Right time to jump into Product Management?
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Hey i need comments of all GURUs out there + all experienced CPians in general!! When do u feel is the right time to jump into product management related role?? Is it always a good option no matter how much experience you have? :~ Actually i am caught into fairly interesting scenario. I planned to leave the company where i have been working for last 1.5 years due to financial reasons. (yeah i have 1.5 years of exp in total) The company offered me the responsibility of Product Manager with huge salary boast and they think i am well suitable for the job. DO u think is it good to jump into product management and it will boast my career? One interesting thing is that the product manager with least exp in my company has atleast 5 years experience and i being the only guy with 1.5 years experience :confused: Another thing just for the information, they promoted me to senior software engineer after 1 year experience though the normal time is ~3 years..And now.. [Am i too smart? ;)] Muhammad Shoaib Khan
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Hey i need comments of all GURUs out there + all experienced CPians in general!! When do u feel is the right time to jump into product management related role?? Is it always a good option no matter how much experience you have? :~ Actually i am caught into fairly interesting scenario. I planned to leave the company where i have been working for last 1.5 years due to financial reasons. (yeah i have 1.5 years of exp in total) The company offered me the responsibility of Product Manager with huge salary boast and they think i am well suitable for the job. DO u think is it good to jump into product management and it will boast my career? One interesting thing is that the product manager with least exp in my company has atleast 5 years experience and i being the only guy with 1.5 years experience :confused: Another thing just for the information, they promoted me to senior software engineer after 1 year experience though the normal time is ~3 years..And now.. [Am i too smart? ;)] Muhammad Shoaib Khan
As a long-time programmer, I have successfully dodged the "Product/Project Management" career path for many years. I choose this specifically because my personality works well as a coach (agile development anyone?) rather than manage (the Big Boss). I've met great PMs with little or no programming experience and lousy PMs "promoted" from the coding rank-and-file. I think that you need to ask yourself if you feel suited for the job. Depending on the job description, you must ask
- Can I discipline/fire folks that don't perform?
- Can I step back from technical decisions and allow the coders to do their job?
- Can I spend most of my time in Microsoft Office rather than Microsoft Visual Studio?
- Can I tolerate feeling hated by some folks that just hate managers in general?
- Do I have the necessary leadership and business skills to champion the product/project?
- Do I feel comfortable telling upper-management that they just can't have something in the next development cycle or by a certain date?
I've learned these things from existing on both sides of the management wall. Regardless of your choice, I wish you the best of luck with your decision.
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Hey i need comments of all GURUs out there + all experienced CPians in general!! When do u feel is the right time to jump into product management related role?? Is it always a good option no matter how much experience you have? :~ Actually i am caught into fairly interesting scenario. I planned to leave the company where i have been working for last 1.5 years due to financial reasons. (yeah i have 1.5 years of exp in total) The company offered me the responsibility of Product Manager with huge salary boast and they think i am well suitable for the job. DO u think is it good to jump into product management and it will boast my career? One interesting thing is that the product manager with least exp in my company has atleast 5 years experience and i being the only guy with 1.5 years experience :confused: Another thing just for the information, they promoted me to senior software engineer after 1 year experience though the normal time is ~3 years..And now.. [Am i too smart? ;)] Muhammad Shoaib Khan
M.Shoaib Khan wrote:
When do u feel is the right time to jump into product management related role?? Is it always a good option no matter how much experience you have?
