About Roman

How did you get into product management?

Like many people, I accidently got into product management—I started my career as a software developer. In 2001, I was working at Siemens as an in-house consultant and helped its healthcare division create a new product. I was initially focused on the development process and technologies, but I ended up working with the lead product manager. I learnt a lot in the process, and it sparked my enthusiasm for product management.

What is your aspiration? What motivates you?

I’ve always wanted to help organisations make a positive impact on the users’ lives with their products. I’ve been especially interested in helping product people take full advantage of agile practices to maximise the value of their products and create a healthy, creative work environment. Hearing from people how my work has benefitted them, their products, users, and organisation is a huge motivation for me.

Additionally, my goal has been to advance product management. When I first got into the profession, I experienced it as very old-school and waterfall. At one stage I even thought that it would have to be reinvented, at least for digital products. While this wasn’t necessary, I do believe that product management has significantly changed for the better over the last fifteen years in my mind. I am proud that I’ve contributed to this development with the frameworks and tools that I have created, the books and articles I have written, and the training courses and workshops I have offered.

Finally, I’ve always tried to offer a holistic approach where individual practices support and reinforce each other rather than individual tools and techniques that may or may not fit together. This is especially visible in my product strategy model and my goals framework.

What is your background in Agile and Scrum?

I started using agile practices in the late 1990ies, and I’ve applied Scrum since 2004. I was taught and mentored by Ken Schwaber, one of the Scrum founders, I became a Certified Scrum Trainer (CST) in 2006, and the first book I wrote shares advice on how to effectively apply Scrum. But I’ve also worked with other agile approaches including Kanban and SAFe. My deep understanding of agile allows me to teach product people how they can apply agile practices to maximise the value of their products. That’s important, as agile concepts and techniques are not always correctly understood, let alone applied.

Why do you focus on product strategy and product leadership?

When I started working in product management, I was initially focused on product delivery. But I learnt that there is no point in worrying about the product details, writing user stories, and prioritising the product backlog if a sound product strategy is missing and an actionable product roadmap is not available. Making the right strategic decisions is truly fundamental: product strategy must guide product delivery.

Being a successful product manager or product owner does, however, not only require the right hard skills—for example, the ability to interview users, create an effective product strategy, and apply the right metrics. Products are developed, provided, and enhanced by people, and being able to effectively lead them is crucial to achieve product success. Additionally, the more senior a product role is, the more important leadership is. Strengthening leadership skills therefore helps people not only succeed in their current jobs but also progress their careers.

What inspires you to write books?

I’ve always been interested in language—I have a degree in theoretical linguistics—but to be honest, I never aspired to be a book author. I was lucky enough to be asked by a publisher to write my first book back in 2007, and I enjoyed the process. Looking back, I wrote the books that I would have liked to read. For example, I felt that many product people lacked practical guidance on product strategy, and that there weren’t many books available that focused on strategy and roadmaps for digital products and agile teams. This led me to write my book Strategize. The same is true for my book How to Lead in Product Management. I believe that leadership is a very important topic for product people, and I could not find any leadership books that were focused on this audience. The vast majority seems to target executives and senior managers.

From a personal perspective, I find writing helpful. It helps me reflect on my experience and consolidate my knowledge, I enjoy the creative process, and it nicely complements and enriches my teaching.

Where are you based?

I am based in Wendover, a village in Buckinghamshire, located in the south-east of the United Kingdom and about 50 min away from London by train.

What do you like doing in your spare time?

I really enjoy cycling, riding my road and gravel bike in the Chilterns where I live (I ride a customised Giant TCR and Revolt). Cycling helps me get a fresh perspective on things, and I love being in nature. I also enjoy playing the tenor saxophone (Yamaha 875 EX with a VI neck). In addition to Jazz (and bits of Funk and Blues) I like to play classical repertoire, especially Bach pieces. Finally, I co-lead family events at Amaravati Buddhist monastery. I’ve greatly benefited from Buddhist teachings, and as someone who has three children, I love working with families and young people.