Who are the 12 product people that stepped up to form the Product Management Manifesto working group? Meet Andrew!
Each week we’re introducing you to two working group members with Q&A on their perspective on why a manifesto is so critical today.
This week’s spotlight is on Andrew Nguyen, Head of Product at BARK. Find out his thoughts on:
How product management has evolved
Key challenges that a manifesto must address
Why we need a manifesto now
What’s motivating his journey as the team kicks off
What drew you to this Product Management Manifesto and working group?
The people! That is where I start with almost anything, and knowing that some of the brightest minds and kindest hearts are part of this effort was the big draw for me. It’s an honor to be a part of something bigger than myself, give back to the Product Community, and help grow the next generation of Product People.
How have you personally seen the Product Management role evolve in your career?
I’ve seen the product role evolve in diversity of backgrounds for the better. As a former engineer with early years at tech-driven organizations, I’ve watched amazing Product Leaders grow from a wide range of backgrounds. I’ve also seen the product role evolve more into empowerment over command and control, something I’ve been passionate about--and this was a big reason why I joined the craft.
What is one major challenge you see product people grapple with frequently that our principles should address?
Product People tend to struggle with their growth as leaders and what this might mean to them specifically. There hasn’t been as much progress of the Individual Contributor (IC) track vs. product people managers or a hybrid player/coach (Group Product Manager) role. These are important career milestones and decisions to make, and helping product people navigate these can be important since these roles are key for everyone, let alone Product itself.
What are some of the reasons you feel a manifesto specific to Product Management is needed now?
There are many companies that are just beginning (or struggling) to build a product-led organization and realizing the value of our craft. We have an opportunity to help shape that, providing guidance on how to set strong fundamentals with a framework for any organization to discover what will work well for them. Building an empowered Product Culture is top-down and bottom-up, which we can approach from both sides.
In what ways do the Agile Manifesto for Software Development and/or other existing frameworks fall short for Product Management?
As far as I know, there isn’t a single strong, central, trusted source of Product fundamentals. Furthermore, scaling out Product leadership and decision-making isn’t evangelized as well as it could be. Marty Cagan’s “Empowered” might be the best example, from which we could accelerate the adoption of better practices (that we also iterate upon further).
We’re in a critical moment for diversity, equity,c and inclusion (DE&I). In what ways do you hope to see greater DE&I reflected in the work and contribution of product people?
One of the things I love about the Product field is being able to see as many perspectives as I can. For that to be more effective, the diversity of those perspectives and the people themselves are important. My hope is to see continual progress in respective DE&I efforts across the globe to staff both product people and those who work with them. The opportunity and experience granted to one product person can be life-changing with the potential to amplify opportunities for the people they serve (teammates and customers alike).
Working in Product levels me up as a person and enables me to do the same for others. Being an impact on someone’s life and watching them do the same for someone else is one of the most rewarding things in life for me.
-Andrew Nguyen