The Strategy Spectrum
SUCCESS or NOT could totally depend on the area a PM chooses to focus on. Given that topic, are you sure you are operating in the right contingent as a PM? Read on to find out…
From the diaries…
It was a Friday evening (actually pretty late evening considering the time zone difference between India & USA). I got online & joined that call from my mentee, he looked totally lost, worried as he started out his narrative with a rather shaky voice, which is so unlike a product manager as one would have thought, if they came across that audio…
A detailed transcript…!
He: Well…! I am happy to share that I have cleared all rounds of interviews at this org. which is “my favorite place to work” & I have bagged that role you were helping me prepare for over the last 3 weeks, a big thank you as I may not have got there without you.
Me: awesome, well done! very happy for you
He: but I’ve got some other concerns now
Me: sure, HMU…
He: I happened to pop those questions, just as you asked me to over our previous session, and now the answers I have got have put me in a dicey situation & a spot of bother
Me: ok, go on…
He: I came to know that this is a fill-in position & I so gathered from other sources that the person who was playing this role earlier voluntarily quit as he tendered a resignation in over a span of 3 months…
I also came to know that this PM fought some really tough internal battles, took some really tough calls during his tenure but that didn’t seem to land in his favor
Me: ok, so did you question them about their expectations from your role?
He: yes, of course I almost forgot that, but when I popped the question they seem to have pretty normal expectations related to the goals, metrics, nothing came across as too extravagant
So, now that you’ve gone through this conversation, what’s the verdict?
If this had happened to you what would you do?
would you join this org. & take up the role? (or)
would you be very happy to let it pass?
The plain “YES / NO” of a decision isn’t all that important as much as a few points that ought to take superlative precedence over influencing it:
your intent over taking up the role & your ambitions
org’s expectations in finding alignment with that of the PM joining in afresh
organizational health & whether the environment seems conducive to work
system of gradation, the rewards & recognition
prospect of growth both personal & professional
“Never take a permanent decision based on emotions that are temporary”
It all boils down to “STRATEGY”!
Some food for thought…
Take a look at the world around you today and you’d see how product managers find their place over every organization... well almost! But when the perception around is that if someone bags a product role at FAANG they are deemed to be successful [but that isn’t altogether true in reality].
Success as a PM does boil down to whether or not one is operating at the most significant area of what could be termed a “Strategy Spectrum”.
No strategy is going to be super strong or rock solid as it gets formulated over the very first instance. If anything, it could be vague, which is fine given how nobody is calling it “final” and hopping on to the build stage right there and then.
Firstly, let’s go into understanding the elements that make a good strategy. If scoped well a good strategy at a very high-level ought to possess clarity over these, to qualify at a bare minimum level:
When the first bout of a strategy is formulated it is very possible that it is still VAGUE (as represented over that scale in the strategy spectrum) given the clarity missing over more than one of those 4 parameters. Sometimes the business goals seem like they are clearly defined, lending some clarity over the market segment but it may end up falling flat over the value proposition & also the lack of differentiation may not be enough to get them over the line post that first & major launch.
Going from a state of vagueness to preciseness is never a one-time exercise as it could never be possible in one sitting. And just suppose someone happened to quote that they finalized it all in one sitting, product people know what to make of it & that it ought to be taken with a grain of salt. It is only but natural that it passes through many discussions, brainstorming sessions, iterations, so as to get to a workable, feasible strategy with a stronger direction as aligned to the goals with a higher probability of success so desired over those outcomes.
But how does one ensure a head-start over that strategy?
By scoping all the contingencies over what could be possible routes teams plan to take over getting to those outcomes overlooking which result in taking “one step forward and 3 steps back”.
“If you are looking for a short-cut to success, it is sure to cut your success short”
Yes. Strategy could lead (in fact ought to lead) to contingencies earlier on & at times plenty of them which is a test of its strength. If you don’t have your plan A, B, C well measured and sorted out, you may have the situation going out of hand pretty soon, which is never a great sight, which ought to bring you to determining the strength of a STRATEGY.
Given the fact one may still be dealing with the planning stage when they are talking STRATEGY, one could look at measuring the probabilities, which could be covered over 2 major contingents:
1. PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS
This flowchart ought to explain it all when it comes to gauging the probability of success and making suitable amends, straightening out things that could turn into blockers at a later point in time.
2. PROBABILITY OF SCALE
Building fair estimations / projections to arrive at an understanding of how the product is expected to scale, to what levels & the routes that are supposed to get one there is always good to have an understanding of if possible, although one ought to be open to strategically change direction based on the insight from the market at that given instance.
