Dinker Charak's Blog, page 5
March 18, 2022
The Neutrinos Are Coming
Coming Soon!
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March 15, 2022
Let us see where it goes (004) – Product Management Part 2 – Podcast
In this podcast a technologist and a product manager talk about:
��� Product Manager’s alignment to business
Chapters:
00:00 The fourth podcast
01:54 On digressions
04:19 From ideas to in-production
06:00 Business agility for enterprises
10:08 CxO ask-to-in-production journey
15:12 How business sees problems
17:18 Organisational silos reflect funding patterns
18:38 First listen
26:40 Production manager for different backgrounds
27:45 On the initial hypothesis
29.45 I just need a button here and business atomicity
34:37 Organisational silos reflect funding patterns revisited
40:00 Fallacy of obsession with customer-centricity
48:13 Product manager role in enterprise & focus on outcomes over tasks
55:20 Future topics
Notes & Mentions:
��� We use the term ProMa as short for Product Management
��� https://www.amazon.in/Bullshit-Jobs-David-Graeber/dp/0141983477
��� https://www.ddiinnxx.com/ignoring-employee-experience-a-900m-lesson/
About:
��� Views expressed are our own and do not necessarily reflect that of our employer
��� Dinker Charak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinkercharak – https://www.ddiinnxx.com – https://notionpress.com/read/proma
��� Sachin Dharmapurikar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dharmapurikar
The post Let us see where it goes (004) – Product Management Part 2 – Podcast appeared first on Dinker Charak.
March 8, 2022
Let us see where it goes (003) – Product Management Part 1 – Podcast
In this podcast a technologist and a product manager talk about:
��� Product Management in Startups
��� Product Management in Enterprises
��� Product misManagement
About:
��� Views expressed are our own and do not necessarily reflect that of our employer
��� Dinker Charak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dinkercharak – https://www.ddiinnxx.com – https://notionpress.com/read/proma
��� Sachin Dharmapurikar: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dharmapurikar
The post Let us see where it goes (003) – Product Management Part 1 – Podcast appeared first on Dinker Charak.
March 5, 2022
#LifeStack – Let us see where it goes (002) – Podcast
Episode 2 of the podcast with Sachin Dharmapurikar.
The post #LifeStack – Let us see where it goes (002) – Podcast appeared first on Dinker Charak.
Business process as a primitive – Let us see where it goes (001) – Podcast
Episode 1 of the podcast with Sachin Dharmapurikar.
The post Business process as a primitive – Let us see where it goes (001) – Podcast appeared first on Dinker Charak.
January 22, 2022
Reading Kalhana’s Rajatarangini (The Waves of the Rulers) – Ranjit Sitaram Pandit’s Translation
I fulfilled a childhood dream of reading Kalhana’s Rajatarangini recently.
I bought a translated work: Kalhana’s Rajatarangini by Ranjit Sitaram Pandit on Amazon. There is also found a free version on Internet Archives (archive.org).
Following are some interesting things I found. Keep in mind, I am not a scholar and am relying completely on the book itself. I am sure there are some translation issues and/or the author’s own biases / point-of-view creeping in. Till I get my hand of the original Sanskrit work (do you have access to one?), I will go by what I read here, as-is.
The first thing I learned was that book is broken into 8 Tarangs (waves). The early Tarangs (from 1st till 6th) are covered in only 260 pages (in the translated work) but the 7th and 8th take 429 pages. Each Tarang starts with a prayer to Parvati, Shiva or Ganesha.
One thing to note is that he used the works Kashmir and Srinagara from the very beginning. So it was an interesting journey to find names of places that I could map to a name used nowadays.
Let us start with Shiva too.
AmarnathAmarnath has been a place of pilgrimage and a place for devotion since the beginning of Kashmir’s history.
The author tells the story of King Kinnara (Nara�� I) who he says was a good person but flipped due to a life experience the poet elaborates. Filled with desire for the married daughter of a Naga, he tried to forcefully win her. Enraged, the Naga destroys the king and destroys the city. Repentant, he then abandons his home and travels to Amarnath and builds a late there.
