Schools of Thought in Product Management

A review of the four distinct schools of thought that have emerged in product management

Introduction

This review outlines the four distinct schools of thought that have emerged in product management.

The four approaches are Generalization, Technology, Business, and Methodology.

CEO of the?Product

The Generalization approach to product management views product management as multidisciplinary, multifaceted, and responsible for nearly anything and everything related to the product.

The primary consideration that product management is a generalization, not a specialization, leads to monikers such as CEO of the Product to describe the supposedly encompassing nature and broad profile of product management practitioners.

The Generalization approach describes product management as diverse responsibilities that may include tasks offloaded from other corporate functions.?

The Generalization approach also describes product management as the backbone, connective tissue, or glue that holds together all aspects of a product project.

Constant deliberations on the scope of ownership, range of responsibilities, desired skills, and how to lead without authority are prevalent.

Business of the?Product

The Business approach to product management is heavily focused on the product's business aspects with a broad emphasis on all monetary issues.

Consequently, this approach resembles a scaled-down executive management function.

Relative to the product, this approach deals with decision-making, process application, interdepartmental coordination, project management, team management, revenue management, metrics costing, pricing, etc.

Phrases such as "owning the strategy", "driving execution", and "profit and loss accountability" are frequently used in conjunction with this approach.

Discussions on how product management should deal with business strategies, business models, and any of the latest business or market trends are considered very relevant because the thinking is primarily geared toward making money.

Expectedly, the Business approach to product management is fixated on any trending innovation, such as big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence, automation, analytics, virtual reality, robotics, intelligent applications, and just about any new technology of the day that perhaps could be leveraged to make more money.

Part of Engineering

The Technology approach to product management considers product management as an extension of product development and, at times, even subservient to product development.

The Technology approach exhibits a mindset that contemplates all product-related issues, roles, responsibilities, processes, and tasks from a technological or developmental viewpoint.

With the Technology approach, product management practitioners are expected to be technically astute.

Indeed, many product managers at companies that implement the technology approach, are former engineers who perform various activities that support product development and occasionally sales.

These practitioners' main job focus is to determine product functionality and features and communicate these to product development.

With the Technology approach, a product manager’s deep understanding of technology and product knowledge is highly valued. Conversely, market research is regarded as a low-priority activity.

At software development companies that adopt Agile/Scrum, a lightweight software development method, it is considered legitimate for a product manager to assume the responsibilities of a Scrum product owner.

Product management practitioners subject to the Technology approach to product management are forced to contemplate their professional identity and place in the hierarchy and ponder how they should adapt to changes in the product development sphere.

Guided by Principles

The Methodology approach to product management views product management as a professional domain governed by a set of foundation rules supported by cogent rationales and solid arguments.

The Methodology approach regulates everything in product management, such as terminology, definitions, roles, tasks, responsibilities, teams, models, processes, interfaces to other departments, etc., according to a methodological foundation and fosters a more strategic, systematic, and disciplined way into how the company deals with all product-related issues.

The Methodology approach to product management treats product management as a highly strategic function, not a managerial, operational, tactical, or technical function.

Starting Point

Everything in product management (roles, responsibilities, processes, tasks, etc.) depends on a very clear definition of the domain.

The Generalization, Business, and Technology approaches' lack of foundation rules leads to a perpetual search to articulate a clear and consistent definition of product management.

The absence of a consistent definition is usually explained through claims that product management is in its infancy, or constantly evolving, or that every company supposedly defines product management differently.

In the Methodology approach to product management, a very clear definition of product management is available from the outset. All processes, roles, tasks, responsibilities, team models, etc., are derived from that definition.

How We?Work

The Generalization, Business, and Technology approaches result from people's natural inclination to conceptualize and frame their worldview according to their own (mostly previous) personal work experience.

Certain companies often employ the Generalization, Business, and Technology approaches because the company's founders applied a particular way of doing product management, often modeled after themselves being generalists, technologists, or business-oriented. After a while, that approach becomes entrenched.

The Methodology approach to product management is employed by companies that require the discipline that an organized doctrine brings.

Companies choose the Methodology approach due to the structured nature of the markets that these companies serve or because of these companies' own highly organized internal culture.

Summary

The Generalization, Business, and Technology approaches to product management remain very popular, mainly because their concepts are relatively easy to explain, understand, and implement.

The Methodology approach to product management experiences steady growth and increased adoption in the market, albeit at a slower pace.

Learn More…

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