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On Mon, 2005-07-18 at 18:09 -0700, Amanda A wrote:
> When you say lifecycle do you mean the lifecycle of the features for a
> product... like "In this build, we do X, next build we do Y, and in the
> third build we realize Z?"
Yes, that's it. A product manager may also have a lot of input into when
a product is retired and what replaces it.
> The organization is so small I do't thing there is the additional layer of
> project managers. There is a director of program management, and then there
> are 4 positions for program managers below that.
In a small company, product and project managers are sometimes the same
position. Sometimes, too, a senior programmer informally takes over
project management.
> Good advice, but in the short term, how do you make yourself productive?
I'd start by:
- Developing or learning the life cycle plans for the product.
- Learning as much as possible about customer reactions.
- Evaluating how marketing and development interact.
- Learning about competitive products.
In each of these areas, I'd look closely for suggestions about how to
improve what's being done. It's always a good idea to find some small
accomplishment in a new position as soon as possible, so you can prove
your worth.
For example, if you find that nobody has been keeping track of customer
reactions, gather customer reactions yourself or put the scattered bits
of commentary that exist throughout the company together. Then give a
presentation on the subject. Similarly, you might produce a competitive
analysis to identify the product's main advantages.
Depending on the company, there may be other things you can do, too. For
example, if a company produces a retail box, then you should know the
manufacturing process: who produces the box and the manual, who
assembles them, and who stores the finished products. Manufacturing and
storage is often expensive, so you might want to look around for ways to
reduce costs.
Obviously, you want to exercise diplomacy, and not do anything too
hasty. But, in general, you need to know the realities of the product
that you're dealing with from every angle possible.
--
Bruce Byfield 604-421.7177 http://members.axion.net/~bbyfield
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