In Tarang 1, during the reign of Nara 1 (994 BCE)
Five Yojanas of rural land was thus kid waste and known as Rama-
nyatavr, it is even to this day full of heavy boulders and holes. 265
After doing this hideous slaughter of humanity, next morning
the Naga was full of remorse and being depressed by the denunciation
of the people, he abandoned that locality and departed. 266
Gleaming like the ocean of milk a lake was constructed by him on a
distant mountain, which on their way to the pilgrimage of Amara-
natha, is visited by the people to this very day. 267
Through the favour of his father-in-law the Brahman had attained
the status of a Naga; one other called the ���lake of the son-in-law*
in the locality has also become celebrated. 268
In the footnotes for 1.268, the translator provides more context on the ‘lake of son-in-law’
Darbar Move268. On the route of the pilgrimage to
Amaranatha on the mountain top there
is a lake which, according to legend,
is the lake of Susravas ��� it is also now
called Sesanag. The colour of the
water is white. There is also another
lake popularly called Zamatur Nag ���
the ‘Jamatr Saras’ of Kalhana��� which
means the ���lake of the son-in-law���.
Siva in the cave at Amaranatha is in the
form of congealed ice. The pilgrimage
referred to by Kalhana is still very
popular and attracts the devout from
distant parts of India.
The concept of Darbar Move in modern times is something that is so J&K! In winter, the government secretariat moves to Jammu. In summer, the government secretariat moves to Jammu. This is called Darbar Move.
I used to hear that is an old practice followed since the days of Maharaja Ranjit Singh. But turn out it is even older a practice. It was mentioned in Tarang 1, during the rule of Abhimanyu I (who reigned before Gonando III whose reign started in 1184 BCE).
As heavy snow-falls occurred for the harassment of the Buddhists
year after year, the king, during winter, resided for six months in
Darvabhisara and other places. 180
A reason for this is found in footnotes for 1.27
Hunger StrikesAccording to modem geologists the valley of Kasmir was no doubt a vast lake in the remote past and that the climate of this Himalayan region must have been intensely cold. The legend of the Jalodbhava probably refers to icebergs. According to the old Ka&nlri traditions the land was at one time too cold for human habitation during winter when it was in the grip of the Pisacas, the ���Powers of Darkness.��� The kings during this time used to leave the country and resume their rule when the Pisacas had left.
The number of times hunger strikes are mentioned was a big surprise. Seem like it was common for citizens to go on hunger strikes. Hunger strikes were taken very seriously by the rules. These hunger strikes were done by men, women, priests, army and wait for it, even the king! In fact, there was a Minster for Hunger Strikes!
In Tarang 4, during the reign of Candrapida (682 BCE)
On one occasion, to the king who was seated in the assembly a
certain Brahman woman, who had sat down in hunger-strike, spoke
when questioned by the law-officers. 82
In Tarang 7, during the reign of Harsa (little after 1095 CE)
As the king was not prepared to consider a withdrawal, the troops
were secretly incited by him to demand large travelling allowances. 1156
When they, who were mostly from the ranks, had started a hunger-
strike with ironical speeches, the camp of the king, whose treasury
was at a distance, was thrown into commotion. 1157
In Tarang 8, during the reign of Sussala (little after 1120 CE)
Karnataka
While the Damara hordes were planning to retreat, owing to
dissensions in their league just at this time, the king���s affairs were
reduced to a tangled skein by his own soldiers. 807
They, having blocked the entrances in front of the royal palace with
drawn swords, held hunger-strikes at every step clamouring for the
allowance for the campaign which had accrued due. 808
Imagine my surprise when I start seeing my adopted homeland’s name pop up more than once. It was a revelation on how much Kashmir and Karnataka were bound by people exchange.
In Tarang 4, during the reign of Lalitaditya (little after 695 CE)
The people of Karnata, who wear the hair with a top -knot, as
they bent down in homage dropping the golden Ketaki leaf, bore
his glory as their ornament on the head. 151
Though I wonder who the Rani Ratta was! Footnotes suggest she was a queen of Rastrakuta dynasty.
At this epoch a lady of Karnata known as Ratta, who had lovely
eyes and whose glory was wide spread, protected as the sovereign
ruler the region of the south. 152
The passes of Mount Vindhya were guarded after killing those,
who were thorns in her side, by this queen whose power, like that
of Durga, was without limit. 153
There is an interesting reference to coconut wine!