When you are ready for it. And only you can answer that. But you do HAVE to ask, and look at yourself, where you want to be and what you want to do before you get there. I have turned down the position twice, not sure if it will be asked again. I won't know if I will turn it down a 3rd time until (or if) the 3rd time comes. I actually like what I am doing and would miss it too much moving up. But you are the only person who knows what you will or will not miss in various positions, especially management. In fact it is more common to fast-track the people who want management roles. Not to downplay your achievement, I am sure you did quite well to move up rapidly. My best achievements are in software engeering, and probably always will. It takes a different kind of person for management. That doesn't make you necessarily smarter or better than those who stay in software engineering for life. There are 6 government contractors with 10 million in contracts each to reproduce what I have already done (at a small fraction of that) that has less to do with my skill than politics, I am enough of a realist to know that. But I have succeeded in being first to production several times now, and twice now the rest of the industry has had to play "catch-up" that at least I can own as mine. Good luck in your decision, don't forget those of us who don't move up when you do. _________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
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Hey i need comments of all GURUs out there + all experienced CPians in general!! When do u feel is the right time to jump into product management related role?? Is it always a good option no matter how much experience you have? :~ Actually i am caught into fairly interesting scenario. I planned to leave the company where i have been working for last 1.5 years due to financial reasons. (yeah i have 1.5 years of exp in total) The company offered me the responsibility of Product Manager with huge salary boast and they think i am well suitable for the job. DO u think is it good to jump into product management and it will boast my career? One interesting thing is that the product manager with least exp in my company has atleast 5 years experience and i being the only guy with 1.5 years experience :confused: Another thing just for the information, they promoted me to senior software engineer after 1 year experience though the normal time is ~3 years..And now.. [Am i too smart? ;)] Muhammad Shoaib Khan
M.Shoaib Khan wrote:
Another thing just for the information, they promoted me to senior software engineer after 1 year experience though the normal time is ~3 years..And now.. [Am i too smart? ]
Speaking personally. I enjoyed a rapid rise from junior developer to senior developer too. I then made the mistake of jumping to a management position. Firstly, I missed coding too much. Secondly, I found that whilst I was an experienced developer, I didn't have the first clue about managing projects or people. (Even after reading lots of books on the subject) And that was with 5 years of development experience. I went back to being a developer and then was lucky to work under some good managers who taught me a lot about managing development products and projects. I'm now more comfortable working as a management role, but now I've got 16+ years of experience behind me. Michael CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^] -- modified at 16:11 Wednesday 4th January, 2006
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M.Shoaib Khan wrote:
Another thing just for the information, they promoted me to senior software engineer after 1 year experience though the normal time is ~3 years..And now.. [Am i too smart? ]
Speaking personally. I enjoyed a rapid rise from junior developer to senior developer too. I then made the mistake of jumping to a management position. Firstly, I missed coding too much. Secondly, I found that whilst I was an experienced developer, I didn't have the first clue about managing projects or people. (Even after reading lots of books on the subject) And that was with 5 years of development experience. I went back to being a developer and then was lucky to work under some good managers who taught me a lot about managing development products and projects. I'm now more comfortable working as a management role, but now I've got 16+ years of experience behind me. Michael CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^] -- modified at 16:11 Wednesday 4th January, 2006
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Hey i need comments of all GURUs out there + all experienced CPians in general!! When do u feel is the right time to jump into product management related role?? Is it always a good option no matter how much experience you have? :~ Actually i am caught into fairly interesting scenario. I planned to leave the company where i have been working for last 1.5 years due to financial reasons. (yeah i have 1.5 years of exp in total) The company offered me the responsibility of Product Manager with huge salary boast and they think i am well suitable for the job. DO u think is it good to jump into product management and it will boast my career? One interesting thing is that the product manager with least exp in my company has atleast 5 years experience and i being the only guy with 1.5 years experience :confused: Another thing just for the information, they promoted me to senior software engineer after 1 year experience though the normal time is ~3 years..And now.. [Am i too smart? ;)] Muhammad Shoaib Khan
M.Shoaib Khan wrote:
When do u feel is the right time to jump into product management related role??
Do you enjoy working with customers, analyzing trends and evaluating the competition? Do you have sufficient experience in accurately weighing the costs and benefits of choosing a feature set? Are you intimately familiar with the type of product your company develops? If your answers to any of these questions isn't an emphatic "yes", I recommend you not venture into a product management role at this time. I've been developing commercial software for slightly more than 20 years and can honestly say the only time I ventured into product management was when I managed the development of my own product (at my own company). That was an enjoyable experience, but I wouldn't want to (and don't) work in product management in any company I work for. Hope this helps! /ravi My new year's resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Music | Articles | Freeware | Trips ravib(at)ravib(dot)com
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oh you scared me man! I would love to personally meet anyone with so much experience. U must be damm good developer as well as manager with this much experience. thanks for your advice.
M.Shoaib Khan wrote:
oh you scared me man! I would love to personally meet anyone with so much experience. U must be damm good developer as well as manager with this much experience.
I have 12 years experience (since 1994) of programming and I have to say I haven't yet started to actually do programming for my work. I am still a student. Anyway, if I were given the chance, I would look on it as a personal development opportunity... And besides, you say you were ready to leave the company for financial reasons, and now you have a huge boost in salary? C'mon man, make more money so you can get more computers at home, or a hot car...I would so like to make more $$$ than now... but I am staying and completing my phd because I personally finish what I start... Sincerely Yours, Brian Hart Department of Physics and Astronomy University of California, Irvine
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Hey i need comments of all GURUs out there + all experienced CPians in general!! When do u feel is the right time to jump into product management related role?? Is it always a good option no matter how much experience you have? :~ Actually i am caught into fairly interesting scenario. I planned to leave the company where i have been working for last 1.5 years due to financial reasons. (yeah i have 1.5 years of exp in total) The company offered me the responsibility of Product Manager with huge salary boast and they think i am well suitable for the job. DO u think is it good to jump into product management and it will boast my career? One interesting thing is that the product manager with least exp in my company has atleast 5 years experience and i being the only guy with 1.5 years experience :confused: Another thing just for the information, they promoted me to senior software engineer after 1 year experience though the normal time is ~3 years..And now.. [Am i too smart? ;)] Muhammad Shoaib Khan
You know it's an interesting path you describe. A few things I might ask (if I were you).
