The role of a product manager is pivotal, akin to that of a conductor orchestrating a symphony. This multifaceted position has steadily evolved from a mere function within teams to a central axis around which entire organizations revolve. Product management is the art and science of balancing the often-dissimilar worlds of what customers want and what engineers can do. Its job is to make sure that the products delivered meet market needs while also being technically and financially possible.

I spent 20 years in engineering and transitioned to product management four years ago. I have had a wonderful experience in this second career. A lot of what David Meyer shared resonated with me and also helped me understand some of what I experienced more deeply. Josh always knows what to share at the right time. I wanted to share the takeaways of the episode, but I encourage anyone remotely connected to product management to watch, absorb, and process the full interview.

“If you’re rocking it as a product manager, everybody thinks you suck. If sales loves you engineering hates you because you’re chasing deals and you’re not thinking about the long-term future. If engineering loves you sales hates you because you’re just doing long-term stuff and you’re never helping them close deals.”

David Meyer

David Meyer believes there is a balance between technical know-how and customer-centered approaches. He also talks about the strategic use of data, the importance of communication and leadership, and the need to keep a human connection and truth-seeking behavior as the basis for good product management and company growth.

Key Takeaways and Insights About Product Management

• Diverse professional backgrounds, especially in engineering, can provide a unique perspective in product management.
• Negative customer feedback is more valuable than positive feedback for product improvement.
• Data should inform decision-making but not dictate it; focus on metrics that reflect true customer value.
• Effective leadership requires human connection and tailored communication.
• Hiring should prioritize curiosity and truth-seeking, and scaling challenges include maintaining connections with individual contributors.
• Keep product review meetings small and ensure thorough documentation in remote settings.
• Great leaders inspire by shaping a vision of the future and balancing ambition with truth-seeking.

Tips to Grow as a Product Manager

1. Spend time using your product as your customers do. Engage with customer support to understand the issues users face and participate in user research to gain deeper insights.
2. Foster strong relationships with teams outside of product management, such as sales, marketing, customer success, and engineering. Understanding their challenges and goals can help you align the product strategy with company-wide objectives.
3. Tailor your communication to different stakeholders. For instance, engineers may need more technical details, while executives are likely interested in high-level impacts on business objectives.
4. Become proficient in interpreting data and extracting actionable insights. This means not just looking at the numbers but understanding what they mean for user behavior and business outcomes.
5. While data is critical, it’s also important to balance it with market trends and customer insights that may not be fully captured in your analytics.
6. Keep up-to-date with new technologies, methodologies, and competitive landscape shifts. This can help you anticipate changes and adapt your product strategy accordingly.
7. Regularly seek feedback on your performance and areas for growth. Find mentors or coaches who can provide guidance and challenge your thinking.

When I loaded up my podcast app on my phone this month, the app started downloading around 400 episodes of the podcasts that I missed over the year. I realized that I will never be able to catch up. I uninstalled the app, cleared the cache, unsubscribed, and started over. This time around, I am going to be deliberate with what I am going to listen to and when. I am not commuting, so now, I am listening to podcasts on walks instead of music. I have also been listening to episodes during my early morning coffee before the family wakes up. I used to watch YouTube clips sometimes deliberately, most times mindlessly.

I recommend three podcasts: Searching for SaaS, Masters of Community, and Board Game Design Lab.

Searching for SaaS

The Searching for SaaS podcast is a “fresh perspective on the stages of building a SaaS business” hosted by Josh Ho and Nate Bosscher, two founders in different stages of their SaaS journey.

Searching for Saas podcast

I enjoy listening to Josh and Nate share their thoughts on topics related to their experiences while building Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies and products. Josh and I still talk once a month after meeting over 20 years ago at an internship. Even though we talk on a regular basis, I have learned new things about Josh’s latest project, Referral Rock, and how it got off the ground. In Episode 5, Nate and Josh talk about MMVP – Minimum Minimal Viable Product. The topic came about after I listened to their first episode and I sent in some feedback. Josh shared an early story of Referral Rock and that sparked a lot of interest for me. I wanted to learn more about it and also hear Nate’s take on it. The show is evolving almost like an MVP and they are responsive to feedback. I highly recommend the Searching for SaaS and send in your questions and topic ideas.

Masters of Community with David Spinks

Community is more important than ever. The Masters of Community show brings you conversations with the top community builders, leaders, and experts in the world. Hear their stories, insights, and advice, and take your community strategy to the next level.

Masters of Community podcast

My passion is with building online communities. I have built developer and maker communities to support projects around the world. I am fascinated by community dynamics, how they grow, how they die, and how they support business. I can’t say enough about the Master of Community podcast. I look forward to new episodes and have been binging the ones that I missed since the show launched in 2020. I recommend that you start with the How To Build a Social Media Community with Matthew Kobach episode.

Board Game Design lab

The Board Game Design Lab is a community built on one central purpose: To help you design great games that people love. BDGL started its podcast in 2016 hosted by Gabe Barrett.

Board Game Design Lab podcast

I love board games and I love to design board games. I have been following Gabe since he started. He has built the largest board game design community over five years. He’s started a podcast and gave a lot of people related to the board game industry a voice, he’s released books on game design, he’s released his own games, and consistently shares what he learns as he learns it. The podcast is like clockwork and has been evolving over time. I like that he not only has game designers as guests but also has guests that support the industry, like editors, artists, and marketers. I recommend starting with the How to Market Yourself, Your Game, and Your Company with Debbie Moynihan episode. In this one, you’ll hear from Debbie Moynihan, COO of Wise Wizard Games, and learn the seven P’s of marketing.

What podcasts do you listen to?