Real-World Tips and Advice for Software Product Managers
At some of the software companies where I used to work, I remember the silence that would fall -- not to mention the faces -- every time some disgruntled bearer of bad tidings let it be known that yet another software release date had slipped. Sometimes there was a reason, like our biggest new customer ...
One of the conundrums for Product Managers is that in many ways, their area of expertise is product management of a software application, yet companies increasingly require them to have experience in the industry that uses the software. There are good arguments for doing it this way, and equally strong ones for having Product Managers whose ...
One thing I associate with product management is the need to keep marching through the many efforts required to design and build software, then launch it in the market -- no matter how difficult the times. And so we have this week's issue, as scheduled. Respectfully, Jacques Murphy, Feeling sad for the people of Iraq, Grieving for the ...
Today's issue is the first of two topics covering product requirements. Requirements, as the fuel that powers your company's software development engine, are an essential part of product management. Without this fuel, development doesn't happen. Too little or too much, too sparse or too rich -- all lead to a poorly running engine. It is essential ...
We're all familiar with the problems that come from not documenting requirements, designs, plans, and expectations. You wind up with slipped deadlines and disappointment. Most of us have learned the hard way that we're better off writing down important agreements and plans. In fact, so much of product management depends upon written documents to spell out ...
Most experienced accountants will tell you that if you want to improve your company's financial situation, you get the fastest success by cutting costs as opposed to trying to increase revenues. It's a sure thing to take money you have today but would spend and keep it in your pocket, rather than aim for a ...
Whether you as a Product Manager report into Marketing, Development, or another group, you play a critical role in helping Marketing position and explain the product so that the message resonates with your product's prospects. The Marketing folks are the experts at taking an image of your software product and polishing it until it really shines. ...
Lots of people give software demos to prospective customers, business partners, investment partners, and the media. Usually very uninspiring demos. In meeting rooms and on show floors everywhere, your competitors' prospects are sitting through boring presentations as they try to figure out how on earth the discussion even relates to them. None of these prospects is ...
Does anybody have a really great QA testing program for their software? I'd love to learn about it, because I think I have yet to see a top-notch one in 14 years in the industry. In this period of severe contraction in the software industry, which started in early 2000 when all the Y2K QA testers ...
The services you deliver with your software -- implementation consulting, installation, and training -- aren't accessories to your product, they are an integral part of the product and its success. Software plus services plus customer effort equals success. Because of this, it's critical to take steps to make each service you deliver predictable, complete, and consistent ...