Track: Product Development

Abstract

Software Product Management (SPM) has higher interest both in our country and globally. Many companies operating in the IT or software sector are renewing their project-based approach to product-based visions, with the influence of success stories of “Big Tech” companies especially. 

The situation is not only affected by the strategy change but most IT companies also change their working styles such as remote working, digitalization and development methodologies such as agile or lean approaches. Moreover, the definition of the product management itself is still trying to be structured with many on-going specifications around the project management (PM) versus product management discussions. Product management neither have a special branch in universities nor a specific certification in official industrial organizations. And in the field, in most companies, product management does not have a well-defined framework and is often treated as an ad hoc discipline. 

The aim of this study is to provide a comprehensive view on SPM and PM professions. First the roles, definitions, responsibilities, and differences are elaborated based on academic search. Then, with an active software project and product management field experience, the major functionalities are mapped to areas of expertise and the overlap between SPM and PM are shown in this functional map. Thus, it is expected to understand the actual needs of productization in software companies and specify the challenges in combination with academic approach and field experience.