Whitridge Associates’ Post

As a Program Manager for New Product Development (NPD) I believe that, out of the many important aspects of NPD, the one at the core of NPD is 'taking the idea to an implementable solution', or what we call Requirement Maturity in the NPD terminology. Here are the Reasons why: - 1) A product can be differentiated as unique offering only when a complex idea can be implemented on ground while meeting the highest quality 2) Requirement Maturity needs the contribution of Subject Matter Experts or the product experts who are best in their field and use their vast experience and creativity to bring out the best value for the customer 3) During Requirement Maturity process most of the product development lifecycle is defined and a path is set on how to proceed. Rest of the things can follow just that path 4) A confidence that the desired product can be developed and that a feasible business case exists is conveyed to the Leadership when Requirement Maturity lays the facts down ******** #Newproductdevelopment #Eaton #Programmanagement

There’s this common assumption that if you’re growing in product management, you must eventually move into a management role. But honestly, that’s not the only way to build your career. Staying an individual contributor (IC) can be just as rewarding. You get to stay close to the product, dig into the details, and make an impact on the features or areas you care about. You’re the expert, the one who knows the ins and outs, and that’s a powerful place to be—especially now, during these turbulent times, when deep expertise is highly valued. Conversely, management is about stepping back, guiding others, and thinking about the bigger picture. It’s less about doing and more about enabling, which is great if you’re into leading teams and shaping strategy. But here’s the thing: You don’t have to lock yourself into one path. Your career can be flexible. Maybe you stay an IC because you love the work, or maybe you try out management and see if it’s your thing. The key is to find what aligns with your strengths and what keeps you motivated. At the end of the day, it’s about what works for you, not what others expect you to do.

Product Managers orchestrate success across diverse teams driving innovative solutions. They act as a catalyst amongst cross functional teams delivering impactful outcomes. 🎯 To be a 💎 the PM needs to be skilled in: 🤝 Cross Functional Collaboration: 📈 Product managers work with diverse cross functional teams, including R&D engineers, Finance, regulatory affairs, marketing, and sales to name a few. The ability to collaborate seamlessly with these cross-functional teams is crucial for successful product development. ⚽ The effectiveness of the tasks or activities depends on the collaborative skills of the PM. The PM is expected to work in a collaborative manner to get the most out of the team to deliver impactful outcomes. e.g seeking inputs from customers, sales, marketing or regulatory & transferring to R&D for development inform of product requirements needs deeper collaborative efforts. 🏆 A Product Manager skilled in fostering collaboration ensures that all team members work cohesively towards common goals, resulting in the successful development and launch of innovative solutions. 💡 Creating a positive and collaborative team culture fosters creativity, innovation, effective problem-solving, effective feedback mechanism and faster decision making. Further it leads to motivating & inspiring the team to a shared sense of purpose. 🌍 The complexity increases further for a Global Product Manager where the collaboration extends to global multi-cultural teams. Understanding different cultures & working within the cultural limits to ensure the team delivers results aligned to the Product Strategy is a trait developed over years of experience and building strong meaningful business relationships. Build and lead a collaborative team through #trust, #commonvalues, #consistentresults, #character and #integrity. #medtechindustry #crossfunctionalcollaborations #influence #inspiringpeople #crossfunctionalteamleadership #peopledevelopment #humanskills #healthcare #teamwork #relationshipbuilding #leadership #careers #productmanagement Follow Govind Kantak for value added content

