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Reimagining Agile and Scrum for Product Management (Insights from Tien Yuan)

Updated: Nov 1

By Andrew Park | 2024-10-31


This article is based on a discussion I had with Tien Yuan, a product manager with extensive experience in SaaS and technical products. She has worked across various industries, focusing on Agile methodologies, product requirements, and user-centered design. Her approach emphasizes aligning product development with business objectives and improving time-to-value.

 

Throughout her career, Tien has observed several challenges within the traditional implementation of Agile and Scrum, particularly for product managers. While Agile and Scrum are effective in organizing development efforts, they often fall short of addressing the broader strategic needs of product management. In our discussion, we agreed that the roles and responsibilities often create an imbalance, with product managers bearing much of the coordination work. This imbalance can lead to burnout and negatively affect product outcomes.


“Too often, product managers end up as the ‘glue’ holding everything together. It’s exhausting and unsustainable, and it doesn’t have to be this way.”

 


Tien suggests that one of the key changes needed is a stronger partnership between product managers and senior engineers. She advocates for senior engineers to act as strategic partners who engage deeply with business requirements, rather than focusing solely on technical execution.

“A senior engineer should be more than a coder—they should be a partner in designing the future,” she explained.

 

This concept aligns with the principles of Product Oriented Software Engineering (POSE), a framework I established as a Product Leader and Engineering VP in 2006. POSE not only leads to better products but also significantly reduces workloads for product managers by transforming software engineers into product engineers. You can learn more about POSE in my upcoming book, Product Oriented Software Engineering, here.

 

Another area Tien emphasizes is the importance of clear communication and alignment in Agile practices. She believes that tools and processes should support not just speed but also accuracy in delivering value.


“It’s not enough to iterate quickly; we need to ensure that our teams are moving in the right direction. Alignment is critical to make sure that rapid iteration doesn’t just produce faster output but more meaningful outcomes.”

 

For Tien, success in product management involves more than just rapid iteration; it requires aligning teams around a well-defined product vision and business goals. This alignment ensures that engineering efforts are both efficient and meaningful in achieving long-term success.

 

Tien also highlights the need for Agile frameworks to be flexible enough to accommodate the evolving nature of product strategies. Product managers often navigate complex business landscapes and shifting user needs, which can be challenging within rigid sprint cycles. To address this, she advocates for more adaptable approaches that allow product managers to pivot and reprioritize as necessary, keeping products relevant and valuable.


“We need frameworks that support strategic pivots rather than hinder them. The market doesn’t wait for the next sprint,” Tien noted.

 

Ultimately, Tien believes that reimagining Agile and Scrum requires a shift from purely process-oriented thinking to a more strategic, outcome-focused approach. By fostering deeper collaboration between product managers and engineers, improving communication channels, and creating more adaptable frameworks, she aims to make product management more sustainable and effective in driving business outcomes.

 

“If we can spend less time managing mechanics and more time delivering meaningful results, we’re doing it right,” she concluded.



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