- How old is this project and how many have managed it before you?
- What happened to the previous manager(s)? Why are they no longer managing and are they still in the company?
- Is this an internal or external project?
- How old is the project and is the language it was written in still the appropriate choice for it?
- How many developers would you be working with and over-seeing?
- Why (and be honest with yourself) did the company choose an under experienced developer (you) to manage the product?
- Do you think the company selecting you to manage the product is a good choice for the company and for the product?
- Of the developers you will be managing how many have been there longer than you and will they resent you for moving past them?
- Where (and again be honest with yourself) did product management fit into your career path or did it? Were you thinking that's where you wanted to go all along?
- Do you have other skills or traits outside of development that make you a better fit for the job than your peers? Would your peers agree?
- If your peers had to select a PM from among themselves do you think they would select you? Do you think you'd even be a choice?
- How old are you? If you are less then 30 then I gotta be honest. Despite what you may think you are probably to young unless you are an extremely remarkable person.
I think you are stepping into a potentially soupy mess. Answer those questions and answer them carefully. If I'm the first chance you've had to consider those questions then that should reflect upon your decision. Project management is less "project" and more "people" management and you had better be able to read people well if you want to succede.
I'm not trying to rain on your fortune. I'm instead wanting to ask the tough questions that will make or break this whole experience for you. You really have a lot to think about and I'll be the first to say (so far) money is not everything. In fact what you'll learn is that it's nice but hating your job carries no price it's just hell. Good luck!
- Rex
Some assembly required. Code-frog System Architects, Inc.
-- modified at 23:00 Wednesday 4th January, 20
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You know it's an interesting path you describe. A few things I might ask (if I were you).
- How old is this project and how many have managed it before you?
- What happened to the previous manager(s)? Why are they no longer managing and are they still in the company?
- Is this an internal or external project?
- How old is the project and is the language it was written in still the appropriate choice for it?
- How many developers would you be working with and over-seeing?
- Why (and be honest with yourself) did the company choose an under experienced developer (you) to manage the product?
- Do you think the company selecting you to manage the product is a good choice for the company and for the product?
- Of the developers you will be managing how many have been there longer than you and will they resent you for moving past them?
- Where (and again be honest with yourself) did product management fit into your career path or did it? Were you thinking that's where you wanted to go all along?
- Do you have other skills or traits outside of development that make you a better fit for the job than your peers? Would your peers agree?
- If your peers had to select a PM from among themselves do you think they would select you? Do you think you'd even be a choice?
- How old are you? If you are less then 30 then I gotta be honest. Despite what you may think you are probably to young unless you are an extremely remarkable person.
I think you are stepping into a potentially soupy mess. Answer those questions and answer them carefully. If I'm the first chance you've had to consider those questions then that should reflect upon your decision. Project management is less "project" and more "people" management and you had better be able to read people well if you want to succede.
I'm not trying to rain on your fortune. I'm instead wanting to ask the tough questions that will make or break this whole experience for you. You really have a lot to think about and I'll be the first to say (so far) money is not everything. In fact what you'll learn is that it's nice but hating your job carries no price it's just hell. Good luck!
- Rex
Some assembly required. Code-frog System Architects, Inc.
-- modified at 23:00 Wednesday 4th January, 20
code-frog wrote:
Why are they no longer managing and are they still in the company.
Excellent question. Christian Graus - Microsoft MVP - C++
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You know it's an interesting path you describe. A few things I might ask (if I were you).
- How old is this project and how many have managed it before you?
- What happened to the previous manager(s)? Why are they no longer managing and are they still in the company?
- Is this an internal or external project?
- How old is the project and is the language it was written in still the appropriate choice for it?
- How many developers would you be working with and over-seeing?
- Why (and be honest with yourself) did the company choose an under experienced developer (you) to manage the product?
- Do you think the company selecting you to manage the product is a good choice for the company and for the product?
- Of the developers you will be managing how many have been there longer than you and will they resent you for moving past them?
- Where (and again be honest with yourself) did product management fit into your career path or did it? Were you thinking that's where you wanted to go all along?
- Do you have other skills or traits outside of development that make you a better fit for the job than your peers? Would your peers agree?
- If your peers had to select a PM from among themselves do you think they would select you? Do you think you'd even be a choice?
- How old are you? If you are less then 30 then I gotta be honest. Despite what you may think you are probably to young unless you are an extremely remarkable person.
I think you are stepping into a potentially soupy mess. Answer those questions and answer them carefully. If I'm the first chance you've had to consider those questions then that should reflect upon your decision. Project management is less "project" and more "people" management and you had better be able to read people well if you want to succede.
