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You’re not alone. Tech Layoffs are everywhere

tl;dr - I’ll cut to the chase. It’s bad out there for those interviewing at tech companies. Tech companies overhired and indexed on growth over operational efficiency, laid off the redundant and bottom performers, and now layoff Horror Stories like this are all over the internet. I’ve seen fewer program manager and technical program manager jobs posted compared to the uptick in pandemic hiring. So now is a great time to start refreshing your interview skills.

Tracking the latest layoffs with Layoffs.fyi

tl;dr - You know what’s even more depressing? Seeing the actual numbers behind the layoffs. If you haven’t already, make sure to bookmark Layoffs.fyi to see the latest updates. While it may seem like doom and gloom, it could be an opportunity to snag talent or message the survivors for leftover roles that need to be backfilled.

Chart from Layoffs.fyi

Otta Makes Job Searching/Applying Tolerable

tl;dr - I hate applying for jobs as much as the next person, but at least Otta tries to make it easier for us. Otta tries to help find you the perfect tech gigs by aligning them to your values and passions and even has Otta-specific reviews of the company’s interview process, response time, and culture.

The better way to find a job in tech

Only matches tailored to your preferences. Only the most exciting, innovative and fast-moving companies.

No More Crappy Resumes with FlowCV

tl;dr - Creating your resume doesn’t have to be a pain. In fact, it should be collaborative. During my most recent job search, I personally leveraged FlowCV. It’s free, btw, but there are paid versions

FlowCV - Free Resume Builder

Quickly create a beautiful resume or CV for free and get useful tips along the way. Share your resume easily with your friends and customize it easily.

Your Resume Needs to Be 1 Page. Seriously.

You know that old adage to keep your resume short and sweet? It was no joke. And Jerry Lee uploaded a video recently showing you just ow little time recruiters spend on your resume. It’s important to optimize your resume for their short attention spans so make every word and space count!

See you next time 👋🏽

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Oh, btw 📗. Did you know that I also have the #1 rated Program Manager Interview Course with over 7000 students and 1000 reviews? Check out it! 

Program Management Interview Course

Master an effective interview framework for program manager roles at tech companies

So you're a program manager, the mastermind behind complex projects, the glue that holds ambitious initiatives together. And while the satisfaction of seeing your plans come to life is unmatched, you know what else would feel good? A salary that reflects your crucial role and expertise. Let's dive in!

The Average Program Manager Salary: Numbers Don't Lie

Before we strategize, let's set the baseline. According to ZipRecruiter: The provided range gives a clear picture, with the middle 50% of program manager salaries falling between $116,000 and $132,500.

A reasonable estimate for the median base salary of a program manager in the United States would be around $124,000. But remember, this is just a ballpark figure. Your actual worth depends on a constellation of factors, like:

• Experience: The more years you have under your belt, the more valuable you become. Senior program managers can command salaries significantly higher than their entry-level counterparts.

• Industry: Some sectors, like tech and finance, notoriously pay program managers handsomely.

• Location: Big cities like San Francisco and New York often offer higher salaries than smaller towns (but at a higher cost of living).

• Company size: Large corporations usually have bigger budgets and more room for salary negotiations.

• Education and Certifications: Advanced degrees and specialized certifications like PMP can boost your earning potential. (I’m still on the fence about this one, but I have to mention it out of due diligence)

Level Up Your Salary Game: Strategies for Earning More

Now, the fun part! Here are some actionable ways to skyrocket your program manager salary:

1. Hone Your Skills, Sharpen Your Edge:

   1. Master the Core: Project management methodologies, budgeting, risk management, stakeholder engagement – be an expert in all things program management and regularly review the PMBOK for best practices.

   2. Become Tech-Savvy: Tools like Asana, Jira, and Confluence are your best friends. Learn them inside and out, and stay ahead of the curve with emerging technologies.

   3. Communication is Key: Hone your communication skills, both written and verbal. Clear, concise, and persuasive communication is vital for building trust and buy-in with stakeholders.

2. Build Your Brand, Showcase Your Value:

   1. Quantify Your Achievements: Don't just say you delivered the project on time and under budget. Show the numbers, the impact, and the ROI you generated. Use data to tell your success story.

   2. Network Like a Pro: Attend industry events, connect with other program managers on LinkedIn, and build relationships with potential employers.

   3. Publish and Speak Up: Share your expertise through blog posts, articles, or even public speaking engagements. Becoming a thought leader in your field and subject matter expertise attracts opportunities and recognition.

