Ernie:
I have actually done this several times over for clients, bootstrapping the product management function. So here are some highlights from lessons learned over the years. One of the things to consider is your resource budget for the function. Are you hiring only a single product manager, or are you creating a department? If the latter, then you can hire both to create a team that has a wide range of skills. If you are talking about hiring a single product manager, then that is a different issue, and the short answer here is hire a seasoned product manager.
The reason why I say this is that building a product management function impacts more than just having a product manager. Not previously having one has other implications regarding process, culture, etc. These are areas that will need some adjustment, and you will need a seasoned veteran to know how to navigate the organization politics involved. The one thing the company already has is domain knowledge. What it is likely lacking is the other aspects of the product management function. A seasoned product manager doesn't necessarily need domain knowledge as they know how to harvest the tacit knowledge in an organization. The lack of domain knowledge can be an asset, as it forces the PM to ask a lot of questions, to which they will get differing answers to which they must reconcile.
Someone with domain knowledge won't ask the questions, will foster their own opinions, which may not be the best. Meanwhile they are struggle with how to address the organizational issues that gave rise to the need for a product management function. Often these people just become Product Specialist in a sales support role, which is fine, if that is what you need.
Therefore, it is important to first outline the problems and issues you are trying to address by adding product managers, and define what success look's like. That analysis should give you a clearer picture of which type of candidate you need.
Happy to discuss in more detail with you,
Dan Lewis
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Daniel E. Lewis PhD, PE, PMP, NPDP
President - Product Acuity Consulting
www.productacuity.comThe Woodlands, Texas
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-06-2019 11:34
From: Ernie Harris
Subject: Product Expert or Domain Expert
Greetings everyone. I thought I'd start off with a post about how to build a new product team in a company that has never had one before. There are so many different ways to start but one question I'm asked all the time is this:
What's more important, hiring a seasoned product manager or hiring someone with the domain knowledge you need and teaching them how to be a product manager?
What do you think?
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Ernie Harris
Founder
Interesting Blazer
St Petersburg, FL
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