My best moment as a #programmanager   So excited to have chosen this path, I wake up every day with a smile because I know I'm about to make a difference in my organization Xapic Technologies and this will greatly affect our generation as a whole   What do I do? As a Program Manager at Xapic Technologies, my role encompasses areas such as:   1. #strategic #planning and #execution: I #collaborate closely with #management and trainers to define the school's goals and objectives. This involves identifying strategic #projects aligned with our overall strategy, prioritizing them based on #businessvalue, and creating detailed schedules. I oversee the #implementation of these plans, ensuring training projects stay on track and resources are effectively utilized to achieve desired outcomes.   2. Cross-Functional Collaboration and Communication: Facilitating cross-functional collaboration is essential. I organize regular meetings and trainings to foster #teamwork and consensus on project priorities. Additionally, I communicate project status and updates to management, ensuring they remain informed and engaged throughout the project lifecycle.   In summary, I drive strategic initiatives, foster #collaboration, and mitigate risks to ensure the achievement of the objectives of Xapic Technologies. My goal is to be the most sought-after Program Manager by implementing the following tips in all that I do. Are you aspiring to become the top Program Manager in your field? Then you must possess exceptional #leadership #skills that inspire #trust, motivate #team members, and guide them towards a common goal. By demonstrating these skills, you can stand out among competitors and become the most sought-after Program Manager.   As a Program Manager, it's crucial to showcase great leadership skills that inspire trust and motivate team members to perform at their best. Effective #communication is also essential in conveying #goals, #expectations, and progress clearly to team members, #stakeholders, and #executives through both verbal and written communication.   To excel in this role, you should have a strategic #mindset, be able to prioritize tasks effectively, and have excellent problem-solving skills to handle complex situations. Additionally, a successful Program Manager must be adaptable and open to change to keep up with the ever-evolving #industry.   Start honing your leadership skills today and become the #leader that everyone wants to work with! Share your tips on the skills that a Program Manager should possess in the comments section. #Programmanager #leadershipskills #effectivecommunication #strategicmindset #problemsolving #adaptability

Product managements vs product operations Although product managers are responsible for wing to wing product perspective, it is always good to have a product operations to take care of commercial transactions, manufacturing forecasting and installed based management. Product operations will keep the product going and product management will set where to go and how to avoid traffic. Sometimes, you must do both, specially when you involve hardware and software. In this scenario, is always good to have clear roles and responsibilities with other stakeholders like supply chain, commercial leaders and service team. Product managers, whenever is possible, avoid going into the deep level of operations to miss the strategic piece of the business. However, should be aware and guide decisions which directly impact the strategy. Which role would you prefer taking? #career #productmanagement #productdevelopment #healthcare #operations

🔮 Product Managers: Navigators of Product Excellence! 🌟 In the dynamic landscape of product development, product managers stand out as navigators of excellence. Unlike project or people managers, their focus is on product strategy, market fit, and innovation. They steer the product from conception to launch, ensuring it meets customer needs and aligns with business goals. Their expertise lies in understanding market trends, analyzing data, and making strategic decisions that drive product success. #ProductExcellence #MarketFit #Innovation #StrategicDecisionMaking 💬 Communication and Influence Matter! 📣 Product managers excel at communication and influence, key traits that set them apart from project or people managers. They communicate product vision, priorities, and updates to stakeholders, ensuring alignment across the organization. They influence decisions based on data and market insights, guiding the product towards success. While they may not manage projects or teams directly, their ability to communicate effectively and influence outcomes is crucial for product success. #Communication #Influence #ProductVision #Alignment 🚀 Driving Innovation and Market Success! 💡 Product managers drive innovation and market success by aligning product development with customer needs and market trends. They collaborate with project managers to ensure timely delivery, with people managers to build effective teams, and with stakeholders to align product vision with business goals. Their focus on innovation, market fit, and customer satisfaction makes them indispensable leaders in product development. #Innovation #MarketSuccess #CustomerSatisfaction #ProductLeadership

Product management is either the most powerful or the most useless role in a company, according to the internet. It seems the discussion has heated up over the last couple of years or maybe I've just gotten more sensitive to it. For a role with as little consensus on what it actually entails, can we pass general judgment? Thinking about all the product managers I know, no two are doing the same job. Maybe this is different at pure tech companies, I don't know. In the med tech and biotech field at least, product managers tend to fill skills gaps. This is certainly also driven by personal interests (I know for me it is). Yes, product managers generally are responsible for the business case of a product and for identifying high level users needs. But how much research they do from market research through product discovery to user testing, the level of involvement in product design or whether they work at a more strategic level or more tactically writing requirements varies a lot. Why not align on the skills required and the work to be done for the next phase of a project and to make sure everything can be covered by the team, rather than spending time discussing the necessity of having someone with a specific job title participate. PS: Do NOT call me the CEO of my product 😅 #productmanagement #jobroles