His legionaries got rid of fatigue, in the breeze on the banks of
the Kaveri river, sipping the cocoanut wine at the foot of the palm-
trees. 155
Though I wonder why 7 when mentioning Konkan
While he overran the seven Konkanas darkened by the areca-nut
trees and glowed like the hot-rayed sun driving the seven horses,
his military prestige spread wide. 159
In Tarang 7, during the reign of Harsa (little after 1095 CE)
During the reign of king Kalasa, Bilhana who had gone away from
Kasmir and whom king Paramandi of Karnata had made a Vidyapati
and whose parasol was the only one which was seen by the elephants
in the Karnatic army when the king was on the march, after hearing
of the liberality of Harsadeva, the friend of good poets, reckoned
even such prosperity to be deceptive. 935-38
Then there is a reference to the Pampa Sarovar of Hampi.
Replete with water extending to the horizon and resorted to by
various kinds of birds and deer, was the lake named Pampa which
was constructed by him. 940
When the queen of Karnataka won the heart of King of Kashmir
On BureaucracyOn seeing the beautiful wife of Parmandi, the ruler of Karnata,
painted in a portrait he was wounded by Love whose arrows are
flowers. 1119
Kalhana did not think highly of the bureaucrats of his time. And seems this mistrust was even older.
In Tarang 8, during the reign of Uccala (little after 1101 CE)
���Indeed the officials ire ready to kill, given to corruption, seizure
of the property of others and worse than demons, one should protect
these subjects from them��� ��� thus reciting the verse and believing
ever this counsel of prudence of traditional lore, he rooted out
officials. 86-87
He, however, takes it to the next level
For, indeed, the officials like cholera, the colic and wagering stakes,
smite the world swiftly and are another epidemic for the subjects. 88
The crab kills its father, the white ant destroys its mother but the
ungrateful functionary, when he has obtained office, destroys every-
body. 89
If an enlightened man trains and helps an official to rise to power,
the villain like a Vetala would destroy him without scruple. 90
The bureaucrat and the poison-tree, it is amazing! render the very
ground, on which they prosper, difficult of access. 91
In Tarang 8, during the reign of Salhana (1111 CE)
Satisar and BaramullaThe shameless Tantrins, cavaliers and councillors who had deserted
the defeated conspirators again formed a combination having made
common cause and brought in Salhana. When Garga saw this and
not finding any one worthy of the throne, he had the eldest imme-
diately consecrated king. 375-376
Early in the Tarang 1, Kalhana talks about the geographic origin of Kashmir.
Once upon a time there was the lake of Sati; and from the beginning
of the Kalpas the land in the womb of the Himalayas was filled with
waters during the intervening period of six Manus. 25
In the footnotes, the translator elaborates by quoting someone named Bernier. This Bramulla angle was new to me, to be honest.
Great Srinagar FireThe histories
of the ancient kings of kachemire
maintain that the whole of this country
was in former times one vast lake and
that an outlet for the waters was opened
fay a certain pire, aged saint, Kacheb
(Persian for KaSyapa) who miracul-
ously cut the mountain of Baramoule..
..I am certainly not disposed to deny
that this region was once covered
with water: the same thing is reported
of Thessaly and of other countries;
but I cannot easily pursuade myself
It seems during an attack by Damaras, the whole city of Srinagar burnt. Was the magnitude of the fire a direct result of their actions or did the weather fan the fire, is not clear. The recounting of damages also indicates the massive size of the city. I was not aware of this incidence.
In Tarang 8, during the reign of Sussala (1121-28 CE)
Thus it happened that during a fierce battle which was raging
on the bright twelfth day of Jyestha, the Damaras set a dwelling house
in Kasthila on fire. 1169
Or perchance that fire originated in the high winds or was due to
lightning��� it spread beyond control and all at once set the entire
city ablaze. 1170
While the smoke emanating from Maksikasvamin, like charging
elephants in battle array, had just become visible from the Great
Bridge, it suddenly thereafter reached Indradevl-bhavana Vihara and
then instantaneously the entire city was seen in flames. 1 171-1 1 72
The descriptions of fire reflect the complete destruction of the city.
The houses in the darkness of the smoke-screen lit up by the flames
came into view for a while as if to bid a final farewell. 1174
The Vitasta, with the houses nestling on both banks ablaze, looked
like the blade of the sword of Death, wet with blood on both
edges. 1175
The bathing huts along the banks of Vitasta / Jehlum get mentioned elsewhere in the book too.
