In this episode of the How to Succeed in Product Management Podcast, marketing professor Jeff Shulman welcomes Charlton Washington, MBA (Johnson & Johnson) and Jake Wallack (Axon) to talk about hardware product management. As a PM, you might have to choose between hardware vs. software. Knowing the difference between the two fields, the process involved, and the varying customer needs will allow PMs to get familiar with the systems should they wish to transition from hardware to software and vice versa.

Disclaimer: All opinions of the speakers are their own.

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What to Listen For:

00:00 Intro
05:42 Metrics of success in hardware
08:22 Hardware vs. software
09:52 Other metrics
12:40 Meeting the needs of different consumers
16:06 Inclusivity is necessary
18:59 Product management in hardware vs. software
21:11 Hardware has longer development cycles
24:42 Hardware or software as a PM?
26:47 More long term strategy
27:40 Check your skills and experience
28:40 Single threaded leadership
31:07 Stakeholder management with hardware vs. software
33:55 Stakeholders are more directly involved in product
35:01 What can make people in hardware PM angry?
38:16 Transition from software to hardware
40:11 How to navigate hardware PM in the medical space
42:16 Resources for PM
45:40 Final thoughts

60: Hardware Product Management