The life of a product manager is probably the loneliest of any role within software development.
I see it as the firewall between the business/users and the team delivering (development, QA, DevOps).
Trying to configure a security firewall to allow enough traffic to flow (in either direction!) is an art and the same goes for a Product Manager. The perpetual task of balancing feature requests against a roadmap and a vision whilst allowing innovation to thrive in an autonomous agile environment can be like playing archery in a foggy beehive.
You can never keep all the people happy all the time. The more you try, the more one individual will become the least happy. That person should be the most important person. You.
The satisfaction from being on a high, on the peak, (launch day!!) will inevitably have been preceded by a dark, dank, place. The inevitable pressures of a deadline you had no control over.
All fingers and eyes inevitably point at the product manager, accompanied by the why’s.
Your health both mental and physical can if left unchecked take a beating when it should take a higher precedence than anything.
Being able to control the pressure is essential. Finding a (healthy) release mechanism which may mean saying no. Taking a short break. Going for a walk at a critical time is not weak. It’s not failing. It’s not being incapable or incompetent.
I have found myself in some very dark places both personally and professionally over the years. On occasion I have not seen the dawn on the horizon.
But I believe so strongly in the phrase that it is the darkest just before the dawn. Seeing the first shades of light on the eastern sky shows you got through. The resilience from the experience and the lessons learnt are invaluable.
Failure is not an option but a stepping stone to success.
It may be a lonely position at times but fostering team cultures that celebrate successes and provide support through challenging times has been hugely rewarding for me.
If you’re in the darkest place. Don’t be alone. Reach out.