The bathing huts and the boat bridges, in large numbers, having
been drawn off from fear of the fire, the waterways in the interior of
the city also became deserted. 1182
What more need be said? Srlnagara bereft of its Mathas, shrines,
houses, shops and the like was turned, in a mere trice, into a forest
which has been burnt down. 1183
Most of the dead ended up in the river! And another reference to bridges as a common part of the landscape.
The bridges over the waterways, which were stinking with dead
bodies swollen by soaking in water, were traversed in those days by
the people holding their noses. 1210
This fire was followed by a great famine.
The fire having burnt down the collected stores of all food-stuffs,
of a sudden, a dire famine which became difficult to endure now
prevailed throughout the land. 1206
There was a lot of wanton violence too.
The houses which had survived the conflagration, the people
suffering from starvation, who were demanding food, set on fire
from day to day. 1209
The condition of citizens was exceptionally bad.
Bad Start for the Kings of Kashmir & Battle in MathuraTortured by hunger and scarcely able to move, the people with
their tall bodies, tanned by the rays of the fierce sun, resembled the
charred pillars. 1212
While Kalhana mentions that there were 52 kings before Gonanda I, it is with him he starts telling the story of Rulers of Kashmir.
The first named king of Kashmir, Gonanda I was related to Jarasandha. This is how his story goes:
In Tarang 1
The aid of this king having “been sought by Jarasandha he laid
siege to Mathura, the city of the enemy of Kamsa, with large forces. 59
When he pitched his camp on the banks of the Yamuna, he caused the
fame of the warriors together with the jewels of the Yadava
ladies to fade. 60
Gonanda I got into a fight with Balaram (who it seems had plough on his flag)
On one occasion, to save his army which was broken up on all
sides, he who had the plough as the emblem on his banner encountered
him fighting in battle. 61
They were almost equal in their battle prowess. It seems it would be a draw!
During the combat of the two warriors of equal prowess having
remained too long in the hand of the goddess of victory owing to the
uncertainty of the issue, one might well ask if the triumphal garland
had withered away ! 62
But eventually, the first named king of Kashmir lost to Krishna’s brother in a battle at Mathura.
Comparision to HeavenEventually, with his limbs wounded by weapons in the battlefield,
the king of Kasmir embraced the earth while the Yadava king embraced
the goddess of victory. 63
The comparison to heaven is as old as the valley itself!
In Tarang 1
Yak-TailSuch is Kasmir, the country which may be conquered by the force
of spiritual merit but not by armed force ; where the inhabitants
in consequence fear more the next world; where there are hot baths
in winter, comfortable landing places on the river-banks, where the
rivers being free from aquatic animals are without peril; where, reali-
zing that the land created by his father is unable to bear heat, the hot-
rayed sun honours it by bearing himself with softness even in summer.
Learning, high dwelling houses, saffron, iced, water, grapes and the
like ��� what is a commonplace paradise.
All in J&K know Yak! Living in Ladhak, it is wooly, gentle-looking and domesticated. Throughout the book there are many references to yak Tail being used as a fan for royalty. I am assuming it was a fan-made from yak’s tail hair and so the name. Maybe the fan that was made from yak’s hair looked like its tail!
In Tarang 1, during the reign of Gonanda II (not dated by Kalhana/transalator)
Placing him, whose side-locks were wavy with the fanning of the
royal yak-tail, on tire throne, the ministers hearkened to the law-suits
of the subjects. 81
There is a story where a king falls in love with the daughters of a folk singer. He married one of them and Kalhana describes her being fanned by yak-tail as ultimate marker of her ascending to royalty.
In Tarang 5, during the reign of Cakravarman (924 CE)
Rainbow of JaatisBy the king who was blind with passion, Hams! was made the
premier queen, who enjoyed the privilege among the royal ladies of
being fanned with the yak-tail, 387
Kalhana seems to have thought of the usage of Rainbow to highlight the beauty of diversity!
In Tarang 2, during the reign of Tunjina (105 CE)
These two nobly sustained the delightful land with its various
castes, like the lightning and the water-bearing cloud the bow of
Indra. 13
The author provides an interesting usage of the word varna (caste is a term used by the interpreter)
In Tarang 2, from the footnotes for 2.13
Using Price of Rice as Indicator of General Prosperity13. There is a pun on the word Varna
which means both (1) caste and (2)
colour, the latter meaning applies to the
rainbow.
