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Saikat Paul

AMA: Asana Head of Product Operations, Saikat Paul on Product Development Process

April 25, 2024 @ 9:00AM PT

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  1. What is the right PM to Eng ratio? I’m the first PM and we have 8 engineers and 1 Designer.

    Saikat Paul
    Saikat Paul

    Asana Former Head of Product Operations | Formerly Adobe • 2y

    I honestly don't think there is a right ratio. Team makeup should not be decided by arbitrary industry averages, but rather based on the nature and complexity of the problem (or problem space) that the team is working on.

    I've seen a PM work with 10+ engineers and I've seen a PM work with 3 engineers. Both teams were successful because they were sized to the problems at hand.

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  2. How do you balance “shipping on time” with ensuring you have the right market insights to prioritize the roadmap correctly? We do 2 week sprints.

    Saikat Paul
    Saikat Paul

    Asana Former Head of Product Operations | Formerly Adobe • 2y

    Balancing timely delivery with market insights isn't about conflicting goals; it's about ensuring we ship the most impactful solutions. Here are some best practices to achieve that: Continuous Market Research: Make market research an ongoing effort beyond sprint planning. Monitor industry trends, analyze competitors, and gather user feedback regularly through surveys or interviews. Proactive effort is key to staying ahead. Groom Your Backlog: Keep your backlog fresh by regularly reviewing and pr ...Read More

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  3. What activities do you do to help set expectations between development and upper leadership?

    Saikat Paul
    Saikat Paul

    Asana Former Head of Product Operations | Formerly Adobe • 2y

    Be transparent and over-communicate. Clear expectations between development teams and upper leadership are crucial for alignment and stakeholder satisfaction. Establish a Communication Plan: Set a schedule for project status updates and adhere to it. Keep updates concise and actionable. If there are risks to the schedule with mitigation plans in place, communicate them upfront. When needing leadership intervention or decision-making, request it directly. Actively Seek Feedback and Alignment: Req ...Read More

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  4. At what point do you talk about success metrics with your development team?

    Saikat Paul
    Saikat Paul

    Asana Former Head of Product Operations | Formerly Adobe • 2y

    Short answer: Always :) Seriously, discussing success metrics with your development team is essential to ensure alignment on project and sprint goals, plus it's a great motivational tool. Everyone loves to know how their work contributes to the overall success of the product. Here's when you should bring up success metrics: Early Stage Planning: Success metrics should be discussed during the early stages of project planning. As you define project goals and objectives, it's crucial to identify th ...Read More

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