#13: Can Product Managers Thrive in Feature Factories?

A couple of months ago, Ben wrote a thought-provoking LinkedIn post about the potential damage Marty Cagan's advice on Lenny's podcast could cause to feature factory PMs. This sparked a conversation between Ben and Estee Goldschmidt on The Estee Show, which caught the attention of Lenny Rachitsky. Recognizing the importance of the topic, Lenny invited Ben to write a guest post for his newsletter, "In defense of feature team product managers," which went live today.

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In this episode, Ben and Estee talked about:

* The controversy around current product management practices, emphasizing the difficulties PMs encounter when trying to implement change within their organizations.

* Ben’s perspective and experiences, outlining the challenges of transitioning a company from being output-oriented to outcome-oriented, highlighting the risks and personal consequences PMs face in such endeavors.

* Strategies for PMs in 'feature factory' settings and the importance of aligning job performance evaluations with the realities of the work environment.

* The contrasts between the aspirational aspects of product leadership and the on-the-ground realities for PMs, offering insights and advice for navigating these challenging terrains.

* And more!

If you’d like to watch the video of our conversation, you can catch that on YouTube:

Links:

* Estee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esteegoldschmidt/

* Ben: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benerez/

* The Estee Show Website: https://theesteeshow.com/

* The Estee Show on Substack | Spotify | Apple | Instagram | LinkedIn

Also, if you’re a new subscriber, we encourage you to check out some of the previous episodes you might have missed (Spotify links embed better but you can see all of these on other platforms, too, from the podcast page on Substack):