# Product Management Theater  ## Metadata - Author: [[Marty Cagan]] - Full Title: Product Management Theater - Category: #articles - Summary: Product management roles are facing a reckoning as companies realize that delivery team product owners and feature team product managers are not what they thought they were. The author warns that Generative AI will only compound this issue. The article aims to help individuals in these roles understand if they are vulnerable and how they can increase their contributions to their company to avoid being cut when cost-saving measures are implemented. The author differentiates between feature teams and product teams and emphasizes the importance of building business skills, data skills, and customer knowledge for true product managers. The article also criticizes certifications in the product management industry, stating that they do not indicate the necessary product skills and experience. - URL: https://www.svpg.com/product-management-theater/ ## Highlights - delivery team product owners, and feature team product managers are likely going to be facing a reckoning as companies realize that these roles are not what they thought they were. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hnfyp87fmff0fabnyxmcnynr)) - a feature team product manager was essentially a glorified (and usually overpaid) *project* manager, and that a delivery team product owner was little more than a backlog administrator. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hnfyr3qjq6xkc7ay4a7fsecw)) - a good *project* manager is a valuable member of a product organization. But it’s not hard to see how a strong tech lead, product designer, engineering manager or program manager could cover this role. ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hnfyv1xyy3x20qzwa5pzs9ny)) - you likely *will* need to build your business skills, data skills, and your [customer knowledge](https://www.svpg.com/product-sense-demystified/). ([View Highlight](https://read.readwise.io/read/01hnfyz2hp4cwsa34kkprnfkzx))