In this episode, Leah and Marilyn dive into their personal experiences with the highs and lows of product management. They share captivating stories of successful product launches that significantly impacted their organizations and frustrating failures that came with costly lessons. Through these anecdotes, they highlight the importance of iterative development, the power of small, empowered teams, and the challenges of working within highly matrixed organizations. The discussion also covers the crucial role of clear roles and responsibilities and the importance of aligning the company’s vision and mission to create a supportive and collaborative environment for product development.

Key Takeaways:

• Iterative Development: Iterative development is more impactful and valuable than big bang product launches, benefiting both the user and the business.
• Empowering Teams: Small teams with a common goal can achieve significant wins, creating momentum and a sense of urgency.
• Clear Roles: Highly matrixed organizations with unclear roles and responsibilities can hinder product development and lead to failures.
• Bridging Gaps: Product managers should bridge the gap between business and technology, driving the overall vision and mission of the company.
• Right Fit: Finding the right company that values and supports product managers' skills is crucial for their success.

Tell us about your biggest successes (or failures) as a PM by going to our website: PracticalPMPodcast.com