Greetings!
Are you a builder or a solver?
Product management roles have popped up all over the global job market at seemingly record pace. Companies are clearly recognizing the value of understanding value before spending money and taking the ‘if you build it, they will come” approach. As a product professional, are you seeking the jobs that fit your skill set and desire?
Often individuals start new roles and become very disappointed in either not being able to do the more strategic elements of product management and instead are build-focused. On the flip-side: very tactically focused individuals end up in a Product Management role that require them to think differently and approach their execution differently and they have no clue how to proceed. This scenario becomes sink or swim at both ends of the spectrum.
Understanding whether you are a builder or a solver is a critical piece of self-awareness. A builder is someone who looks more internally and works with development teams almost solely focused on delivery: let’s get this product or feature built and shipped so we can get on to the next. Builders are extremely common in large enterprises. A solver is someone who looks outside the system and focuses on the marketplace. They are very focused on why they are building something and will leverage customer interactions, data, and market performance to make capability prioritization decisions.
To be clear: one is not better than the other. Both are key to successful delivery. You need micro and macro focus for whole product perspective. If you are only one or the other – a builder or a solver – it’s important to know the market-standard description for the skillset you have so you set yourself up for success.
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