status:: #status/identified
up:: Product Management
tags:: #product-management #overview

Product Building Philosophies

Product-Driven

• Focus on solving problems for users.
• The PM role is to identify and write the requirements and then hand them off to engineers.
• The engineers build based on these requirements
• Pros:
  • Customer centric approach
  • Build what customer want
• Cons:
  • Lack empathy from non-customer-facing teams
• Example:
  • Amazon same day shipping

Engineering-Driven

• Focus on solving technical problems.
• Engineers build things and then hand them off to the PM.
• The PM role is to figure out the technology and bring it to the market.
• Pros:
  • Promotes technical innovation
  • Sometimes the customer doesn't know what they want.
• Cons:
  • Increases possibility that product won't resonate with the customer
• Example:
  • Google Glass

Hybrid-Driven

• PMs write the requirements, but the engineers are included in identifying the requirements. Engineers build based on the requirements, but PMs are included in engineering design.
• Pros:
  • Promotes technical innovation
  • Sometimes the customer doesn't know what they want.
• Cons:
  • Increases possibility that product won't resonate with the customer