When I was younger, I wanted to be a Project Manager. I had worked for years as a software developer for a consultancy, and I was always fascinated by those that steered the projects. The good ones inspired me. The bad ones made me want to do better. I got the chance to switch careers and soon found myself running projects of my own.
The goal of the PM was clear: deliver all scope, stay within budget, and respect the timeframe. I was a classic Guardian of the Gantt Chart. Courses, job ads, and literature about project management often perpetuated a hero myth. The PM made it work. Without them, the thing would fall apart. That's an attractive proposition for an ambitious twenty-something who wants to level up and get stuff done.
Over those first years, I learned that being a PM often forced me to be the No guy. When people had great ideas, I had to tell them it didn't fit the budget. When devs had great insights for redesigns, I saw the value but still had to block. One of my more senior colleagues told me that being a manager meant saying No 95% of the time.
I hated that. I wanted to build great products. I wanted to say Yes.
So when agile software development finally became the norm and I moved into a Scrum Master role, I was ecstatic. Scrum Masters took away impediments and empowered the teams. My job was to make sure we could say Yes! I loved that.
Want to do a redesign? Sure, technical excellence is important. We'll put it into the next sprint!
Missed the sprint commitment? That's OK; the story was probably too large. Let's split it up and carry it over.
It took me a while to realize why this new paradigm felt so much better: "Agile" relieved me of my responsibility to protect the Gantt chart.
Yet something weird happened. While customers were often frustrated with my No-guy shtick, they were usually happy with the delivered result.
The hip "Agile" methodologies did not remove that frustration but also failed to deliver customer satisfaction. Everyone was frustrated and disappointed all the time.
While people don't like getting a No, they value it in the long run.
It's saying Yes that hurts us. The instant gratification of "let's do it!" turns sour over time. We are so busy getting things done that we work on anything but the goals we set out. The lack of clear Iron Triangled plans allows us to weasel and feel good about it. Splitting up a user story often increases the number of story points and, indirectly, our velocity. We're behind schedule, but look: we're moving faster!
It's delusional.
When the time runs out and we take stock of all that still needs to be delivered, panic sets in. We start negotiating scope cuts and extensions. Sure, we didn't get you all those features you paid for, but look at all the "value" we've delivered over the last few months!
Customers and stakeholders hate it. That's why "Agile methodologies" have such a bad reputation. It feels like doing everything but keeping our promises.
It took me a few years to learn this simple but valuable lesson: Saying No is saying Yes to what matters. Saying No is taking the fast lane to great products.
It's like dieting. We skip the cake today to be in shape for the race next winter. And just like a diet, we can't rely on willpower; discipline only takes us this far.
We need a plan with no room to weasel that keeps us accountable. We track our calories. We plan our meals.
These days Project Managers and Scrum Masters are on the way out. Product Management is where it's at. I see the same hero myth and frustration repeated. If LinkedIn's to be believed, a PM should be nothing short of an Avenger. Product Managers have a Can Do mentality and a reluctance to say No.
That’s why today’s opposition to planning is so painful. It makes the job of some of our most driven leaders pointless and frustrating.
Saying No without a plan is just disappointing. People want to hear and say Yes! The frustration is often palpable.
But a strict plan gives us a choice. We can see the impact of our Yes. If we do this, we'll have to push back the Hubspot integration. Is that worth it?
Instead of being the No-person on the team, the plan helps us make informed decisions. It keeps us and our teams accountable. More often than not, No will be the consensus.
Rather than saying No 95% of the time, we'll keep focus 95% of the time.
That's the way to build great products.
That's a job worth doing!