Web Directions Product 2019

Session Details

The Product Polygon

David Demaree Product Manager, Material Design Google

No one is more likely to Google ‘what does a product manager do’ than product managers. Our jobs are amorphous, ever-changing, and totally dependent on context. The shape of a successful PM role can vary wildly between companies, teams, or even roles on the same team, so we’re always on the lookout for models to help make sense of our field.

Most PMs are likely familiar with the infamous Venn diagram of UX, engineering, and business, with PMs located at dead center. However, oftentimes we find that our skills and interests put us more toward one of the edges than the middle, and moreover that what our teams need from is are also not perfectly balanced, in ways that aren’t apparent until problems arise.

Rather than focus on how product relates to other roles like UX and engineering, let’s instead look at what PMs do, what perspectives we bring to the table, and how those can match up with the skills and perspectives our teams need. An effective product manager role isn’t a point on a Venn diagram, but rather a unique, differently-shaped polygon with vertices such as communications, leadership, organization, and yes, UX, business, and engineering. In this talk, David will introduce this model for understanding what PMs do, and how PMs can relate it to understanding and developing their careers.

David Demaree

David Demaree is the product manager for Google’s Material Design system, encompassing both the open-source Material guidelines and component libraries for web and mobile, as well as Google Material, the unified, Material-based design system for all Google products introduced in 2018. Prior to joining Google, David worked on Typekit, the pioneering web/desktop subscription service (acquired by Adobe), in various roles including principal product manager and web engineering lead.

David is also the author of A Book Apart’s Git for Humans, a friendly introduction to version control and Git published in 2016. A web designer & developer since 1995, David is passionate about building tools that help today’s and tomorrow’s software makers do their best work.

Don't miss your chance to see David Demaree and many other inspiring speakers at Product 19.

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