🚀 Why the New Product Development Process is Crucial for Product Managers 🚀 As a product manager, the New Product Development (NPD) process is your blueprint for success. Here’s why it’s so important: 1️⃣ Structured Innovation The NPD process provides a structured approach to innovation. By following a defined set of steps—from ideation and concept testing to development and launch—you can systematically transform creative ideas into viable products. 2️⃣ Risk Mitigation Developing a new product is inherently risky. The NPD process helps identify potential pitfalls early on, allowing for adjustments before significant resources are invested. This proactive approach reduces the likelihood of costly mistakes and project failures. 3️⃣ Customer-Centric Focus Understanding and addressing customer needs is at the heart of the NPD process. Through customer feedback, market research, and iterative testing, product managers can ensure that the end product aligns with customer expectations and solves real problems. 4️⃣ Cross-Functional Collaboration NPD fosters collaboration across different teams, including marketing, engineering, and sales. This synergy ensures that all aspects of the product—functionality, usability, and marketability—are considered and optimized. 5️⃣ Competitive Advantage In today’s fast-paced market, staying ahead of the competition is crucial. The NPD process enables product managers to bring innovative products to market faster, keeping their company at the forefront of industry trends. 6️⃣ Continuous Improvement The NPD process is not just about launching a product; it’s about continuous improvement. Post-launch analysis and feedback loops help refine and enhance the product, ensuring long-term success and customer satisfaction. 7️⃣ Alignment with Business Goals A well-structured NPD process ensures that new products align with the company's strategic goals and vision. This alignment ensures that resources are used effectively and that new products contribute to the overall growth and success of the business. Embracing the New Product Development process isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential for driving innovation, minimizing risk, and ensuring that we deliver products that our customers love. As product managers, mastering the NPD process empowers us to turn visionary ideas into market-leading solutions. 💡 What aspects of the NPD process do you find most challenging or rewarding? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below! #ProductManagement #Innovation #NewProductDevelopment #CustomerFocus #BusinessGrowth #Leadership #ProductManager #NPDProcess #TechIndustry #ContinuousImprovement #Collaboration

Do you need an NPD portfolio manager? “I don’t have enough to do” are words rarely spoken by anyone working on New Product Development in the CPG industry. A continuous barrage of potential projects come from: 📥 Category leaders pushing product ideas. 📥 Technical leaders pushing technical ideas. 📥 Sales leaders pushing customer (not necessarily consumer) requests. 📥 Executive leaders pushing a variety of ideas of interest to them. Most companies have project managers but don’t have a single, higher level portfolio manager whose job is to get as much value out of the NPD process as quickly as possible. That person must: ✅ Manage process flow to produce the best outcomes. ✅ Prioritize and sometimes veto the ideas coming from all the above sources. ✅ Ensure there is an optimal distribution of active projects across the risk/reward continuum. ✅ Understand the capabilities of the business vs the feasibility of the projects. ✅ Drive a project funnel that supports the NPD growth ambitions of the business. It requires a unique set of knowledge, skills, business acumen and tact. Find it and the outcomes achieved will be far better than managing the NPD portfolio by committee. While there may not be any bad ideas, there are bad projects and there is bad timing. A strong portfolio manager with authority to act in the best interest of the business will drive NPD excellence. For those portfolio managers out there, what other traits are critical to success? If your business doesn’t have one, why not? _____________________ I transform slow and stagnant product development systems into growth engines.

As I continue to make the transition from senior engineer to Product Manager, I find it interesting to think about what a blended Product Manager / Engineer role looks like. What makes a Technical Product Manager different? A few thoughts below: 💡 Deep Technical Understanding: TPMs don’t just understand the product; they grasp the technology driving it. This allows them to work closely with engineering teams, making informed decisions that balance innovation with feasibility. 🛠️ Problem-Solvers at Heart: TPMs are the ultimate problem-solvers, equipped with the skills to navigate technical challenges and ensure that solutions align with business goals. They anticipate obstacles and work proactively to address them before they become roadblocks. 📈 Strategic Thinkers: Beyond the technical skills, TPMs are strategic thinkers who understand market needs, customer pain points, and the competitive landscape. They prioritize features that deliver maximum value, driving product success. 🤝 Collaborative Leaders: TPMs excel in cross-functional collaboration. They act as a liaison between engineering, design, marketing, and sales teams, ensuring that everyone is aligned and working towards the same goal. 💬 Communication Masters: Whether it’s discussing technical specs with developers or explaining product roadmaps to stakeholders, TPMs are good at tailoring their communication to diverse audiences, ensuring clarity and consensus. #ProductManagement #TechnicalProductManager #TechLeadership #Innovation #ProductDevelopment