There are some excellent product management blogs around and one of the best is from the Cranky Product Manager. TheCrankyProductManagerclaimstobethefictional,snarky alter-egoofamild-manneredsoftwareproductmanagement professional.She(andwethinkit’sashe)publishesanonymouslywhich isjustaswellgiventheresponsesshegotfromcertainmembersofthe Agilecommunitywhenshefirstpostedtheblogentrybelow.Reprinted withkindpermission–enjoy. HeyYou!Mr.ReleaseManager! TheCrankyProductManagerappreciatesthatyou’retryingtodo thisAgileScrumthingbythebook.Andthatitishardforyou.Because beforethisAgiletsunamicamecrashingdownyoumainlyjusttracked theprogressionofdifferentreleasedocuments(IsthePRDdone? Check.IstheFunctionalSpecdone?Check.IstheDesignDocdone? Check.) OK,that’snotfairoftheCrankyProductManager.Youdidmorethan that.Youalsoranhurriedreleasemeetingsonceaweekthattriedto buryissuesinsteadofsurfacethem(OKeveryone,here’sthestatusof allthedocuments.Anyonehaveanyissues?None?OK,let’sadjourn.) YoualsoorganisedtwoorthreeFantasyCricketleaguesplusyour weddingduringworkinghours,andboyitalltookalotoftime. Butnow,intheScrumera,thingsaredifferent. It’snoteasy.Youonce hadaprivateoffice,butyounowspendthebulkofyourdaytetheredto acommunaltableinastiflinghot“WarRoom,”inhalingthebodyodourof TheVeteransoftwareengineertryingtotune-outthegrandstanding argumentsbetweentwonimrodhotshotcoders(“Myideaisthemost elegant...”,“Noit’snot.It’strivial.You’dhavetorefactoritimmediately.”), andlisteningtothedocumentationwriterbitchandmoanthatshecan’t 18 ProductManagementJournalVolume 7 GUEST BLOG  Scrumthis! FromtheCrankyProductManager’sblog Fig.10 TheCranky ProductManager