3. Negotiation Ninja – Master the Salary Dance:

   1. Do Your Research: Know your worth! Use salary databases and reports to understand the market rate for program managers with your experience and skills in your specific location and industry.

   2. Practice Makes Perfect: Rehearse your negotiation points beforehand. Be confident, articulate your value, and don't be afraid to walk away from an offer that undervalues you.

   3. Consider Total Compensation: Salary is just one piece of the puzzle. Look at benefits, bonuses, stock options, and other perks when evaluating job offers.

The Nuclear Option: Change Jobs or Team/Organization

Unlike in the past, loyalty means little these days. In all likelihood, and in this economy, there is no certainty, and layoffs/restructuring is bound to happen. You should always be open to opportunities outside and be prepared to jump ship if you can leverage a better salary. My bare minimum to jump ship is 10% (including other fringe benefits), but I’ll almost always jump ship if the increase is 15%.

Bonus Tip: Upskilling in a select niche is key! Consider specializing in a high-demand area like Agile project management, cybersecurity, data analytics, compliance, and the new “it” thing, AI. It'll open doors to higher-paying opportunities.

Share the power! Forward this newsletter to your fellow program manager colleagues and let's crack the salary code together!

The Scenario 🙋🏻

Picture this scenario: you're going about your day, reviewing your portfolio of projects and programs, when someone approaches you with a “significant issue” and believes you can resolve it.

They put time on your calendar, you meet, and you listen to their harrowing and grievous problem that could destroy the world.

After taking some notes, the smart Program Manager in you realizes the following:

1. This problem may not actually be that big of a deal

2. This problem is solvable

3. I may not be the correct person to solve this problem

4. I may not be allowed to solve this problem (out of my scope)

5. This problem needs to be escalated to a decision-maker

So what are the next steps? How do I triage this problem correctly without making any false promises or incorrectly working on something you’re not supposed to?

Easy. Write a Spike and give it to someone who cares more than you do

What is a Spike? 👋🏽

A Scrum spike is a short, document focused on gathering information or solving a specific problem. It is typically used when there is uncertainty about a problem or solution and no clear answer is available.

Benefits

• Gather information and clearly define the problem

• Reduce risk by defining consequences

• Derive possible solutions for the decision-maker

• Fast and low-cost

• It helps identify the correct accountable party/person

• Makes you look responsible, lol

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How to Create a Spike ✅

There are a bunch of different variations for creating spikes but this is my favorite structure geared toward my needs, my organization, and it’s short and hyper-focused. Try to make it no longer than 1 - 2 pages.

1. Problem Statement

   1. Define the problem. Short and sweet.

2. Anticipated Consequence (What if we do nothing)

   1. This is my favorite part. Paint the worst scenario possible. Many times, this will stop a problem in its tracks or help escalate.

3. Affected Services/Teams/Products/Projects/Programs

   1. This section is used for additional context or detail building

4. Possible Solutions

   1. A short list of possible solutions

5. Recommended Solution (just 1 and only 1)

   1. Your recommended best solution

6. Historical Context

   1. The key dates/details/meetings/chat messages that led up to this event

Next: Escalate 📈

After you’ve created your Spike it’s time to escalate. You generally have around 3 choices of different combinations:

1. Escalate to your manager

2. Escalate to the problem origin’s manager (the person who approached you with the problem in the first place)

3. Escalate to the managers of affected teams/programs/projects defined in the Spike

Et voila!

And that’s it. From there, leadership will provide guidance as to which solution is ideal and will assign ownership. It might be you, or it might not 🤷🏽.

See you next week 🙏

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Notes is a new space on Substack for us to share links, short posts, quotes, photos, and more. I plan to use it for things that don’t fit in the newsletter, like work-in-progress or quick questions.

Go to Notes

How to join

Head to substack.com/notes or find the “Notes” tab in the Substack app. As a subscriber to The Unblockers, you’ll automatically see my notes. Feel free to like, reply, or share them around!

You can also share notes of your own. I hope this becomes a space where every reader of The Unblockers can share thoughts, ideas, and interesting quotes from the things we're reading on Substack and beyond.

If you encounter any issues, you can always refer to the Notes FAQ for assistance. Looking forward to seeing you there!

Go to Notes

Having trouble getting people to get their work done and take responsibility for certain problems? Consider using a RACI Chart.

