after 45 minutes we’re building a flying police box that can travel through time.