"Gentlemen, we're going to have a sales contest. First prize is a new car. Second prize is a knife set. Third prize is you're fired." - From the movie Glengary Glenross
"There are no bad group product managers, just group product managers that make bad decisions and then get fired." - Ben Horowitz
Group Product Manager is the most important non-executive position in a software company. In fact, it is more important and has higher impact on the company than many executive posts. A failed product can sink the company. A successful product can literally redefine the course of the business. Nobody is more responsible or more accountable for a product than the Group Product Manager. As a result, the job is characterized by massive success, massive failure, and little in between. Most GPMs are either promoted or end up leaving the company or being assigned to less hazardous duty within a short period of time.
Everyone wants to be a Good Group Product Manager, but relatively few succeed. What are the keys to success? What are the keys to failure? Read on...