mark tolmacs, product manager ustream inc. - how i stopped worrying and started to love the chaos...

Mark Tolmacs, Ustream

How I stopped worrying

and started to love the

chaos

„Good product managers know the market, the

product, the product line and the competition

extremely well and operate from a strong basis of

knowledge and confidence. „

„A good product manager is the CEO

of the product.”

- Ben Horowitz

WHAT TO BUILD?

CREATIVE GENIUS

CUSTOMERS

TIMEZONE

DIFFERENCE

LANGUAGE

BARRIER

CULTURAL

DIFFERENCES

HOW TO MAKE IT

HAPPEN?

„A lot of people describe a product manager as a

CEO of the product or the “owner” of the spec, but I

think that over-ascribes influence and authority to

the product manager. The best teams operate in a

way where the team collectively feels ownership

over the spec and everyone has had input and been

able to suggest and promote ideas.”

- Josh Elman

FACILITATION

VISION

INFLUENCE

TRUST

UNDERSTANDING

TRUST

CO-OP

BLACKJACK

EGO

MICROMANAGING

MULTI-TABLE, CO-OP

BLACKJACK

EQUALLY SPLIT POT

MEET MANAGEMENT

CREEPS IN

CULTURE

DISCONNECTED

The dangers of becoming

„Don’t worry, we don’t

give them much money!”

COMMUNICATION

INITIATIVE

RESPONSIBILITY

Mark Tolmacs

@mtolmacs