The modern interpretation of a PM, essentially a glorified order taker, is not one I’d recommend.
Ive seen this model of the PM implemented in small 5 person startups and large 5,000 person public companies.
Ive seen this model of the PM implemented in small 5 person startups and large 5,000 person public companies.
PMs used to be different. They were excellent performers from engineering/marketing/business that caught a bigger view of what was being built and had a gut feel of what needed to be built. It seems like those folks don't have a place to go any more and we continue to beat the cross-functionalness out of folks while saying we aren't.
This to me is the ideal state. One person, most likely the lead engineer, essentially acts as what a traditional PM/PO would. They understand the deep technical and business requirements of a product.
I think this might be the only setup in which you can achieve real innovation.
A business only needs a modern PM once they’ve crested the hill. The data roles in. The PMs absorb the data, distill it into tasks, and engineers build it. It’s more of an assembly line than building a product.