I'm not trying to rain on your fortune. I'm instead wanting to ask the tough questions that will make or break this whole experience for you. You really have a lot to think about and I'll be the first to say (so far) money is not everything. In fact what you'll learn is that it's nice but hating your job carries no price it's just hell. Good luck!
- Rex
Some assembly required. Code-frog System Architects, Inc.
-- modified at 23:00 Wednesday 4th January, 20
code-frog wrote:
Where (and again be honest with yourself) did product management fit into your career path or did it? Were you thinking that's where you wanted to go all along?
i wanna be GURU both technically and in the long run make a lot of money
code-frog wrote:
How old are you? If you are less then 30 then I gotta be honest. Despite what you may think you are probably to young unless you are an extremely remarkable person.
I am just 23 ;) All other PMs are ~ 28-30
code-frog wrote:
Of the developers you will be managing how many have been there longer than you and will they resent you for moving past them?
Yup 1 of them is more senior to me
code-frog wrote:
How old is the project and is the language it was written in still the appropriate choice for it?
6 years, C++ i think still appropriate language :)
code-frog wrote:
How many developers would you be working with and over-seeing?
3 developers
code-frog wrote:
Why (and be honest with yourself) did the company choose an under experienced developer (you) to manage the product?
Because no body has more grip on that module..if i leave it will take company hell lot of time to train a new guy on that module Product is 6 years old but still not in the market, at the moment 5 ppl are managing it all having >5 years experience
code-frog wrote:
What happened to the previous manager(s)? Why are they no longer managing and are they still in the company?
So far no manager has left the company, i would be given a new module
code-frog wrote:
Is this an internal or external project?
Internal Product Muhammad Shoaib Khan http://geocities.com/lansolution
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code-frog wrote:
Where (and again be honest with yourself) did product management fit into your career path or did it? Were you thinking that's where you wanted to go all along?
i wanna be GURU both technically and in the long run make a lot of money
code-frog wrote:
How old are you? If you are less then 30 then I gotta be honest. Despite what you may think you are probably to young unless you are an extremely remarkable person.
I am just 23 ;) All other PMs are ~ 28-30
code-frog wrote:
Of the developers you will be managing how many have been there longer than you and will they resent you for moving past them?
Yup 1 of them is more senior to me
code-frog wrote:
How old is the project and is the language it was written in still the appropriate choice for it?
6 years, C++ i think still appropriate language :)
code-frog wrote:
How many developers would you be working with and over-seeing?
3 developers
code-frog wrote:
Why (and be honest with yourself) did the company choose an under experienced developer (you) to manage the product?
Because no body has more grip on that module..if i leave it will take company hell lot of time to train a new guy on that module Product is 6 years old but still not in the market, at the moment 5 ppl are managing it all having >5 years experience
code-frog wrote:
What happened to the previous manager(s)? Why are they no longer managing and are they still in the company?
So far no manager has left the company, i would be given a new module
code-frog wrote:
Is this an internal or external project?
Internal Product Muhammad Shoaib Khan http://geocities.com/lansolution
Well that makes more sense then.
Will you still be doing development then? Sounds like you'll be one of the keystone developers and that your project management is going to be "hands-on". What you describe doesn't sound to bad. You put it in a different context then what I was thinking so I guess my questions were beneficial for me at least. :) I don't see any cons to it. Seems like you will still be cutting code as well as piloting so that's cool. I've done that before and that's a lot of fun (:doh: What am I saying? Now that I'm self-employed that's all I do. :) hehehe ).
If what I've said above is *about* right then I say go for it.:rose:
Some assembly required. Code-frog System Architects, Inc.
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Well that makes more sense then.
Will you still be doing development then? Sounds like you'll be one of the keystone developers and that your project management is going to be "hands-on". What you describe doesn't sound to bad. You put it in a different context then what I was thinking so I guess my questions were beneficial for me at least. :) I don't see any cons to it. Seems like you will still be cutting code as well as piloting so that's cool. I've done that before and that's a lot of fun (:doh: What am I saying? Now that I'm self-employed that's all I do. :) hehehe ).
If what I've said above is *about* right then I say go for it.:rose:
Some assembly required. Code-frog System Architects, Inc.
I would not be as much actively involved in development as before but to some extent. Thanks for your advise. I have accepted the offer. :) Muhammad Shoaib Khan http://geocities.com/lansolution
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I would not be as much actively involved in development as before but to some extent. Thanks for your advise. I have accepted the offer. :) Muhammad Shoaib Khan http://geocities.com/lansolution
M.Shoaib Khan wrote:
Thanks for your advise. I have accepted the offer.
Keep us informed on how you get one. I think it would make for a wonderful series of articles as you learn about your new job and how you deal with the problems you face. Michael CP Blog [^] Development Blog [^]
