Enterprise vs Startup Product Management (short story)

Once upon a time there were two product managers. Kim and Jo. Kim worked in a SaaS startup called Upstart and Jo worked at an established SaaS enterprise called Bluechip.

On paper they were both responsible for driving the success of their business and delivering the perfect product-market fit. Both produced roadmaps and prioritised features and initiatives based on their customer needs and the technical capabilities of the team. Both monitored market trends and competitors to stay ahead and both were adept at communicating with stakeholders and solving problems. But their days couldn't be more different.

Kim had a lot of autonomy and decision-making power at Upstart. Being smaller, and more agile, Upstart was all about rapid growth and cutting-edge innovation. So Kim could take more risks and be more creative to drive the development of her new product. She sat with the engineering and design teams, and could move quickly to test out new concepts, prototype them and see what customer thought of her ideas. And as awesome as that might sound, Kim had to deal with a lot of uncertainty. Upstart was still trying to find its footing in the market, there was a lot of pressure to grow quickly, and so Kim had to be constantly flexible in her approach, constantly adjusting her strategy as the market and organisation evolved.

On the other hand, Jo's scope of responsibility was focused on a specific product line within a larger portfolio. She had to work with many stakeholders to get things done, and don't even get started on the bureaucracy of making decisions. Autonomy? Hah! more like Heteronomy! Everything took much long time to get done. Got an idea for a change, get in the back of the queue! And everyone wanted a seat at the table making decisions and calling shots, and oh boy, where there so many characters in the mix. On the other hand, Jo had safety on her side. Bluechip had a stable market position and a good track record of success. So there was less pressure to take risks, less pressure to innovate, and less visibility or accountability as a whole.

Overall, Jo and Kim's products' success in the market were largely down to their ability to adapt and be effective within their businesses. They had to approach product development differently and operated on different timescales, but both were able to successfully drive the development of their products and contribute to the success of their organizations.

Nice story but what's the point? I guess the point of any story is what we could learn from it. So what could Kim and Jo learn form each other?

What could Kim, our Upstart product manager learn from Jo?

Strategic planning: Jo's experience at Bluechip gave her a strong understanding of the importance of careful planning and strategic thinking in product management. This could be useful for Kim, who is operating in a fast-paced and uncertain environment at the startup. By incorporating more strategic planning into her approach, Kim could increase the chances of success for her products in the market.

Working with stakeholders: As the product manager at an enterprise, Jo has likely had to work with a wide range of stakeholders to get things done. This experience could be valuable for Kim, who may not have as much experience working with multiple stakeholders in a larger organization. Learning from Jo's approach to stakeholder management could help Kim to be more effective in getting things done at the startup.

Navigating bureaucracy: Working in a larger, more established organization like Bluechip, Jo had to navigate bureaucracy and navigate a more complex organizational structure. This experience could be useful for Kim, who may not have as much experience dealing with bureaucracy in a smaller organization. By learning from Jo's approach to navigating bureaucracy, Kim could increase her effectiveness and efficiency in getting things done at the startup.

Balancing risk and stability: Jo's experience at Bluechip gave her a good understanding of the importance of balancing risk and stability in product development. This could be valuable for Kim, who may be more focused on taking risks and driving innovation at the startup. By learning from Jo's approach to balancing risk and stability, Kim could increase the chances of success for her products in the market.

And what could Jo, Bluechips PM learn from Kim?

Agility and responsiveness: As the product manager at Upstart, Kim had to be very agile and responsive to market needs in order to drive innovation and growth, whilst Jo was operating in a more stable and established organization. By incorporating more agility and responsiveness into her approach, Jo could increase the chances of success for her products in the market.

Iterative approach to product management: Kim had to use a rapid iterative approach to quickly prototype and test new ideas in order to stay ahead of the competition. Using Kim's processes in rapid product evolution could increase the success of Jo's product.

Risk-taking and innovation: As a smaller, more agile organization, Upstart is more focused on taking risks and driving innovation in order to differentiate itself in the market. Leveraging Kim's approach to risk-taking and innovation, Jo could increase the chances of success for her products in the market.

Working with a small, agile team: At the startup, Kim has likely had to work closely with a small, agile team in order to get things done. This experience could be valuable for Jo, who may be used to working with larger, more bureaucratic teams at Bluechip. By learning from Kim's approach to working with a small, agile team, Jo could increase her efficiency and effectiveness in getting things done.

Despite the differences in their experiences as product managers, both Kim and Jo had their own unique challenges and opportunities in their respective organizations. While Kim had more autonomy and the ability to take bigger risks and be creative at the startup, she also faced higher levels of uncertainty and direct pressure to succeed. Jo, on the other hand, had more stability and a lower level of risk at the enterprise, but also had less autonomy and room for innovation.

Ultimately, the grass is not always greener on the other side. Both Kim and Jo had to adapt and be effective in their respective organizations in order to succeed. While they could learn from each other and borrow ideas from one another's approaches, the key to success was finding a way to excel in their own environments and navigate the unique challenges and opportunities that came with them.