OK, there is nothing more Kashmiri than using Rice as central to anything about Kashmir! Kalhana shares the price of Rice across time to indicate which kingdom was flourishing and which one was not.
But first, some definitions:
DinnaraThroughout the time of Rajatanrangini, the currency of Kashmir was Dinnara.
KhariThroughout the time of Rajatanrangini and as per Kalhana, Khari was the measure of quantity for rice inside of Kashmir and elsewhere in India. Wisdomlib and Ayurtimes.com both put 1 Khari equal to 196.608 kg (~200 Kg).
Price of Rice Across TimePeriodRulerRice PriceComment751 CE – 857 CEAfter Jayapida till Avantivarma1050 Dinnaras per KhariIt seems this was due to constant flooding due to lack of maintenance of dams built by Lalitaditya.In Tarang 5
857 CE onwardsAvantivarma200 Dinnaras per KhariSeems like lots of work of restoration was done by him857 CE onwardsAvantivarma36 Dinnaras per KhariIn Tarang 5
Through the great effort of king Lalitaditya, when the waters were
drained to a certain, it had become slightly productive thereafter. 69
In course of time after the passing of Jayapida. when there were
kings of very little virility, the land was once more covered with
the surging waters. 70
Ten hundred and fifty Dinnaras had become the sale price of a Khari
of rice in husk in the famine-stricken land. 71
1099 CEHarsa500 Dinnaras per KhariIn Tarang 7The reclamation of the land from water, the bestowal of it to pious
Brahmans, the building of barrages with stones in water, and the
suppression of Kaliya, which were achieved by Visnu in four incarna-
tions of righteons acts were achieved by Suyya, who had a mass of
religious merit, in a single birth only. 114-115
ShivratriA Khari of rice was available for five hundred Dinnaras; for one
Dnnara could be obtained two Palas of grape-wine. 1220
In Tarang 8, during the reign of Uccala (1101 CE)
During festivals, such as the Sivaratri, he showered largesses on
the mass of the people just as the mighty Indra floods the earth by
torrents of water at the conjunction of the planets. 70
Shivaratri finds another mention during the times of King Uccala.
RiversJehlum / VistastaWhen during the pageant of Sivaratri, the erudite Sivaratha recited
this verse, the king was determined to make him the chief superin-
tendent. 111
The name used for Jehlum is Vitasta and gets mentioned a lot.
In Tarang 1
Names with -hana SuffixIt is the territory which is under the protection of Nila, supreme
lord of all the Nagas, whose parasol is the swelling Nila Kunda with
the flowing waters of the Vitasta for its staff. 28
I thought Kalhana was a unique and rare name. But as per the book, it was not so. Other names with -hana siffix are:
BilhanaGulhanaRilhanaSalhanaSilhanaUlhanaOther HistoriansEarly in the book he mentions and notes the work of historians before him. Though he seems to be bit critical of them.
Tarang 1
Blowing His Own Trumpet
The voluminous works in fragments containing the early history
of the kings were epitomized in Suvrata��� s composition so that they
may be remembered. 11
The style of Suvrata being irksome, owing to the fault of pedantry,
his composition, although it has acquired celebrity, is lacking in the
apt of the exposition of the theme. 12
While owing to an incomprehensible lack of care in the work of
Ksemendra, known as the List of Kings, even a portion is not free
from error, although it is the composition of a poet. 13
The story of Kings starts with Gonanda I. It seems the historians were aware of 52 kings who preceded him. But the names and stories of those kinds is lost, and Kalhana has an opinion on why it is so!
In Kasmir, the contemporaries of the Kauravas and the Pandavas ���
in the Kali era ��� up to Gonanda, fifty-two kings have passed into
oblivion. 44
In that age, owing to the former misdeeds of those kings, surely no
creative poets existed who could have embodied them in glory. 45
This is an interesting thought. A king needs to do good to deserve creative poets to sing of their glory.