What is it?

A RACI chart (also known as a RACI matrix or responsibility assignment matrix) stands for responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed. It is a visual representation of the roles and responsibilities of individuals or groups within a project or organization. 

What’s it do?

It is used to clearly define and document who is responsible for each task or decision, and to ensure that everyone understands their roles and responsibilities within the project or organization. 

A RACI chart typically includes a list of tasks or activities on the left-hand side and a list of individuals or groups on the top. Each task or activity is then assigned to a specific individual or group based on their role in the task. The four main roles that can be assigned in a RACI chart are:

1. Responsible: This is the person or group who is responsible for completing the task or activity. They have the authority to make decisions and take actions related to the task.

2. Accountable: This is the person or group who is ultimately accountable for the success or failure of the task or activity. They are the final decision-maker and are responsible for ensuring that the task is completed on time and to the required standards. 

3. Consulted: This is the person or group who needs to be consulted or involved in the decision-making process for the task or activity. They may not have final say in the decision, but their input is important.

4. Informed: This is the person or group who needs to be kept informed about the progress of the task or activity. They may not be directly involved in the decision-making process, but they need to be aware of what is happening.

PROS

1. Clearly defines roles and responsibilities

2. Increases accountability

3. Prevents misunderstandings and conflicts

4. Improves communication

CONS

1. Takes time to create

2. Requires ongoing maintenance

3. Can be inflexible

4. May not be suitable for all projects or organizations

See you next week 🙏

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According to Parkinson's Law, "Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." To try and combat this, we can use the technique called Timeboxing!

Timeboxing is a time management technique in which a fixed amount of time is allocated for a specific task or activity. The reason we do this is to set clear boundaries on how much time can be spent on a task. By doing this, we can help to increase focus, productivity, and efficiency.

It’s commonly used to control the amount of effort, money, complexity, and obviously time that is spent on a single endeavor, and by using this technique, we tend to focus on a specific outcome at the end of the timebox. 

Example 1

Imagine that you have a project that needs to be completed by the end of the day. You can use timeboxing to divide the project into smaller, more manageable tasks and allocate a specific amount of time for each task. For example, you might decide to spend the first hour of the day researching the topic, the second hour writing the introduction, the third hour writing the body of the paper, and the fourth hour editing and revising the final draft. By breaking the project down into smaller chunks and allocating a fixed amount of time for each task, you can stay focused and avoid getting overwhelmed by the scope of the project.

Example 2

Another example of Timeboxing is used for experimentation of new ideas, products, prototypes, processes, or whatever else that you’re uncertain may or may not work. Let’s say for example that you’ve developed an idea for a new process that you can implement at work. Unfortunately, you have no idea if it will actually yield the results that your manager is looking for. Timeboxing may prove useful here because you can set a fixed amount of time to try and implement or test the new process. If it doesn’t yield the desired results by the end of the timebox, then you decided if you either want to kill the project or change the requirements.

How to use it

In most cases, Timeboxing should be used to limit the amount of effort you put into a certain task.

1. Select a task or project

2. Assign a strict span of time to that task or project

3. Identify the goals of that span of time

4. Execute

5. At the end of the span of time, measure and evaluate

6. Kill, finish, or redirect the project

See you next week 🙏

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Otherwise, take a look at the first episode of our new podcast! https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/b07y4CLoYvb

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5 Reasons why developers hate product owners

tl;dr - Mistrust, bossy behavior, lack of bandwidth, delivery over outcome, and burndown obsession. There, summed it up for you. But keep reading if you want the juicy details.

Ditch your roadmap for a product landscape

tl;dr - Landscapes help develop mental product models instead of the conventional roadmap. They also help formalize vision and reduce uncertainty.

What the Heck Is a Developer Advocate?

tl;dr - A person that helps communities and customers work their products, APIs, features, etc. Make friends with them, they tend to gather feedback and insight directly from the customer base that you may be able to use.

The Four Laws of Design Program Management

tl;dr - Fidelity, Collaboration, Cohesion, Reflection. Ain’t got no time to read it all. But the same pattern is applied to most design thinking—useful for program managers.

TPM Stories: Heather Johnson from Stripe

tl;dr - Want a dedicated point of view from some of the best TPMs in the industry? Stay and while and listen to Heather Johnson from Stripe. She sheds some interesting insight into how her career developed over the years.

