How to go from Dev to PM
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How to go from Dev to PM
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Re: How to go from Dev to PM
#2Take some management classes.
I'm not saying you have to take an MBA, but being able to code and being able to manage people are not the same talent. In many situations, they're quite the opposite.
And you had to show off your coding cred before being hired for it. The same should apply for management.
Re: How to go from Dev to PM
#3Take some management classes. I'm not saying you have to take an MBA, but being able to code and being able to manage people are not the same talent. In many situations, they're quite the opposite. And you had to show off your coding cred before being hired for it. The same should apply for management.
I'm not disagreeing, but can you explain under which situations coding and managing are on the opposite parts of the spectrum?
Re: How to go from Dev to PM
#4Article fails to explain why a dev would desire to become a PM. My best guess is an entry point to a management career in shops run by non-devs.
Edit: I imagine that's perfectly natural - when I was in backoffice IT I strongly desired to transition into project management so that I could transition into people management so that I could make meaningful decisions and get credit for them. It's probably the same in product companies except low-level devs will want to manage products so they can manage divisions so they can run big-name tech companies. Currently I'm working as a consulting dev in a small dev consultancy and I don't feel the same pull in that direction that I used to. I think maybe all we really need is to be taken seriously and to have some meaningful work.
Re: How to go from Dev to PM
#5Ugh. Don't do it. Someone find me an article on how to go from PM back to dev.
Re: How to go from Dev to PM
#6Article fails to explain why a dev would desire to become a PM. My best guess is an entry point to a management career in shops run by non-devs. Edit: I imagine that's perfectly natural - when I was in backoffice IT I strongly desired to transition into project management so that I could transition into people management so that I could make meaningful decisions and get credit for them. It's probably the same in prod…
"Article fails to explain why a dev would desire to become a PM."
(in most companies) more money, power, autonomy. Except in very early stage startups, it is the rare developer who has more of any of this than even the lowliest PM. e.g: I think Vic Gundotra makes more money, and has more power at Google than most (all?) engineers there.
Re: How to go from Dev to PM
#7Take some management classes. I'm not saying you have to take an MBA, but being able to code and being able to manage people are not the same talent. In many situations, they're quite the opposite. And you had to show off your coding cred before being hired for it. The same should apply for management.
Additionally, being able to code and being able to manage people and being able to manage products/projects are all different skill sets.
Re: How to go from Dev to PM
#8Article fails to explain why a dev would desire to become a PM. My best guess is an entry point to a management career in shops run by non-devs. Edit: I imagine that's perfectly natural - when I was in backoffice IT I strongly desired to transition into project management so that I could transition into people management so that I could make meaningful decisions and get credit for them. It's probably the same in prod…
"Article fails to explain why a dev would desire to become a PM." (in most companies) more money, power, autonomy. Except in very early stage startups, it is the rare developer who has more of any of this than even the lowliest PM. e.g: I think Vic Gundotra makes more money, and has more power at Google than most (all?) engineers there.
I've never worked at a product company per se, but that is exactly why I aspired to transition into project management back when I worked in corporate IT. Can't blame folks for wanting the money and the power after they see how things are for the Vics in their companies.
Re: How to go from Dev to PM
#9These articles are almost as bad as the "how to become a CEO." First answer, why? Because of the desire for power over others? Weak, lame, not in the spirit of being a hacker. Flat management everyone, screw the PMs. Where's the book on how to bury your PM 6 feet deep?
Re: How to go from Dev to PM
#10Article fails to explain why a dev would desire to become a PM. My best guess is an entry point to a management career in shops run by non-devs. Edit: I imagine that's perfectly natural - when I was in backoffice IT I strongly desired to transition into project management so that I could transition into people management so that I could make meaningful decisions and get credit for them. It's probably the same in prod…
In all but small companies, I think devs have little to no contact with the other product/project stakeholders. For those devs who would like to be in a position to influence/interact with the stakeholders, being a PM would eliminate some of the constraints/WTFs devs often feel. Well, not always eliminate necessarily, but minimize them, or at least provide some transparency into the part(s) of decision-making process(es) outside the devs' sphere of influence.