A PM's letter to the Chief

Hey Chief,

In the complex and ever-shifting world of Product Management, you and I both know that the role of a PM ain't just cut and dried. It's a dance, a battle, a symphony of chaos and control, and it's a thrill like no other.

This battle, well, is further muddied by the fact that, within the product world, the definition of the product manager's role is as elusive as a mirage.

It's a frustration that has been gnawing at me, and I've realized that the root of this chaos lies in our industry's tendency to use the same title—Product Manager—for two polar situations: feature teams and product teams. These might sound the same to a casual onlooker, but you and I both know they’re different beasts altogether.

Feature Teams: The Battlefront of Execution

Here in Feature Land, it's your ground-zero, Chief. The roadmap's like our battle plan, and we follow it to the letter. There's no room for maverick moves or dreamy deviations. We've got engineers breathing down our necks, and there's no time to rest.

But don't think for a moment that it's all drudgery. The Feature PM's a damn gladiator, right there in the thick of things, not exploring, but executing. It's a war zone, and it takes a warrior's spirit to survive.

Ain't nothing soft about it, Chief.

Product Teams: The Wilderness of Innovation

Now, let's swing to the other side, Chief, where the air's a little wilder, the horizon's a little broader. This is the space of dreams, the landscape of what could be.

Here, the Product PM ain't just surviving; they're thriving. They're the explorers, the pioneers, carving paths through uncharted territory.

It's not about checking boxes; it's about opening doors, busting through walls, and lighting up the sky with new ideas.

Messy? Sure. Thrilling? You bet your ass it is.

A Dance Between Two Worlds

Yeah, it's two sides of the coin, but the coin's got only one holder, and that's you and me, Chief. It ain't multiple people; it's one dynamic role.

In the morning, we're knee-deep in the trenches, sweating it out with the team, churning out the goods. Come afternoon, we're swinging to the wild side, probing the unknown, dancing with ideas that ain't even born yet.

It's like living two lives, but it's one heart, one mind, one soul. It's not a split; it's a blend, a fusion of execution and exploration, right there in one unstoppable force.

Now, Chief... don't you think for a second that it's all rainbows and unicorns. This double life's a beast, and it can eat you alive if you ain't sharp. You've got to have a mind that's flexible as a gymnast and solid as a rock, all at once. You need the discipline to execute without mercy and the imagination to dream without bounds.

It's like being a chef and a painter at the same time. You're cooking up the daily meals, following recipes to the T, but then you're stepping back, brush in hand, splashing colors on a canvas that's as big as the world.

A Double-Edged Sword: Surviving in the Trenches of Feature Warfare and the Jungles of Product Exploration

This ain't a gig for every John, Jane, or Jordan. It's for warriors and poets, for mavericks who look impossibility in the eye and laugh.

It's a thrilling ride, living on the edge of chaos and order, dancing with the devil and the angel, all in one day's work.

Hell yes, it's wild, but sometimes, Chief, the wildest ideas are the ones that make the damn world turn.

Ain't that a kick in the head?

Dancing with the Stakeholders

In this game, the PM's gotta dance, and I mean really dance. With users, customers, engineers, designers, business stakeholders - everyone who's a part of this crazy symphony. It's not just about features or strategy; it's about a continuous, harmonious connection, a blending of minds, hearts, and souls.

One person has to be ready to wear different hats, Chief. They've got to switch from tactical execution to strategic innovation without missing a beat. They're defining the future while breaking it down into actionable parts, making the impossible possible.

Surviving in the Startup Wilderness

One role, Chief, but it's rich, complex, and demanding. It's a tightrope walk between what's happening now and what's gonna happen next. It's about balance, control, awareness.

The PM's in the trenches one minute, plotting a course through the wild unknown the next. They're shifting gears, aligning, adapting, never standing still. They're working with the same people but from different angles, always moving forward.

Look, Chief, we ain't about the fluff. We're the doers, the makers, the damn rule-breakers. We didn't follow a map; we drew our own. Here's to us, for never backing down, never settling, and never losing sight of what we started.

Keep it wild, Chief... we ain't done yet.