It turns out that this year is the 100th anniversary of the death of W.S. Gilbert – the Gilbert of Gilbert and Sullivan fame. So, here’s to the memory of Mr. Gilbert and his creative partner with a rerun of a modern version of their Modern Major General Song.
Enjoy.
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I’ve always liked the Major General’s song from The Pirates of Penzance. If you are not familiar with the song, first watch the two videos at the bottom of this post and then “sing” the song below.
Here’s how Gilbert and Sullivan *may* have described Product Managers today.
I am the very model of a high-tech product manager,
I’ve information customer, partner and competitor.
I know the product roadmap and I wrote the full requirements,
From strategic to tactical, all detailed in my documents.
I’m very well acquainted, too with matters very technical,
I understand development, agile, lean and waterfall.
On MRDs and PRDs I am really eager to create
All the information that will make our products really great.
I am very good with customers and early stage prospects;
I listen to them carefully and track all of their change requests.
I then prioritize them into releases point and major;
I am the very model of a high-tech product manager.
I will answer all questions that will save an opportunity;
I really wish the reps would use a real sales methodology.
I always ask the prospects about the problems they need to solve;
And then present the current roadmap and show how it can evolve.
I bring this insight to HQ and deliver it accordingly;
I need the engineers to implement it all whole heartedly.
Then I can move along and start helping product marketing,
To understand the new solution and create new positioning.
I define new offerings and also write the business case;
Competitively speaking, I’m not satisfied with second place.
In short, in matters customer, partner and competitor,
I am the very model of a high-tech product manager.
I have worked in other jobs as a sales rep and a marketer;
I even spent two long years as a database developer.
But I would wonder constantly what kind of role was best for me;
I thought and thought and talk to others, then I found some clarity.
I really am a business person, with fondness for technology
I blend it all together to create great product strategy.
I think Product Management was the job that was meant for me.
Yet I wonder if others think I’m easy going or cranky?
I only hope the role will grow real soon into maturity.
But still in matters customer, partner and competitor
I am the very model of a high-tech Product Manager.
And here are two versions of the song. The original, and my favourite spoof of the original (other than my own!) :-).
Saeed
Tweet this: The High-Tech Product Manager – by Gilbert and Sullivan http://wp.me/pXBON-2Ox #prodmgmt #spoof #humor