Managing People and Products the Agile Way July 21, 2010

There have been a lot of changes over the years, from the advent of the Internet, ever cheapening bandwidth and processing power, the ability distribute products with little transaction costs, and hosted services where we can gather usage metrics and push updates on our schedule. But if we had to pick one change, Agile development stands out as the most significant innovation for product management that has occurred in this lifetime.

If you want innovative products that are delivered on time, you have to understand how to support & encourage your teams without over directing them. In other words, you have to get out of the way, because high-tech people can organize themselves very well under the right conditions.

Managing high-tech development is not for the faint of heart. Most of us believe that understanding the technology is sufficient for leading a high-tech group, but it actually takes a lot more than that to be successful.

For managing people, you will learn:
* What are the common mistakes technologists make when they become managers?
* How to encourage professional growth in your high-tech teams
* What is the most important factor in your mind-set when planning new products?
* Do you really need to be an expert in your teams' technologies?
* Can you really afford those prima donnas on your team?

For managing products, you will learn:
* The top three reasons Agile Development is great for product management
* How to leverage Agile for greater product success
* Changes product managers need to make to take full advantage of Agile
* The two most important things to watch out for when working with an Agile development team
* Where to start

John Levy is a management consultant who helps product development & IT organizations get consistent, predictable, and innovative results. John has 30+ years of experience in the computer & software industry.

Greg Cohen is a Senior Principal Consultant with the 280 Group & a 15 year Product Management veteran.

Official Website: http://www.meetup.com/HappyAbout/calendar/13654633