Your developers can’t build your products
Everyone’s talking about the designer-developer gap, what about the product manager-development one?
Introduction
In recent years, the discourse around the designer-developer gap has been quite pronounced. This is the chasm that exists when designers envision a product and developers bring it to life, often leading to communication issues and inconsistencies in the final output. But a less-discussed, yet equally significant rift exists: the product manager-development gap. This article delves deep into understanding this emerging concern and its implications for the modern tech industry.
Understanding the Roles
“Product management is above all else a business function, focused on maximizing business value from a product”
Product managers, or PMs as often referred to, don’t just manage a product; they breathe life into it. Product managers set the direction, decide on the key features, and ensure that every decision aligns with the company’s goals. Their core strategic responsibility involves identifying potential market opportunities and sculpting products that meet customer demands while being congruent with the company’s larger vision. However, as any seasoned PM would vouch, it’s not all about high-level strategizing. They frequently work hands-on, facilitating communication across teams to maintain a consistent product vision and bridge any gaps that arise
On the other side of this spectrum are developers. If PMs are the dreamers, developers are the architects and builders, making those dreams a tangible reality. Their primary responsibility is not just turning the visions of PMs into tangible, functional products but also translating client or stakeholder requirements into actionable tasks that the design and development teams can understand and execute. Every line of code they write, and every test they run, ensures the product’s foundation is solid and resilient.
“To build great products, you must bridge the gap between product management and development.” — Pragmatic Institute
This speaks to developers’ collaborative responsibility. They’re not isolated coders but collaborators who frequently engage with designers, PMs, and even sometimes with customers, to guarantee that the product isn’t just technically sound, but holistically coherent and user-friendly.
The synergy between PMs and developers is analogous to that of a writer and editor in literature. An author might pen down a brilliant narrative, but it’s the editor who ensures clarity, coherence, and feasibility in the story, refining it for the readers. In the tech realm, renowned companies like Apple have shown the world what’s possible when this synergy is optimal. Steve Jobs, with his product vision, and his team of developers with their technical prowess, collaborated to create products that were not just innovative but also technically superior.
However, the magic truly happens only when the two roles merge seamlessly.
Consider a PM proposing a groundbreaking feature. When discussed with developers, they point out its technical issues. Because of this early feedback, the team sidesteps a feature that could have disappointed users. This highlights the need for PMs and developers to collaborate closely. Such teamwork not only preserves product quality but also ensures that only well-thought-out features get launched.
The Emergence of the Product Manager-Developer Gap
In the fast-paced world of tech startups, there's a quiet issue growing: the growing distance between product managers (PMs) and developers. It's easy to miss, but its impact is significant.
As companies and their visions grew larger, the roles and responsibilities became more segmented. The tech world’s insatiable hunger for specialization inadvertently contributed to a growing chasm.
“The product manager is generally considered the ‘CEO’ of a product, but without understanding what it takes to build a product, the CEO title becomes a bit superfluous.”
This highlights the crux of the issue. Product managers, while tasked with vision and strategy, often drift from the nitty-gritty of the technical execution. Conversely, developers, entrenched in lines of code and system architecture, might lose sight of the broader market vision.
Historically, one could pinpoint the beginning of this disconnect when businesses began to scale rapidly, particularly with the dot-com boom and the subsequent rise of tech giants. As roles became more specialized, the strategic thinkers (PMs) and the executors (developers) started working in silos. While specialization drove expertise, it also brought with it the unintended consequence of misunderstandings.
During the dot-com boom, businesses grew quickly, leading to more specialized roles. This meant product managers, planners, developers, the builders, started working more separately. While this helped in sharpening their skills, it also caused communication gaps. As companies continued to evolve, this gap between planning and building only grew, making it harder for them to create products that truly matched their vision.
Reflecting on real-life scenarios, tech behemoths have occasionally missed the mark in this area.
Consider Google Wave, a product launched in 2009 with much fanfare. It promised to revolutionize communication, blending email, instant messaging, wikis, and social networking. Yet, it was shelved just a year later. On paper, the concept sounded groundbreaking. However, the execution was cumbersome and not user-friendly. Similarly, Microsoft’s Windows 8, though innovative, faced criticism for its dual-interface design which confused many users. Both examples allude to potential misalignment between product vision and technical execution.
The fallout from this gap isn’t merely anecdotal. It has quantifiable impacts on businesses. Products might be delayed due to constant back-and-forth, and when they do launch, they might not resonate with the market needs. Worse still, they might be riddled with technical flaws, tarnishing the brand’s reputation and trust with its user base.
Identifying the Gap
In product development, the bond between a Product Manager (PM) and a developer is the linchpin of success. Yet, there are unmistakable signs when this critical alliance starts to waver. Let’s explore these red flags.
Lack of technical acumen:
Perhaps the most palpable symptom of the PM-developer gap is the frequent occurrence of miscommunication.
“Without understanding what it takes to build a product, the PM’s vision can be skewed.”
An illustrative example that underscores the importance of technical knowledge for PMs involves the seemingly “simple” request of integrating real-time translations into an app. A novice PM, lacking in technical experience, might view this as a straightforward addition. However, such a feature involves technical complexities and requires significant resources. This oversight, commonly seen among new PMs, can leave developers feeling overwhelmed and undervalued. It underscores the importance of PMs having some grounding in technical realities, ensuring they set realistic expectations and demands.
