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Should Product Managers “Change The World”?
Are we really that important?
I’ve written posts in the past where I’ve looked at quotes that relate to being a product manager and how those quotes are relevant.
One of the most frequently quoted comes from Jeff Patton.
Jeff is the founder and principal of Jeff Patton & Associates, and has been involved in creating software since the 1980s. In the late 90s and early 2000s he worked as a product leader for a small company that grew considerably and today is known as Salesforce Commerce Cloud.
The quote?
Remember, at the end of the day, your job isn’t to get the requirements right — your job is to change the world.
Isn’t this a bit much?
Are we really saying that Product Managers can change the world? I have to be honest, but after ten years working in product management, I can tell you that product managers definitely CANNOT change the world.
Product teams on the other hand, they definitely can.
The product team that worked on the iPhone. They changed the world.