See you next week 🙏

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The Unblockers

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When Do Programmers Retire?

tl;dr - The retirement age for developers is getting younger. Don’t carry technology baggage and always work on improving yourself. Or, you know, switch to management instead.

The Market Nerfed the Scrum Master — And Made It a Failing Role

tl;dr - The Scrum Master doesn’t solve problems. They’re supposed to guides problem-solving. They should act as a pillar of inspiration and change leadership and not just relegated to rote work.

What Is Product Strategy?

tl;dr - Program managers must think strategically. Learn from how Product managers do it. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again as many times as it needs to be said—outcome over delivery, dammit!

Eight Months at a Startup Taught Me Even More Than Two Years in an MBA

tl;dr - I don’t get it. I just don’t see the ROI. I’ve personally worked at 3 different startups and learned much more than what my friends’ MBA curriculum could have taught. Think twice before attending an expensive MBA program.

Ditch your roadmap for a product landscape

tl;dr - Here’s an alternate perspective. Maybe, you know, don’t build a road but perhaps a map instead? It’s not crazy and forces stakeholders to account for the unknown uknowns.

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80/20 is the new Half-Ass

tl;dr - The Pareto principle and distribution is making you lazy and you know it. You focus soooo much on that first 20% that people downplay the last 80%. That last 80% is the rote, boring, tedious, yet necessary stuff.

Whatever happened to Six Sigma?

tl;dr - Six sigma just ain’t what it used to be. What exactly happened? How’d it fall out of fashion? Simple, software drives process now and the USA is not manufacturing as many things.

Make Boring Plans

tl;dr - Plans with hope are bound to fail. I have doubts about this one, but I see its merits. The boring plans are the predictable ones with fewer risks.

6 Ways to Prevent Team Dysfunction

tl;dr - Look, I get it. Sometimes your teammates annoy you. That doesn’t mean you’re supposed to just stop being a leader.

Do Product Owners Know What VALUE Really Is?

tl;dr - Ever think that maybe your PMs are getting a little too obsessed with Scrum story points? Feels like they’re trying to deliver features in lieu of outcome. No bueno.

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Ship impact, not features

tl;dr - I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, OUTCOME OVER DELIVERY. Outcomes align, teams, orgs, and entire companies. Consider creating impact reports after the completion of a project or the release of a new feature to further solidify success.

How to Create a Product Roadmap

tl;dr - Learning how to create product roadmaps help you understand the incentives and values of Product Managers with whom you’ll be working closely when it comes to driving initiatives, and NOT features.

Ideas to run better remote retrospectives

tl;dr - So you’re using agile huh? Oh, and still working remotely due to COVID? Here are a few tips to run that retrospective just a little better.

Why is the Uber app so large?

tl;dr - This one is just for you technical folks out there. Ever take a look at the download size of Uber? It’s gigantic. Here’s the reason why.

Working From Phone

tl;dr - Working from home has upended how work ethos and work-balance expectations function. I bet you’re always glued to your Slack messages on your phone aren’t you? Admit it.

See you next week 🙏

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6 “Non-Technical” Qualities of Great Software Engineers

tl;dr - These qualities aren’t limited to just SWEs. They frankly work well for anyone and should be mandatory to develop and refine—especially the “being a nice person“ quality.

Product Management Mental Models for Everyone

tl;dr - Seeing a pattern in this edition? These skills and perspectives aren’t just limited to PMs. You should learn how they think and why it’s important to be able to work with them effectively.

My Google Interview Experience

tl;dr - It wasn’t easy. Treat each of these interviews as practice. On average it takes about 4 - 6 interviews before someone gets a gig at Google.

Beating Ageism in Tech

tl;dr - Think you’ll be crushing meetings and using sheer grit to work hard at a tech company till you’re 50? You’re wrong. Ageism is real. Make sure to stay relevant or be phased out, or worse—automated.

Is Scrum Dying?

tl;dr - Depends. If the company keeps micro-managing then scrum isn’t as effective. Once the culture relinquishes control of the outcome (not deliverables) then scrum can thrive.

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Agile management for hardware product development in a nutshell

tl;dr - Agile ain’t just for software. It’s useful in hardware development also. Too often hardware gets bogged down in endless test phases. Demonstration of value is key in pushing forward.

The worst arguments for building a new feature

tl;dr - We’ve all done this. most of your ideas for a new product feature is awful and you’re distracted by the competitors’ own features. No customer or stakeholder is more important than a great product and the rest of its users.

