Why do people hate product managers?
Here are five common sins committed by product managers, and how to reverse them
I was scrolling through Blind and saw this spicy rant:
How is a single job so glamorized and maligned at the same time?
Curious about the paradox, I surveyed friends about their experience with PMs. I received a long, humbling list of things PMs do that land them on people’s shit list. As a former PM no longer drinking the kool-aid, I see the wisdom of their words.
Let’s cover 5 common sins and how to reverse them. By the end, you’ll see that these behaviors can trap the best of us, PM or not.
Sin #1: Overstepper
Owen has a CS degree and spends his free time in Figma. He’s the perfect PM on paper, but can end up a disaster in reality. Owen’s kryptonite is his belief that he knows best. More often than not, Owen has an inflated view of his circle of competence. He regularly oversteps into the role of engineer / designer.
This can be a strength at a tiny startup, but quickly turns into a liability as the company grows. To scale up, Owen has to learn to give suggestions instead of instructions.
- Suggestion: How did you pick X over say, Y or Z for this?
