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Contract Product Management
What are your thoughts on the prospects for contracting out product management? I have engaged with companies that I have worked with in the past to provide product management services on a project basis. I have been reasonably successful and love working this model. Have you seen any evidence contract product management is a viable option for companies?
To
be effective in product management, someone needs the domain knowledge
that a contractor cannot have. You shouldn't be able to outsource product
management but alas, many product managers are so ineffective that a product
manager on a project basis may be much better. So you might have hit on the
ideal combination: a contract product manager who knows process partnered
with a subject matter expert (SME). Still, both should understand interviewing,
surveying, persona development, positioning, requirements, and sales process.
A great solution might be to come together to Practical Product Management. It will be a good review for the contractor and new info for the SME. Most of all, it will spark your collective thinking about the product, the company, and the market.
Answered by Steve Johnson
