Building Product Management As A Service (PMaaS)
May 23, 2023
As the app development scene becomes increasingly competitive, managing project scope and resources is crucial for both development companies and their startup clientele. I had a firsthand experience of this challenge during my tenure at STRV, a reputable design and development studio. This is a story of confronting the unique difficulties we faced at STRV and how creating a 'Product Management as a Service' model provided a novel solution.
The Challenge
STRV, like many other development studios, often works with startups. While the enthusiasm of startups is contagious, their project management needs can be challenging. On multiple occasions, startups would run out of funds before the app was complete. This issue was commonly triggered by an influx of feature requests, which increased development time and cost, creating a difficult position for both STRV and the client.
In situations like these, product management is the missing link. It serves as a bridge between the endless possibilities of what a product can do (features it can offer) and the realities of time, budget, and resources. As a mediator, product management is essential to align the development process with the financial and temporal capacities of a project. This was a realization that came with time and some tough experiences at STRV.
Shall we call it PMaaS?
When I joined STRV as Head of Products, the need for effective product management was clear. Leveraging my past experience at ESPN, where I worked with incredibly talented designers and engineers to manage key partnership products, I took on the challenge to pioneer a new approach at STRV. The result was the conception and implementation of 'Product Management as a Service' (PMaaS).
PMaaS involved bringing product management expertise into every client project. This meant having dedicated professionals who could manage feature requests, align the scope of work with budgets, and ensure that project timelines were adhered to.
The introduction of PMaaS brought significant improvements. Projects were now being completed on time, and budget overruns were minimized. Clients appreciated the new approach as it allowed for a more efficient use of their funds, making the previously tumultuous journey of building an app much smoother. For STRV, this resulted in better project efficiency and higher client satisfaction rates.
The World Wide Leader..
In developing the PMaaS model at STRV, my previous experience as a Sr. Product Manager at ESPN was instrumental. At ESPN, working with a team of high-caliber professionals, I learned how to balance the creativity of designers and the precision of engineers with the constraints of time, resources, and business goals. This knowledge was invaluable when developing STRV's PMaaS model, as it provided me with tested strategies for managing complex projects and diverse teams.
Our experience at STRV demonstrated that PMaaS can be transformative. For companies dealing with similar client-driven feature requests, PMaaS can provide a structure to manage client expectations, budget, and timeline. It offers a scalable solution that can be adapted based on the specific needs of each client, making it versatile and broadly applicable.
A Takeaway
The journey to PMaaS at STRV underscored the importance of proactive product management. By identifying a gap and leveraging my past experiences, we were able to transform the way STRV approached client projects and set a precedent for other app development companies. The PMaaS experience serves as a reminder that sometimes, the challenges we face provide the impetus for our most innovative solutions.
Editors Note(s):
The responsibility when holding someone's idea
As the app development scene becomes increasingly competitive, managing project scope and resources is crucial for both development companies and their startup clientele. I had a firsthand experience of this challenge during my tenure at STRV, a reputable design and development studio. This is a story of confronting the unique difficulties we faced at STRV and how creating a 'Product Management as a Service' model provided a novel solution.
The Challenge
STRV, like many other development studios, often works with startups. While the enthusiasm of startups is contagious, their project management needs can be challenging. On multiple occasions, startups would run out of funds before the app was complete. This issue was commonly triggered by an influx of feature requests, which increased development time and cost, creating a difficult position for both STRV and the client.
In situations like these, product management is the missing link. It serves as a bridge between the endless possibilities of what a product can do (features it can offer) and the realities of time, budget, and resources. As a mediator, product management is essential to align the development process with the financial and temporal capacities of a project. This was a realization that came with time and some tough experiences at STRV.
Shall we call it PMaaS?
When I joined STRV as Head of Products, the need for effective product management was clear. Leveraging my past experience at ESPN, where I worked with incredibly talented designers and engineers to manage key partnership products, I took on the challenge to pioneer a new approach at STRV. The result was the conception and implementation of 'Product Management as a Service' (PMaaS).
PMaaS involved bringing product management expertise into every client project. This meant having dedicated professionals who could manage feature requests, align the scope of work with budgets, and ensure that project timelines were adhered to.
The introduction of PMaaS brought significant improvements. Projects were now being completed on time, and budget overruns were minimized. Clients appreciated the new approach as it allowed for a more efficient use of their funds, making the previously tumultuous journey of building an app much smoother. For STRV, this resulted in better project efficiency and higher client satisfaction rates.
The World Wide Leader..
In developing the PMaaS model at STRV, my previous experience as a Sr. Product Manager at ESPN was instrumental. At ESPN, working with a team of high-caliber professionals, I learned how to balance the creativity of designers and the precision of engineers with the constraints of time, resources, and business goals. This knowledge was invaluable when developing STRV's PMaaS model, as it provided me with tested strategies for managing complex projects and diverse teams.
Our experience at STRV demonstrated that PMaaS can be transformative. For companies dealing with similar client-driven feature requests, PMaaS can provide a structure to manage client expectations, budget, and timeline. It offers a scalable solution that can be adapted based on the specific needs of each client, making it versatile and broadly applicable.
A Takeaway
The journey to PMaaS at STRV underscored the importance of proactive product management. By identifying a gap and leveraging my past experiences, we were able to transform the way STRV approached client projects and set a precedent for other app development companies. The PMaaS experience serves as a reminder that sometimes, the challenges we face provide the impetus for our most innovative solutions.
Editors Note(s):
The responsibility when holding someone's idea