About

I am a Product Manager of software and other tech products. I love developing products that customers love using.

I like finding the intersection of:

  • the market’s needs and wants,
  • the company’s goals, and
  • the capabilities and limitations of available resources.

To me, finding the most valuable solution which fulfills each of those requirements is a puzzle that’s just begging to be solved.

People talking at a table

Understanding Customers is Key

I’m an avid fan of understanding customers. I like visiting them in person when possible, and over a video call or a phone call when it’s not. I like to understand what it is they are trying to accomplish, where our product comes into play in that effort, and where (and why) they are using other solutions. I like talking with salespeople and sales engineers to understand what objections and roadblocks they are encountering. I like to talk with customer support and understand what makes customers contact them the most often, what’s seriously wrong, and what’s misunderstood. These are all great sources of customer information virtually every company has access to.

Collaborate with Development Teams

I am a guide and a cheerleader for development teams. I like to make sure that they understand the reason for features, bug fixes, and enhancements from the customer’s perspective. I also want to be sure that I’ve expressed the business needs in a manner that makes sense from a technical perspective. I have some knowledge of software development, and that helps me empathize with the team, and make sure that the work in the backlog is reasonable and actionable, not a collection of vague desires. Making sure we all have a common understanding of what’s wanted by both the business and the team are critical to smooth development cycles.

Open Communication

I believe open two-way communication between the business and the product teams is important. Understanding the current business objectives helps make sure effort spent is in support of those objectives. And communication from the product teams means there are no surprises to the business. Keeping in sync ensures everyone is working together toward the same goals.