\u2026sometimes you start reading something and realize the author is making one of 3 big dumb assumptions.<\/p>\n
From April, 18th newsletter<\/p>\n
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1. The first is that every company is digital and using Agile.<\/b><\/p>\n
OK, yes, a huge number of companies are but there are still lots of companies that don\u2019t make their living from software products. Maybe they deliver services or have physical products. Maybe their product is a mix of hardware, software and services.<\/p>\n
And I often see a default assumption that their reader will be using Agile.<\/p>\n
Yes, Agile is huge and important and so we spend time looking at the implications for product managers on our training courses. But I also know from our industry survey and discussions with senior product managers that many companies still use Waterfall some of the time and pure Agile is not the answer to everything \u2013 no matter what Development tell you.<\/p>\n
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2. The second is that if <\/b>G<\/b>oogle, <\/b>A<\/b>pple or <\/b>F<\/b>acebook does something then it must be right for everyone else. <\/b><\/p>\n
Of course, these star companies<\/b> are doing something very right or they wouldn\u2019t be so successful, but they also have very deep pockets. They can afford to make lots of mistakes that the rest of us can\u2019t risk.<\/p>\n
They also all have a strong consumer focus which can mean very different challenges compared to those of us working in B2B.<\/p>\n
And, so whether it\u2019s their business model, HR strategy, customer responsiveness or product management \u2013 whatever the author wants to justify is claimed as a key reason for their success.<\/p>\n
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3. The third is that it\u2019s all about start-ups. <\/b><\/p>\n
That\u2019s where it\u2019s happening, that\u2019s where all the hype is, that\u2019s why this time next year we\u2019ll all be millionaires!<\/p>\n
Yes, start-ups are exciting (I know I\u2019ve worked in a couple). But the truth is that most start-ups become successful when they\u2019re bought by a big mature business or when they grow into a mature business themselves. The dream of being a Silicon Valley Billionaire sells papers, magazines and films but let\u2019s get real here \u2013 many start-ups fail before they hit the big time.<\/p>\n
On our training courses we see product managers from companies of all shapes and sizes, but all align with our\u00a0focus on technology-based products.<\/p>\n
So, yes we get a lot of delegates from software companies, some from star companies and some from start-ups looking to set-up product management. And their feedback is always great. But we also get people from a huge variety of other industries \u2026 from Finance to Automotive, Life Sciences to Manufacturing, Telecoms to Electronics. We have learned that 90% of what we cover applies to them all.<\/p>\n
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Ian Lunn<\/p>\n