Delays in Product Development:
A ripple effect of the aforementioned miscommunication is the constant need for revisions.
“Misalignments in understanding can lead to extensive reworks and thus, delayed launches.”
Imagine a situation where a PM envisions integrating an AI-based recommendation system. However, due to miscommunication or a lack of detail, developers interpret this as adding a host of unnecessary features. This misalignment results in a need for code refactoring, which isn’t just about making edits. It involves restructuring and potentially rewriting sections of the codebase. This process not only pushes back deployment schedules but also poses risks of introducing new bugs, thereby further delaying the push to production
Divergence in Product Vision and Execution:
An alarming consequence of the PM-developer gap is when the final product doesn’t mirror the initial vision. This isn’t just about differing perceptions; it’s about a tangible disconnect between what was envisioned versus what was executed.
Think back to the ambitious launch of Microsoft’s Windows Vista. The PMs at Microsoft had envisioned a revolutionary operating system with a plethora of new features, enhanced security, and a completely redesigned user interface. Yet, when Vista hit the market, it was met with significant criticism. Despite its grand promises, many found the system to be underwhelming. Not only were some features missing or half-baked, but the system also had compatibility issues and demanded high system requirements. This is a prime example of a gap between a PM’s vision and a developer’s execution. What was promised as a groundbreaking product, ended up disappointing many users due to its failure to deliver on its promises effectively.
Diminished Product Quality:
“A product’s quality is not just about bug-free software; it’s about its alignment with market needs.”
Without transparent and clear communication, there’s room for not just errors, but also for essential features to be overlooked or poorly executed.
Think about all the apps that promised easy use, but instead, users faced confusing designs or missed essential features. These issues often show there’s a big communication problem during the app’s creation.
The Root Causes of the Product Manager-Developer Gap
Bridging the gap between product managers and their development teams is pivotal for the creation of exceptional products.
“To build great products, product managers need to bridge the gap between themselves and their development teams.”
This sentiment underscores the need for a harmonious and understanding relationship between these two critical roles.
One of the primary issues fueling this gap is the inherently different priorities and objectives of both parties.
Product Managers are focused on the Objectives
With their pulse on market trends, PMs are often laser-focused on ensuring that the product aligns with the market needs, customer pain points, and business objectives. They envision a product that will stand out in the market and create a significant impact.
While developers are focused on the technicalities…
On the other hand, developers, armed with technical expertise, aim to ensure feasibility, performance, and scalability. They look at the PM’s vision through the lens of technical viability and often grapple with constraints that PMs might not be privy to. For instance, a PM might envision a feature based on market research, but developers might find it challenging to integrate due to existing technological constraints.
Communication barriers further exacerbate this rift
Often, the jargon used by developers sounds foreign to product managers. A developer’s mention of “API constraints” or “backend limitations” might be crucial technical information, but to a PM, it might sound like unnecessary complexity. On the flip side, when PMs discuss “market dynamics” or “user personas,” developers might struggle to see its direct relevance to the product’s code.
A report from ProductPlan once highlighted how misunderstandings caused by technical jargon could derail a project’s timeline and objectives. Such linguistic mismatches often lead to assumptions, which can be detrimental to product development.
Regular and structured communication is the lifeblood of product development. Yet, it’s surprising how many teams lack this rhythm, resulting in a divergence of vision and execution. Without consistent check-ins, a developer might proceed down a path that veers away from the PM’s original vision, leading to wasted time and resources.
Lack of shared empathy
A profound cause for this disconnect is the Lack of shared understanding or empathy between the two roles. Developers might feel that PMs throw ambitious features at them without understanding the technical complexities involved. Conversely, PMs might feel that developers are overly cautious or slow, without fully grasping the urgency driven by market pressures or competitive landscapes.
Dropbox is a relevant example that illustrates the dynamics of product vision and technical execution. When Dropbox Paper, their collaborative workspace tool, was launched, it was poised to compete with giants like Google Docs. Dropbox’s PMs saw the potential of entering the real-time collaboration arena. However, its early versions faced several technical glitches and performance issues. Users experienced problems with real-time syncing, which was the product’s main selling point. While the intent behind Dropbox Paper was forward-thinking and filled a gap in the market, the execution initially fell short. It was a stark reminder that visionary product management needs to be complemented with rigorous development work.
Additionally, the gap between PMs and developers can be attributed to the PM’s occasional lack of technical depth, leading to proposals that may be technically challenging or unrealistic. On the flip side, developers might face constraints due to the size or technical capabilities of their team, potentially hindering the realization of a PM’s vision. Such discrepancies amplify the imperative for enhanced collaboration and mutual understanding.
Similarly a gap between Designers and Developers exists too
Conclusion
“The primary job is to be an expert on market problems… that exists to ensure the product actually gets built.” — Pendo
This article shed light on the crucial PM-developer gap, a persisting challenge with ramifications that ripple through the tech industry, often manifesting as compromised products and business pitfalls. It is imperative — a call to arms if you will — for both PMs and developers to invest in mutual understanding and fortify their collaboration. In doing so, not only will they bridge this divide, but they’ll also set the stage for products that resonate more deeply with users, ensuring a brighter, more innovative future in the tech landscape.
Written by: Inchara, kubo media team.
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