Get

• Best practices• Lessons learned• Case studies• Tactics – the manual for how to be a product manager• Product rollout, communications, marketing• Building great teams• How PM is done at different companies• Networking• Understanding branding• Career paths • Continuing education – formal (MBA) and informal (trade

shows, knowing industry better)

Give

• Usability knowledge

• Web analytics

• Cross-functional success – keep the plates spinning, how to do that across groups

• marketing

Get

• Best practices

• Innovation, new product development

• What are the resources for PMs? Courses, etc

• How to work with PMs (if you’re not a PM) – sales, technology, design

• “Business stuff” – finance, market sizing, cost estimates, pricing, working with sales

Give

• Brand management / branding

• Technical

• User-centered design

• How to develop your product’s vision / strategy

Get

• For non-PMs: How to be more effective working with product managers

• Networking• Learn / explore best practices• How to get in to an area as a new product

manager – getting the lay of the land – working with teams

• How close is PM to brand management?• How do you test if a product concept will work?• Resources for product management, learning,

continuing education

Give

• For non-PMs: What is it like to work with a PM? What are the challenges / issues working with PMs? How can you work with PMs more effectively?

• Software development lifecycle – IT experience ; product management lifecycle

Topics for meetings

• How to educate your sales force about your product? How to train sales? How do you make sure they are knowledgeable? How to work effectively with sales?

• How do other companies handle ______?• Where does the handoff occur from

Product management to _____? How involved are PMs (should PMs be) ongoing with a product?

• How do you measure the success of PMs? Goals for PMs… How do you approach the conversation?

• Org chart – where does PM fit? How do you organize a group of PMs? Product management team structure

• What is the scope of product management? What should / shouldn’t PMs do? Roles / responsibilities?

• What background do you need to be a PM? What are the benefits of each background? (The MBA question.) What backgrounds do good PMs come from

• Three perspectives on the same topic (panel-led discussion) – product perspective, agency, client

Logistics

• Monthly

• Second Tuesday / Wednesday?

• Networking @ 5, meeting @ 5:30, end @ 7 (7:15… 7:30… ?)