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174 starting a new product management role at ludicrous speed (chugh and eisner)

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ProductCamp Boston
ProductCamp Boston

This document provides advice for taking on a new product management role. It discusses common situations a new PM may face like turnaround, sustaining success, or high growth. It recommends being ready before starting by understanding the product and situation, setting goals in the first two months like building relationships and quick wins, and then going forward by achieving a big first win and making major changes. The document also covers resolving complications like unclear expectations, unraveling complex problems, or spreading resources too thin. The overall message is to come prepared, establish credibility early on, and guide the product and team to success over time.

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Starting a New Product Management Role at “Ludicrous” Speed Shobhit Chugh and Will Eisner
Who has screwed up more?
Why is this so hard? Executive-style challenges, often without the onboarding. It’s hard to be successful without: ● A plan supported by data and expertise ● The trust of your team and key stakeholders ● An understanding of how to get things done
Four Common Situations New to PM Turnaround Sustaining success High Growth
3 Steps for Tackling Your New PM Role Ready Before joining to 4 weeks ● Assess the situation: what kind it is? ● Understand the history of the product Set ~First two months ● Build relationships ● Quick wins ● Own small processes Go Ongoing ● First big win: make sure team owns + visible 2 levels above ● Team must trust your decisions ● Start to make major changes
Ready ● Say goodbye to your impostor syndrome ● Collect the data you’ll need (which situation are you in?) ○ Cover: product, market, biz, team ○ Be structured ● Surface urgent decisions you aren’t ready for
Set ● You’ve got the data. Now establish your plans. ○ Product ○ Team ● Start iterating towards both. Get some wins.
Go ● Get your first big win ○ Team must have a role to play in it ○ It must be visible two levels above ● Team trusts your decisions; you don’t have to convince everyone about every little thing ● Start to make major changes ○ Used borrowed influence ○ Team changes if necessary to make the team more productive
Situation: No PM Ever ● PM work done part time by someone e.g., Founders, Engineering Leads, ServicesSituation Complication Resolution ● Lack of common understanding of what it truly means ● Founders unwilling to give control ● “Backlog manager” ● Ask everyone: if we look back 6 months from now, how would we know that I made a difference? ● But then form your answer based on most impactful things and set expectations
Situation: Turnaround ● Situation ○ Product is having big problems, product market fit, product debt, tech debt, etc ○ Extended team is deeply unhappy and pointing fingers ● Complication ○ Multi-part problems can be hard to unravel and you can become paralyzed ○ All the noise and politics can slow you down ● Resolution ○ Break the problems into solvable chunks ○ Understand the messy history and move forward ○ Provide clarity of your plan and tradeoffs to stakeholders so you don’t go down with the ship
Situation: Sustaining success ● Replacing a highly successful PM in a successful teamSituation Complication Resolution ● Big shoes to fill ● “That’s not how Jason used to do it” ● Don’t change everything at once ● Get quick, small wins ● Don’t forget what makes you awesome! ● Think Fresh; first 3 months are your window to look at things with fresh eyes and make a delta change
Situation: High Growth ● Situation ○ You’re on a Rocket Ship! Whooo! ● Complication ○ Pressure to spread product, team, and yourself too thin ○ Disinclination for self-assessment ● Resolution ○ Apply a context switching tax to new projects ○ Look for opportunities to rally around big wins
Ready Set Go Plan bit.ly/90dayPMPlan
Thank you!

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174 starting a new product management role at ludicrous speed (chugh and eisner)

  • 1. Starting a New Product Management Role at “Ludicrous” Speed Shobhit Chugh and Will Eisner
  • 2. Who has screwed up more?
  • 3. Why is this so hard? Executive-style challenges, often without the onboarding. It’s hard to be successful without: ● A plan supported by data and expertise ● The trust of your team and key stakeholders ● An understanding of how to get things done
  • 4. Four Common Situations New to PM Turnaround Sustaining success High Growth
  • 5. 3 Steps for Tackling Your New PM Role Ready Before joining to 4 weeks ● Assess the situation: what kind it is? ● Understand the history of the product Set ~First two months ● Build relationships ● Quick wins ● Own small processes Go Ongoing ● First big win: make sure team owns + visible 2 levels above ● Team must trust your decisions ● Start to make major changes
  • 6. Ready ● Say goodbye to your impostor syndrome ● Collect the data you’ll need (which situation are you in?) ○ Cover: product, market, biz, team ○ Be structured ● Surface urgent decisions you aren’t ready for
  • 7. Set ● You’ve got the data. Now establish your plans. ○ Product ○ Team ● Start iterating towards both. Get some wins.
  • 8. Go ● Get your first big win ○ Team must have a role to play in it ○ It must be visible two levels above ● Team trusts your decisions; you don’t have to convince everyone about every little thing ● Start to make major changes ○ Used borrowed influence ○ Team changes if necessary to make the team more productive
  • 9. Situation: No PM Ever ● PM work done part time by someone e.g., Founders, Engineering Leads, ServicesSituation Complication Resolution ● Lack of common understanding of what it truly means ● Founders unwilling to give control ● “Backlog manager” ● Ask everyone: if we look back 6 months from now, how would we know that I made a difference? ● But then form your answer based on most impactful things and set expectations
  • 10. Situation: Turnaround ● Situation ○ Product is having big problems, product market fit, product debt, tech debt, etc ○ Extended team is deeply unhappy and pointing fingers ● Complication ○ Multi-part problems can be hard to unravel and you can become paralyzed ○ All the noise and politics can slow you down ● Resolution ○ Break the problems into solvable chunks ○ Understand the messy history and move forward ○ Provide clarity of your plan and tradeoffs to stakeholders so you don’t go down with the ship
  • 11. Situation: Sustaining success ● Replacing a highly successful PM in a successful teamSituation Complication Resolution ● Big shoes to fill ● “That’s not how Jason used to do it” ● Don’t change everything at once ● Get quick, small wins ● Don’t forget what makes you awesome! ● Think Fresh; first 3 months are your window to look at things with fresh eyes and make a delta change
  • 12. Situation: High Growth ● Situation ○ You’re on a Rocket Ship! Whooo! ● Complication ○ Pressure to spread product, team, and yourself too thin ○ Disinclination for self-assessment ● Resolution ○ Apply a context switching tax to new projects ○ Look for opportunities to rally around big wins
  • 13. Ready Set Go Plan bit.ly/90dayPMPlan