280 Insider Newsletter
January, 2005
- Google AdWords Strategies: Part Four
- Working with Difficult Engineering
Teams
- SVPMA & AIPMM Product Manager's
Toolkit
- 280 Group Services
- 280 Group Product Management
Training
Google AdWords Strategies: Part Four
****************************
In the past few issues of the 280 Insider we've
covered how to effectively set up a Google AdWords campaign (see link
below for back issues). This included an overview of how AdWords works,
suggestions for minimizing the costs while maximizing results, selecting
effective and compelling keywords, optimal placement of ads and testing
strategies. In this issue we'll cover a few last topics to help you get
the most from your AdWords campaign.
NOTE: the entire 4 part series on Google AdWords Strategies is now available in a book from the 280 Group titled "Google AdWords Strategies & Tips: Powerful ideas to help minimize costs and maximize web trafffic." Click here for full details on how to optimize your AdWords campaign!
Working with Difficult
Engineering Teams
****************************
I've had the pleasure of working with some truly
world-class engineering teams over the course of my career. Many of them
created breakthrough new products and were dedicated to building what
customers really wanted. And many of them have been very rewarding to
work with as a team - they understood the value of Product Management
and bringing the voice of the customer into the process, and they were
committed to working together to bring products to market with the highest
probability of success.
Of course, some of the engineers I've worked with haven't been of this same mindset and were quite difficult to work with. Oftentimes in the past they had bad experiences with Product Managers or Marketing people who weren't straightforward with them (or were simple incompetent and didn't know what they were doing), and as a result they either didn't see the value added or weren't willing to trust and take a team approach. (Ironically many of the best engineering teams with the most brilliant engineers often end up with this attitude, becoming "Primadonnas" as a result of management telling them that they are the most critical asset of the company).
Since we all as Product Management professionals may end up working with less-than optimal engineering teams at some time, I thought I would write an article that covers some of the "Games Engineers Play". (i.e. the popular book "Games People Play"). Following are a few of my favorites - things that have happened to me and how I might deal with them differently now.
Game # 1: Redefining Alpha or Beta criteria at the last
minute
This is one of the oldest tricks in the book. The team is approaching
a critical milestone date for having the beta release ready. Management
is breathing down their neck to get the product out and not slip the schedule.
The team isn't going to make it, so what do they do? When the date comes
they go ahead and declare they have reached beta anyway. At this point
you may hear things from them like "We only have 3 fatal crashing
errors left that need to be fixed" (as if this is a good thing) or
"The two remaining features that we left out are really easy to implement,
so we decided not to hold up beta and to just slip them in before the
Golden Master final release" (as if a Beta release can be ready without
being feature-complete).
Probably the most effective technique for heading this off at the pass is to make sure that in your MRD (or PRD) and testing plans you have specific criteria defining what Alpha and Beta are. Put this in writing and get it signed, and make sure that you remind the team about it every few weeks as the project moves forward.
Some of the criteria might include the following language:
- The following required features must be implemented and working (X, Y, Z)
- All fatal bugs that crash the user's system must be fixed
- Product Management, QA and Engineering must all agree that the software is ready for beta release and sign off on it
- The product must have been tested on the following systems before beta can be declared (X, Y, Z)
- N customers must have successfully run the software for N days at their sites and must agree that the software is ready to be declared beta
- Performance must meet the following criteria for specified tasks (X, Y, Z)
The list could go on, but you get the idea. Note: the closer you get to deadline dates, the more difficult creating this list and getting agreement will be.
Game # 2: Product Management gets to choose
This is actually a common sales and negotiation tactic, but Engineers
can be masters at it too. It goes something like this. You are approaching
the Golden Master date and the team has a ton of work remaining in order
to make the release happen on schedule. Around this time you get called
in by the lead engineer, Director or VP of Engineering. They explain to
you that the release will make the date, but that they would like you
to decide which is more important, having X or Y. X or Y in this case
could be performance, key features, compatibility, full QA and testing,
or a variety of other things. But the point is that you as the Product
Manager get to make the call (of course what they are really asking for
is your blessing that not everything will be there but customers will
still find it acceptable.)
This is a difficult situation, especially if you have a team that you really work with well. You may have to sacrifice some of the hard won respect and close relationships you've worked to form with the engineers. After all, you are being put in a situation where you have to point out that they are not making their commitments (and they may be excellent engineers that you respect and enjoy working with).
The best defense in this situation is to calmly state that the release does not meet the agreed upon goals and that rather than choosing between 2 alternatives that are not at all viable for the market you need to see a plan that gets the release back on track. This probably won't go over well with your team or upper management, but someone has to stand up and be the voice of the customer. Thus is the life of a Product Manager.
Another way to deal with this situation is to turn it back around. Tell both the engineers and the management team that from your point of view there are really three choices: 1.) release a product that doesn't meet market needs 2.) miss the schedule or 3.) ask the engineers to come up with an alternative plan to remedy the situation. I've been amazed by how resourceful my teams have become when uppper management has indicated that they have to come up with a "Plan B". Remember, Engineers are master problem solvers, and they may come up with a completely new way to get the product back on track if you use this approach.
These are just a few examples. In next month's issue we'll cover some other common "Games Engineers Play" and what you as a Product Management professional can do to work around them.
280 Group Services
****************************
Short on staff, but have a long list of work to get done?
Need help with Marketing or Product Management?
Need an interim Product or Marketing Manager, Director or VP?
The 280 Group provides hand-picked, on-demand talent to assist you with defining, launching and marketing your products. Whether you have a small project that needs to get done fast or you need an entire virtual team to help make big things happen, we can help you.
We also provide special programs such as GoogleRank!
search engine optimization and Zoomerang online customer QuickSurveys.
SVPMA & AIPMM Product Manager's
Toolkit
****************************
There is still time to join the AIPMM or SVPMA and purchase the 280 Group Product Manager's Toolkit at a substantial discount!
We've partnered with the Silicon Valley Product Manager's Association (SVPMA) and the Association of International Product Marketing & Management (AIPMM) to offer their members a special discount for the 280 Group Product Manager's Toolkit.
Any member of the SVPMA or AIPMM can purchase the toolkit for only $59 (a $40 savings).
These are both great organizations to belong to, so
if you have been thinking about signing up do it now and take advantage
of the discount on the Product Manager's Toolkit.
Product Manager's Toolkit
280 Group Product Management
Training
****************************
The 280 Group is now offering Product Management Training based on the methodology and templates in the Product Manager's Toolkit:
“Strategic Product Marketing and Management™”
This course is an intensive two-day educational workshop that explores
the world of high-tech product management and product marketing. The course
is based on the PMTK™ (Product Manager's Toolkit) Action Model which
is a reference framework that outlines the process and stages of performing
and correlating product marketing tasks with product management tasks.
“Procedural Requirements Management™”
Ambiguous market requirements lead to flawed products and dissatisfied
customers. Well-defined requirements are the basis for a smooth development
process and marketplace success. This one-day course presents effective
practices that clearly identify and articulate market requirements. The
outcome is a whole Market Requirements Document that represents an intelligent
commitment to the customers.
We've partnered with Blackblot to provide these courses. Customized courses are also available as well as individual coaching for Product Managers and Marketing Managers.
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