Things I Learned from the Footnotes and Other Sections Written by the TranslatorLaukika Era
I learned about Laukika Era (L. E.) from the footnotes for 1.50-52
Persian Well or Kashmiri Well?50-52. The Saka era begins 78 years
after the Christian era. K. commenced
his work in the Saka year 1070 which,
according to him, corresponded with
the year 4224 of the Laukika or Kas-
mirq era which is still current in Kasmir
and the neighbouring hills.
Kalhana used the reference to a rope in a well and ends up describing what is often called a Persian Well. The translator calls the name Persian Well a modern misnomer.
In Tarang 1, during the reign of Siddha (955 CE), from the footnotes for 1.384
Gautam Buddha’s Mother Wore a Dejhoor!384. Yantra ���apparatus or machine. The to in ancient Samskjrta literature and
reference is to the Araghafta or the well its name as the ���Persian wheel is a
with the wheel and pots to raise water modern misnomer.
The translator mentions that there is a statue of the mother of Gautam Buddha wearing a Dejhoor. Dejhoor is an ornament worn by Kashmiri Hindu brides, from the day before they are wed in holy matrimony (Dejhoor on Wikipedia).
In Tarang 1, from the footnotes for 1.301
…
It is interesting to note that the
girdle (Tagr) is still worn among
Kafinlrl Brahman women. For the
picture of ear-ornament peculiar to
married women among Kasmiri Brah-
mans see the illustration of sculpture
discovered in Pandrethan (Puranadhis-
thana), believed to be Asoka���s capital,
which shows the mother of Buddha
wearing the ���Dijahr.’
Buy Kalhana’s Rajatarangini Now
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December 27, 2021
Ecosystem Mapping Canvas
Focus on a product often leads to tunnel vision.
This is a bigger problem in Enterprise where teams are tightly funded to focus on a part of the whole solution and are shrewdly judged against commitments made at the beginning of the funding cycle. This leads to silos where leaders focus more on meeting commitments, rather than being able to focus on outcomes delivered to a customer. This often gets called a project-centric approach.
Ecosystem Mapping Canvas allows a team to systematically realize which system their product depends on and which system depends on their product. This ensures that the team is aware of the value tributaries and value distributors. This awareness ensures that these dependencies that affect end customers are always in consideration. The Ecosystem Mapping Canvas also helps teams realize the potential of building a platform rather than a singular product.
It is part of my suite of innovation canvases. The complete (and growing list) is composed of: Ecosystem Mapping Canvas, Elevator Pitch Canvas, Experiment Canvas, Idea Canvas, Product Management Canvas.
Introducing The Ecosystem Mapping CanvasThe Ecosystem Mapping Canvas is a strategic management tool. It allows you to discover an ecosystem around your product as to make it a value multipler.
This is where you list all systems that act as value tributaries to your product. So list data sources, platforms for which you are consumers and systems that hand over customer experience to you. In Enterprise systems these could be internal applications and in consumer product setting these could be external applications.
OutThis is where you list all systems that act as value distributaries of your product. So list data sinks, platforms for which consumers from you and systems to whom you hand over customer experience. In Enterprise systems these could be internal applications and in consumer product setting these could be external applications.
Internal ControlsAre you focusing on security, scanning of data for PII (Personal Identifiable Information), ways to ensure restricted access to customer data among employees and other ways to ensure internal control? This is where you list all systems and processes to ensure that data and personal information is safe while it is in motion or is at rest in your product.
External ControlsIt is very important to focus on relations that are specific to your product and generic like PCI-DSS, GDPR or CCPA. This is where you list all systems and processes to ensure compliance and checks.
Discovering Platforms from EcosystemOnce you have mapped the whole ecosystem, analysis in the following lines can help identify opportunities to build a platform. The definition of a Platform in this context is a software product that allows multiple (and often competing) products to derive value from it and often the value is an outcome of multiple (and often competing) products interacting with it.
Consider:
What features can be added that multiply value to those listed in “Out” and they will pay for itWhat features can be added that create new value just for those listed in “Out” (as against to the original customers) and they will pay for itWhat value can be abstracted out and provided as service to a new set of stakeholders in the same domain as existing onesWhat value can be abstracted out and provided as service to a new set of stakeholders in the different domain but same problem statementWhat can be done to ensure data from each partner is properly partitioned to ensure safety, security and complianceGet Ecosystem Mapping Canvas Ecosystem Mapping Canvas (PDF) Ecosystem Mapping Canvas (Google Sheet)Your ExampleIf you have used this version of the Ecosystem Mapping Canvas to articulate and develop your idea, do consider sharing a non-confidential version with me. I will post it here along with attribution. The more we share, the more we learn!
