How to Supercharge Your Team by Divorcing Product from Project Management. Created & Presented by Jordan Bergtraum. Visual Design by Tremis Skeete

1. How to Supercharge
Your Team by
Divorcing Product
from
Project Management

2. Presented by Jordan Bergtraum
Presentation Visual Design by Tremis Skeete

3. Who is Jordan Bergtraum?

4. Who is Jordan Bergtraum?
10+ years of B2B SaaS experience

5. 7 years leading
Product Management teams
Who is Jordan Bergtraum?

6. Who is Jordan Bergtraum?
Education, Pharma, Legal, and
Facilities Management

7. Who is Jordan Bergtraum?
Market research, product marketing,
product design, product delivery

8. Who is Jordan Bergtraum?
Responsible for Product & Project
Management simultaneously

9. What to expect
from this
presentation?

10. “Product Management” vs “Project Management”

11. “Product Management” vs “Project Management”
exemplify to your leadership there is a problem

12. “Product Management” vs “Project Management”
exemplify to your leadership there is a problem
articulate the impact

13. “Product Management” vs “Project Management”
exemplify to your leadership there is a problem
articulate the impact
suggest Solutions

14. “Product Management” vs “Project Management”
exemplify to your leadership there is a problem
articulate the impact
suggest Solutions
maintain separate high performing functions

15. PM vs PM
“Product Management” vs “Project Management”

16. “Product Management” vs “Project Management”
Critical Product Management Outcomes:
• Building the right ”thing”

17. “Product Management” vs “Project Management”
Critical Product Management Outcomes:
• Building the right ”thing”
• Build the thing “right”

18. Critical Project Management Outcomes:
• On-time delivery
“Product Management” vs “Project Management”

19. Critical Project Management Outcomes:
• On-time delivery
• High quality
“Product Management” vs “Project Management”

20. Critical Project Management Outcomes:
• On-time delivery
• High quality
• Business Readiness
“Product Management” vs “Project Management”

21. Potential Gray Areas

22. One person managing Project and Product is a problem

23. Would you hire 1 person to take on both?...

24. Would you hire 1 person to take on both…
Accounting & Sales?

25. Would you hire 1 person to take on both…
HR & Engineering?

26. Would you hire 1 person
to take on both…
Design &
Manufacture
the Tesla?

27. Project & Product are just as different

28. Project & Product are just as different
Different skills
Different experience
Different discipline

29. So why combine Product and Project?

30. What is the impact?

31. Most people don’t excel at both

32. Those that do are
“Product Unicorns”

33. What would you tackle first?

34. Answer an engineer’s question
vs
Have a conversation with a thought leader?

35. Learn about your
competition
vs
Ensure legal has updated
the Terms & Conditions?

36. Talk to sales about a recent loss
vs
Help QA finish testing?

37. Tactics (Project) will take priority over strategy (Product)

38. Product vision suffers. Badly.

39. Solution 1: Lean on Engineering Leaders

40. Let engineering take more ownership of Project

41. Pro:
80% of delivery is on Eng & QA

42. Con:
Eng / QA may not be great at Project

43. Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

44. Get buy in

45. Few people master both ->
Get buy in:

46. Few people master both -> Both suffer
Get buy in:

47. Few people master both -> Both suffer
Project > Product ->
Get buy in:

48. Few people master both -> Both suffer
Project > Product -> Strategy Suffers
Get buy in:

49. Assess the current team

50. • Roadmapping
• Requirements Authoring
• Design
• Timelines
• Resources
Assess the current team
Skills & interest in:
• Scope
• Customer Inquiries
• Business Readiness
• Proper Handoffs
• Removing Barriers

51. Needs may not align with the assessment
Assess the current team

52. Hiring may be necessary
Assess the current team

53. Create two distinct functions

54. #1 Build the teams: Phased Approach
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

55. #1 Build the teams: Phased Approach
Phase 1: Use current management
• Assess
• Assign
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

56. #1 Build the teams: Phased Approach
Phase 1: Use current management
• Assess
• Assign
Phase 2: Develop distinct leaders
• Re-assess
• Hire / realign
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

57. #1 Build the teams: Phased Approach
Pro: Reduces culture shock
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

58. #1 Build the teams: Phased Approach
Pro: Reduces culture shock
Con: Initial assessment may be weaker
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

59. #2 Build the teams: Separate First
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

60. #2 Build the teams: Separate First
1. Create distinct leaders
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

61. #2 Build the teams: Separate First
1. Create distinct leaders
2. Assess
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

62. #2 Build the teams: Separate First
1. Create distinct leaders
2. Assess
3. Assign
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

63. #2 Build the teams: Separate First
1. Create distinct leaders
2. Assess
3. Assign
4. Hire
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

64. #2 Build the teams: Separate First
Pro: Better assessment
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

65. #2 Build the teams: Separate First
Pro: Better assessment
Con: Increase culture shock
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

66. #3 Build the teams: From the Outset
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

67. #3 Build the teams: From the Outset
• Be clear on differentiation
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

68. #3 Build the teams: From the Outset
• Be clear on differentiation
• Identify the “real needs”
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

69. #3 Build the teams: From the Outset
• Be clear on differentiation
• Identify the “real needs”
• Create job descriptions
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

70. #3 Build the teams: From the Outset
• Be clear on differentiation
• Identify the “real needs”
• Create job descriptions
• Be able to assess candidates
Solution 2: Create two distinct functions

71. Maintaining high performing Product & Project teams

72. Ensure responsibilities are understood

73. RACI
Roles and Responsibilities
Matrix

74. Duplication over gaps

75. Mutual respect

76. Socialize responsibilities and value

77. Summary

78. Problem
• Not getting “A” level product & project
• Tactics supersedes strategy

79. Problem
• Not getting “A” level product & project
• Tactics supersedes strategy
Solution
• Separate the functions
• Right people for the right job

80. Problem
• Not getting “A” level product & project
• Tactics supersedes strategy
Solution
• Separate the functions
• Right people for the right job
Results
• optimized output
• increase in strategy

81. Any questions?

82. Special thanks to:
LIFION.com nexTierinnovations.com