Anatomy of a Product Disaster: Quibi

tl;dr -Heed this as a lesson for all of you. A SWOT analysis is critical for any new product, feature, or solution you’re proposing.

Why Scrum Masters shouldn’t be coaching Product Owners

tl;dr - I’ve seen this a lot lately. Scrum and Agile coaches attempting to coach Product Managers on how to do… well, Product Management. Stay in your swim lane. Agile coaches and scrum masters should simply ensure the value is delivered.

The Direct Report’s Guide to Meaningful One-on-Ones

tl;dr - I hope everyone here gets regular and meaningful one-on-ones with their manager. If not, leave. I’m serious. The article outlines an in-depth guide to having productive meetings with your manager.

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What Makes a Great API?

tl;dr - Straight from the Stack Overflow podcast, learn about what makes a great API and how they act as one of the key building blocks of full-featured products.

Scrum Ain’t Perfect

tl;dr - Hey, the PMP ain’t perfect either. Learn more about some of the unmentioned weaknesses of Scrum. Psst, it’s people leadership that they don’t teach you.

Top 3 Project Management Challenges for 2021

tl;dr - People management and managing remote teams turn out to be one of the biggest obstacles for PMs and PGMs. In my opinion, that’s every year though.

Driving Innovation in Large Organizations

tl;dr - You’re not just some tiny cog in a giant machine, you know. This article thoughtfully details some of the ways you can drive innovation. Hint: think product and customer-centric.

Managing Sloppy Teams

tl;dr - Feeling disconnected? Remote work making it harder to manage teams? You’re not alone. The Digital Project manager has a video detailing the obstacles of sloppy teams.

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Intro the Stakeholder Management

tl;dr - A critical piece of program/project management is managing those involved. It’s a lot of work, just like herding cats. Luckily there are well-understood tools you can use.

I was asked to design a new feature for slack as part of an interview

tl;dr - Interviews are becoming more product-centric. Questions and thought exercises revolve heavily around customer focus and empathy. Program managers are now required to have

Case Study: How I designed an $83k revenue MVP in just 4 days

tl;dr - It’s not all just program/project planning. Sometimes you’ll just have to do it yourself and run the whole cycle yourself. The author goes through an entire process of product and feature optimization and quick testing that resulted in increased revevenue.

The Agile Crisis

tl;dr - You’re doing Agile wrong. Many project managers keep trying to bring the same principles of project management into Agile values and methodology. They weren’t meant to deliver your projects. It was meant to bridge the gap between development and management.

Citizen Development is Just Shadow IT?

tl;dr - New SaaS automation software and no-code applications are becoming more full-featured and is democratizing knowledge and skills that was once only wielded by technical people. Now, the lowly marketer or analyst can use automation tools. This presents a challenge to existing IT and infrastructure teams as they grapple with the possible scale and security of citizen apps.

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Oh, and btw. I’ll be working on other projects for a bit so The Unblockers will take a short 2-week break after this edition. 🙇🏽‍♂️

What I learnt Speaking to 50 Product Managers

tl;dr - Surprisingly, aside from writing large amounts of PRDs and prototyping, their responsibilities see some overlap with PGMs. Learning more of what they do may help you interface and work with them better.

Design Thinking for Project Management

tl;dr - Don’t just take the obvious approach. New problems with new products require unconventional solutions. You’re not just a PGM, you’re also part designer. Don’t try and deny it.

REST vs SOAP

tl;dr - This question gets asked a lot in TPM interviews. I was asked this twice during my interview process. Might as well learn it now.

Smartsheet’s take on Program Management

tl;dr - A bit on the conventional side, but it’s good to know how it’s defined at a company that makes tools almost exclusively for project and program managers.

Do you have what it takes to be a TPM?

tl;dr - Well, do you? Of course, you do! Take a look at this short and concise overview with details surrounding the ever-expanding and evolving role of a project/program manager.

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The tl;dr — We use tl;dr to summarize topics and stands for “too long; didn’t read.” 

Design Systems Revolution and How to Adapt

tl;dr - Design systems are a company-wide central repository for product ideas and building patterns to ideate, build, and ship products/features faster. Program Managers should uplift and enable this effort through execution and strategy.

The 10 Attitudes of Outstanding Product Owners

tl;dr - You’re not just a program manager. You’re also a product owner. Priority over deadlines and stakeholder alignment over happiness.