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July 23, 2021
Making Sense of Various Product Titles and Roles
Have the roles of Product Manager (ProMa), Product Owner, Technical Proma and other such variants of Product roles confused you? If you want to understand a bit more about how one is different from the other, then read on!
Product Manager RolesBased on their background and key strength, there are four types of Product Managers:
1. Domain Product ManagersThey have deep knowledge about the domain the product is serving. This is very common in Product orgs building products for Travel, Hospitality, Retail or E-Commerce sectors.
Consider this brief JD I recently got from a media org:
2. Business Product ManagersThe Sr. Product Manager is an expert in Account & User Management, focused on ensuring customers can create and manage accounts, profiles and devices in a secure, useful and intuitive manner. Having a keen eye for the identification and prevention of customer friction points is vital to the success of the candidate. The ideal candidate has strong domain expertise in subscription Direct-to-Consumer businesses and has experience in working at large scale. Experience in video streaming services is desirable.
They have a deep understanding of the business of the Product org. This includes expertise in relevant Business Models, sales processes and how P&L of the product is being managed.
Consider this from a JD of a large IT manufacturing org:
Serve as an evangelist for Infrastructure Services Portfolio, presenting to internal teams, and external partners and customers.Drive end to end product management execution from offering concept phase to plan, development, worldwide launch, maintenance and EOLCollaborate with geo Services Marketing and WW Marketing teams to generate internal and external product adoption and growth momentum.Develop messaging/value proposition for sales and customer enablementCreate product disclosures, marketing content, training materials, and competitive analysis to support successful WW Services offering launchManage existing offerings, establish and review schedules, facilitate meetings and ensure execution of programs/projectsEffectively communicate status of projects and objectives to Services leadershipEngage in the WW management and execution of cross-functional projects through the Offering Development Team (ODT) and Portfolio Investment Development Team (PIDT).Present strategic business cases, product positioning, and value propositionDeliver the marketing assets, training and enablement presentations, launch planning, and other deliverables.Provide product communications to worldwide geographies’ teams as well as jointly planning Go-To-Market to drive sales momentum3. Technical Product Managers
They have deep knowledge of the technology of the product’s ecosystem. This is common when the product is used by technologists or highly skilled developers.
Consider this JD of an innovation team in a data-rich e-commerce org:
Collaborate with multiple business units and product teams to define and prioritize the product roadmap for Computer Vision (CV) and Natural Language Understanding (NLU) platformsWork with DS leadership team to drive the research priorities in Vision and NLU productsWork with the DS team to define the data requirements for our AI products and work with our internal partners to fulfill the sameUnderstand and appreciate the current State-of-the-art in Computer Vision and NLU technology and create robust internal benchmarks for the sameWork with one of the best data science and engineering teams to build high-quality models in NLU/CV and map it to the needs of different product and business requirementsWrite clear and effective product requirements banking on technical abilities with experience working on AI-based productsDrive the platform products to successful adoption in various consumer-facing products4. Generalist Product Managers
They have deep knowledge of the tools and techniques of product management. They can help build any product across any domain based on any business process. Their key strength is the ability to ramp up fast to gain sufficient knowledge of the domain and technology. Such roles are common in startups, scaleups and SME org.
Consider this JD from Google:
Product Manager viz-a-viz Product Development: Product Owner
At Google, we put our users first. The world is always changing so we need Product Managers who are continuously adapting and excited to work on products that affect millions of people every day.
In this role, you will work cross-functionally to guide products from conception to launch by connecting the technical and business worlds. You can break down complex problems into steps that drive product development at Google speed.
One of the many reasons Google consistently brings innovative, world-changing products to market is because of the collaborative work we do in Product Management. Our team works closely with creative and prolific engineers, designers, marketers, etc. to help design and develop technologies that improve access to the world’s information. We’re responsible for guiding products throughout the execution cycle, focusing specifically on analyzing, positioning, packaging, promoting, and tailoring our solutions to our users.
Google aims to build products that organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible to our users. As a Product Manager at Google, you could be working on new technologies, platforms, consumer-facing products, and/or enterprise systems. The end goal will be to match you with the team that best aligns with your interests, experience, and where you will have the most impact.
