hmm, stumbled across some random posts on program management from another pm's blog that i just discovered tonight.



how pms came to be at microsoft and starting out as a program manager by chris prately



comments on non-technical pms by andrej



joel's rant on non-technical pms. i disagree with this statement: Number one required skill in a program manager is learning to make software developers do what you want by making them think *it was their own idea.* that's just ridiculous and not what the job is about. the thread that follows here is an interesting read...especially of the several mentions of the social capabilities of ms devs. some snippets that i find amusing:



Of the program managers and developers you know, on the whole, who has better people skills? eh? speak up boy, I can't hear you. Duh! Of course it's the program managers. You knew that. Developers couldn't people-skill their way out of a summer intern party at BillG's lakeside mansion.



The entire PM dynamic is summed up in eight words: "All of the responsibility; None of the authority."



The program managers, the programmers and the software are all in fundamental conflict. This makes for excellent drama, but not particularly excellent software. Let the manipulation begin.



What is hard is negotiating when you have no bargaining position, a position in which most PMs find themselves far more often than anyone else realizes.



The rationale and role of the PM is primarily as corporate spy in the dungeons and dragons world of development.



The PM is a management flunky who lives with the developers, but talks to the outside.