Surfing towards achieving product outcomes using Portfolio Kanban

tl;dr - I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: outcome over deliverables. Portfolio Kanban tries to move away from backlogs and define them as options to commit to.

An Unorthodox Approach To Database Design: The Coming Of The Shard

tl;dr - Don’t throw more resources at a server to handle a larger database, shard the data instead.

Top 3 Project Management Challenges In 2020

tl;dr - People and project problems make up a bulk of the problems. However, the easiest value gain for the lowest value, in my opinion, is improving the Personal Skills they list.

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The tl;dr — We use tl;dr to summarize topics and stands for “too long; didn’t read.” 

The Theory of the Dead Horse in Scrum

tl;dr - Turns out if a certain step, part, person, etc. of your project/program is difficult you may want to evaluate and decide if it’s a dead horse. If so, consider “dismounting.“

Defining Product Strategy: The Value-Based Approach

tl;dr - Align your projects and programs with the vision and values of your company’s products.

The Product Strategy Cycle

tl;dr - Being integrated into the Product Strategy Cycle allows greater management of your projects and programs.

Improve Daily Scrums with 2 questions instead of 3

tl;dr - A bit on the hand-wavy side, but they say asking two questions can apparently magnify your story completion using the “swarm method.”

7 Ways to Build Your Leadership Now

tl;dr - Fairly structured, no-frills methods to refine your leadership.

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the tl;dr

We’re doing something a bit different for a while. We’ll be using tl;dr to summarize topics. I’ve been getting feedback that information needs to be distilled further and be more succinct. tl;dr stands for “too long; didn’t read.” You’re welcome. I just saved you a bunch of time.

What’s the Diff: OKRs vs KPIs

tl;dr - If you want to improve the overall direction of your initiatives, OKRs are probably the best choice. If you need to improve the performance of a feature, plan, or product, check your KPIs.

Essential leadership skills for project managers

tl;dr - There’s a gigantic scope of perspective and mental model that establish how much leadership a program manager has. Hint, hint, think long-term, and more strategic.

The New 2020 Scrum Guide

tl;dr - There’s way more emphasis on Product-centricity and it’s all about the why and instead of the how.

AI to Take Notes For You

tl;dr - You’re lazy. Admit it, so am I. This AI tool takes notes for you so you can focus better and not have to worry so much about transcribing. My only fear is that it will pick up my inner monologues during meetings—how embarrassing.

Spotify Added “Stories” and They’re Useless

tl;dr - Spotify added a new feature called Stories similar to the Facebook and Instagram Feed. Program Managers should understand when a feature or product probably shouldn’t exist.

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The PMP Test is changing. Here’s what’s new.

Well, it’s happening. It’s finally happening. The PMP test is changing and that’s a good thing. For too long we’ve been stuck in waterfall methodology and while waterfall still works very well for conventional industries and verticals, it is no longer applicable to fast-moving, innovative software and tech companies.

Why does this matter? Project managers must evolve. They cannot stay within the safety of waterfall or even agile for that matter. New-age program managers have been doing many of the new PMP domains and tasks for a while now.

1 on 1s Are the Most Valuable Meeting

Ah, yes, the 1 on 1. When I first started working I would speak to my manager maybe once a month in terms of my career and future aspirations. Now it’s once a week.

Why does this matter? 1 on 1s divulge a lot of information ranging from anything from career, project status, obstacles, etc. While that’s great and all, those are all tangible. The intangible is the working rapport you end up building. That same rapport is what you’ll use to recruit help for your own projects and programs.

How to Write a Proposal That Clients Can’t Say “No” To

For those of you in heavily projectized environments, this one is for you.

Why does this matter? Selling your projects, programs, and work is a key part of being a program manager. Your programs must earn visibility and commitment from leadership.

A Practical Prioritization Approach for Technical Debt

Tech debt is the bane of my existence and certainly the same for others. The creation of a decision tree to handle tech debt is a particularly compelling approach.

Why does this matter? For those of us that are TPMs and work closely with development teams, the article provides a sane approach to handling tech debt.

Make it OK to Speak Truth and Take Risks

It’s not enough to just tell people what to do. They have to feel safe. They have to trust the others on their team. There has to be a sense of inclusion for optimum productivity.

Why does this matter? Program managers must be skilled in aligning and holding others accountable. Remember, PGMsrarely lead by influence, not authority. I personally have convinced people to agree with my requests and push-backs simply by offering them coffee.

See you next week 🙏

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