Household projects and digital projects share similarities in the planning and execution processes. Both require a clear blueprint or design to guide the construction, whether it’s architectural blueprints for a house or wireframes and specifications for a digital project. In both cases, skilled leaders are essential, with Decorators and Construction Project Managers for a house, and Product Managers and Project Managers for a digital project. However, the misunderstanding of all four of these roles is prolific in their respective fields. What happens in the negative space where Product and Project Management are misused or, even worse, not assigned to a project at all?
Flooring – The Product Management Role
The average homeowner’s misunderstanding of a Decorator’s role has the same fundamental problem with modern-day digital Product Management. The homeowner may think the decorator is only giving an opinion about color and style, but their knowledge and skills go way beyond that.
Let’s take an example. A young professional couple has saved bonus checks and can finally buy new flooring for their fixer-upper. They agreed to the upgrade and would like to replace the carpet in the living room. The current state is wall-to-wall carpet with various wear patterns and stains. The future state will be…something awesome, but what does that mean? Do we need something functional to sell in two years? Do we want to consider something other than carpet? Is this our forever home? What if we remove the carpet and discover an unknown problem?
The couple agreed to do the one room and replace the old carpet. Both start searching for options in the usual place, their phones. They share links and eventually create a Google spreadsheet to attempt to categorize their choices. This helped to identify what they liked. Next came the hard part; deciding their pricepoint and who could do the install. Another spreadsheet column was added to capture the installer facet of offers and a list of things they charge extra for (the charges and special service fees factored into the price). Besides agreeing on carpet style, they also agreed on a budget…sorta. At least, they had a budget until they found out that one of the more expensive options offered financing.
Stop here for a moment. If this was a project at a corporation and finance was mentioned, guess what’s coming next? Yes, Legal. Then Security. After that, HR will be added to the project to cover all the bases and handle transparency. Who is going to manage these four shared services departments? You guessed it. A Product Manager!
If the couple had identified a Decorator or someone with the knowledge of how to listen with the intent of capturing requirements, then the spreadsheets would be limited and the options guided toward the outcome. I.e. they needed new carpeting because during the holiday, they were going to announce that the Misses is getting a big promotion at work. Speed of execution would be considered over taste, while still being within budget. The Decorator would have steered them to an available product. And they would have hired installers with openings who wouldn’t charge extra to move the exercise equipment.
Product Management approaches the customer’s preferences and requirements as a task of a project with the intention of the outcome. They consider current priorities; usually a project sponsored by a VP of the most profitable department. They consider how they want to sell and distribute a product and engage in digital strategy to reach the customer. How are they managing success? Is it the key metric, media impressions, market share, or just a test? Keep in mind a Digital ProDuct Manager is NOT a ProJect Manager. The first is the expert in the domain and responsible for the customer outcome. The second is the establishment of a delivery cadence over a prioritized sequence of capabilities agreed upon by the Business Sponsor and the Product Manager. Digital Product Managers are the Decorators of the business world.
While the above example addresses the paradox of choices aligned to logistics and service providers, it does not establish a poor decision that can not be deleted. The couple needed the carpet delivered and installed. Installing carpet is not in a typical homeowner’s wheelhouse. The average homeowner’s skill in home improvement is more in line with adding holiday lights to the bushes. Everything looks easier on the DIY YouTube channel than it is in practice! The same goes for a digital product. Just because Shopify now has a plugin does not make it any less complex.
In the next example we discuss work the homeowners could do on their own to save money, or “sweat equity.”
Lighting – The Project Management Role
Let’s get back to the young professional couple who, this time, wants to prepare for some backyard gatherings and find a reason to turn on that gas heater they purchased during COVID. The couple recently had dinner at a restaurant that had outdoor seating in a courtyard with string lights overhead. We’re not talking about the small holiday lights you hang on a tree in December. These are screw-in light bulbs that appear to float in the air and add the ambiance they want in their backyard.
They contacted a professional company with a sales consultant who informed them the next step was scheduling the Construction Project Manager. Wait. I just want to run 100 feet of lights in the backyard connected to the deck, house, and various trees. Still shocked by the price of the project, which includes the lights, installation, permits, etc., the couple thanked the sales consultant and immediately turned, again, to their phones. They searched for a kit of backyard lights and found one on sale! Why do we need a Construction Project Manager? We have YouTube and friends with tools.
Fast forward to three internet purchases, a trip to buy the right ladder, new holes in the house, and an iOS upgrade to work with the LED lights app. The lights are on but only in the default LED color. There are extra holes in the house because they measured wrong the first two times. The ladder lives perpetually in the backyard to “wiggle the cord” to make up for the bad connection in the wiring. And the latest; the HOA called to say that the wire cable supporting the lights violates their neighborhood’s code.
Wait! How much was that quote again? The backyard gatherings have passed and the ladder now collects snow. Did we pay the fine to the HOA? I wish we would have worked with the Construction Project Manager. They would have known about the HOA and would have hired the right contractor who has a taller ladder, not to mention the skill to patch the mistake holes drilled into the house. Although, the contractor likely wouldn’t have measured wrong in the first place.
A Digital Project Manager has the skill and the time to discover the obstacles before the project goes sideways. They are the Construction Project Managers of the business world.
Filling the Negative Space
When it comes to household projects and digital endeavors, the common threads of clear planning, skilled leadership, and the importance of specialized roles cannot be overlooked. In the negative space where Product and Project Manager roles are not assigned or are underutilized, projects risk going off track, budgets may spiral out of control, and valuable time may be wasted. Recognize the need for a deeper understanding of these roles and their significance in guiding projects to successful completion. Product Management and Project Management are the bridges to turning ambitions into accomplishments.
Let Aries Solutions lead your composable commerce project to success. Contact us today!