Product Managers identify why a problem needs to be solved. Engineers establish how to solve that problem. These two roles need each other to create successful products. Yet it’s easy to forget their interdependence when Product Managers constantly change their mind, or Engineers go rogue with their solutions. As these resources show, the key to the two roles working together effectively is communication.
Why you should invest in relationships with your engineering team. A healthy relationship between product management and engineering is critical to building successful products and creating a team that people want to be a part of. Unfortunately, the real world throws some challenges in the way of building those healthy relationships, so you have to work at it. Here are some ways Rajat Harlalka has found for product managers to ensure they have a great relationship with engineers.
(via @MindtheProduct)
How product managers can collaborate successfully with engineering. Building great products is hard work. As a PM, you need to take this very abstract business idea/objective (e.g. I want to be able to order a taxi by pressing a button on my phone) and make it into a tangible “thing.” However, you’re not the one actually building the “thing.” You have to work with the engineers who build the thing your company envions without having any formal authority. Hiram Vazquez describes some ways he has been able to collaborate with engineering teams to make your life, and their life easier in order to build successful products.
(via @Product_Craft)
Tips for product managers to communicate better with developers. As a software product manager, you need to deeply understand the pillars of healthy and successful cooperation with the software developers you are working with. The benefits of good communication between product managers and developers are largely amplified in the B2B enterprise software context because that’s where software developers may not have a direct grasp on the customer’s problems. Alban Leandri explains how effective communication leads to better collaboration between product managers and engineers.
(via @Alban_Leandri)
How to succeed with remote development. As a product manager, you might work at a product organization that works with remote teams, which can pose a unique set of challenges above the typical challenges of product management. Clement Kao explores why remote development can be beneficial, what the challenges of remote development are, and how to mitigate these challenges.
(via @prodmanagerhq)
5 things that remote developers want Product Managers to know. Have you ever felt like there was a rift between you and your remote developers? If you’re struggling to work together effectively, it may be because your developers aren’t telling you what you really need to know about your shared and individual workflows. Debbie Chew chatted with some remote developers to discover the top barriers to successful collaboration – and what product managers can do to overcome them. Here are their tips!
(via @mirohq)
