Top 10 Tips to Talk to Engineers as a Product Manager
- Gain respect from the devs by communicating what you know and what you don't know
- Use direct communication language, avoid style where you show off or that you are doing a favor for them (it sad that a lot of PMs give a whiff of know-it-all/bossy)
- Make it clear what you exactly want from them.
- Only talk to them when needed; they usually hate wasting time in endless, goalless meetings.
- Review what Product Owners do, review how to build your product scope, translate them into Epics and User stories, and try and create some acceptance criteria.
- When devs start programming, they will face ambiguities in your scope, know how to solve them by making a quick decision or defer; learn how to defend your decision.
- Don't underestimate them.
- Prepare your meetings and supporting materials before meeting with them.
- Show interest in their ideas.
- You are not the boss of them; the CTO is.