Among other tasks, one key task for a Product Manager is interacting with the software development team that is building the product. In the modern software development process, this role is often described as that of a Product Owner.
Consider this definition of a Product Owner from scrumguides.org:
The Product Owner is accountable for maximizing the value of the product resulting from the work of the Scrum Team. How this is done may vary widely across organizations, Scrum Teams, and individuals.
The Product Owner is also accountable for effective Product Backlog management, which includes:
Developing and explicitly communicating the Product Goal;Creating and clearly communicating Product Backlog items;Ordering Product Backlog items; and,Ensuring that the Product Backlog is transparent, visible and understood.The Product Owner may do the above work or may delegate the responsibility to others. Regardless, the Product Owner remains accountable.
For Product Owners to succeed, the entire organization must respect their decisions. These decisions are visible in the content and ordering of the Product Backlog, and through the inspectable Increment at the Sprint Review.
The Product Owner is one person, not a committee. The Product Owner may represent the needs of many stakeholders in the Product Backlog. Those wanting to change the Product Backlog can do so by trying to convince the Product Owner.
While this role is expected to be played by a Product Manager, it is common when this is played by someone else.
In my experience, I have come across the following playing the role of a Product Owner:
Product Manager of the ProductChief Architect of the ProductGeneral Manager responsible for the P&L of the product line (and also owned support, marketing and other helper functions)Program Manager running the program on behalf of a General ManagerProduct Manager as a ConsultantThere are two kinds of Product Management professionals today:
Those who work for a Product org, andThose who work for a Services or Consulting orgOften Product Orgs take the help of services org or software consultancy to help them with build the whole product or a key part of it.
Typically, the team from the vendor (a common term for hired services org or software consultancy) side used to be deliver-oriented. Such a team tends to be composed of Developers, QA and BA. Nowadays, a Product Manager has also joined the mix.
There are two ways vendor’s Product Management professionals are used by the Product Orgs:
Staffed as a full Product ManagerHere the vendor helps the Product Org with staff augmentation. Product Orgs usually do this for the following reasons:
to accelerate a Product Manager joining the team as hiring the right fit may take time,have access to highly skill Product Managers to set up various tools and processes for as long as needed, orto control the cost due to additional staffThey interact with the software development team that is building the product in the capacity of a Product Owner.
Staffed as a pair with the existing Product ManagerHere the vendor helps the Product Org with extra help for an over-stretched Product Manager. Product Orgs usually do this for the following reasons:
Product Manager is a Domain/Technical/Business ProMa and needs help with best practices various tools & techniques, orDevelopment of product is in full swing and being executed by multiple teams and the Product Manager is unable to support themThey interact with the software development team that is building the product as a proxy for the Product Owner as a Proxy Product Owner. That way the Product Manager has to just ensure the Proxy PO is in sync, who in turn ensures all development teams are in sync.
Summary ChartThe following is a pictorial representation of the above relationships:
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You can download an Google Slides version of the above here: https://bit.ly/product-roles.
Summary TableThe following is a tabular representation of the above relationships:
Product RoleKey Position of StrengthRole in Context of Product Development TeamTypically Found InGeneralist ProMaDeep knowledge & experience of various tools and techniques of Product ManagementProduct OwnerSmall and Medium Sized EnterpriseBusiness ProMaDeep knowledge & experience of business methods the product is adoptingProduct OwnerLarge E-Commerce EnterpriseDomain ProMaDeep knowledge & experience of the domain of the productProduct OwnerLarge Retail EnterpriseTechnical ProMaDeep knowledge & experience of technology the product is enablingProduct OwnerProducts for TechnologistsConsultant ProMaDeep knowledge & experience in ConsultingTypically a Generalist ProMaProduct Owner: When fully staffedProxy Product Owner: When Paired with Client Product OwnerStartups that are scaling upOrgs that are undergoing TransformationOrgs that are handling a business crisisProgram / General ManagerOwnership of Outcome and ability to drive budgetsProduct OwnerTraditionally non-software orgsArchitectDeep technical knowledge & experience of technology the product is enablingProduct OwnerOrg that are undergoing Digital TransformationConclusionWhat Product are you playing or aspire to play?
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