#pm_library: “The Phoenix Project”
Time for another #pm_library review. This time I’d like to tell you about “The Phoenix Project”: an unusual book for IT professionals that can be super valuable also for product managers.
What is unique about this book? It’s not a typical summary of the research and authentic experience of working in great IT companies. It’s an exciting fiction story thanks to which we can learn all those stuff.
What is the story? Bill, an IT manager at Parts Unlimited, has been promoted (somehow against his will) to Vice President of Operations. His main task is to finish the overdue and overpaid project called “Phoenix.” The project is crucial for IT departments (as the CEO started to consider outsourcing IT works) and even for the company (competitors have a better offer and steal customers).
Bill is trying to change how the IT department works. Eccentric board member advisor Eric guides him. Following their work, we can learn many good practices for modern digital companies. Where can I see value for PMs?
We can dive into the complexity of IT department work and look for product development from their perspective. That’s why I’d recommend this book, especially for non-technical Product Managers.
We can discover that the IT team can proactively support business units. In one chapter, Bill and John interviewed Operations and Sales executives to understand their goals. They ask super-simple questions like: “Describe your best/worst day at work?”.
Product Managers can find great examples of healthy relations between tech and business colleagues. We can see how honest communication and assertiveness are important to build those.
There is a good explanation of the correlation between working in a factory and a tech company. You can read it in many books (for example, “Lean Startup” by Eric Ries). But here you’re entering the actual factory.
If you’re building digital products for a couple of years, you’ll recognize issues (with processor people) that you’re already familiar with. It’s always funny to realize that’s happening almost everywhere. Also, you might find here many tips on how to deal with them in the future.
It has been a loooong listening (more than 14h). I had to force myself to come back to it from time to time, but it was totally worth it! I think every Product Manager should read it!
FYI. I listened to the Polish translation of the book here: https://audioteka.com/pl/audiobook/projekt-feniks
