Drive

"Drive the product cycle from planning to execution", stop me if you've heard this one before... but, what does this driving the product thing mean anyway?

Well, let's imagine software development as a starship. You have loads of engineers sitting in different rooms, each one responsible for one important functionality, together they make this magnificent technological wonder a reality, but they are all very much focused on what they are doing - heck, they better be!

I'm sure you see where this is going, so yes, you are the captain. The head of the operation, the one person that needs to know beyond certainty that each and every engineer is doing the right thing; not the most urgent, not the one that seems right in his room at that very moment, the one that keeps his eye on the big picture - the product goals - and that the ship is on track.

Beautiful illustrations aside (pats his own back) captaining/driving means you also need to make sure everyone is putting their back to it. You can make the goals crystal clear in your PRD, emails, Jira tickets or Slack messages, that is not enough. You have to make direct, personal contact - never assume, always double-check. Yes, some times you will need to push some virtual gas pedals... however, even when at times it feels more like an 18th century galley than a starship, I personally do not believe in whip cracking. As noted earlier on this blog, I believe in honey over vinegar, and that a product leader onboards and drives his team by involving them, sharing goals & aspirations, showing that the outputs of their work are meaningful and appreciated.

Drive also means personal example in my book. A team will rarely show dedication if its leader does not... so yes, take a hard good look and ask if you are driving yourself as fast and as true as you can, because everything starts with you - again I will repeat an earlier blog note, you must be there when they call on you, and fast. Demand from yourself the drive, the efforts, the earnestness that you expect from others.