How to be a Product Manager That Engineers Don’t Hate

“Use that user empathy superpower with your engineers. See that they are your partners, not your resources.” - Kirsten Van Detta

 

In this episode of Pragmatic Live, Rebecca Kalogeris, VP of product for Pragmatic Institute, interviews Kirsten Van Detta, group product manager at LinkedIn, about improving the PM/Engineering relationship.

 

Kirsten Van Detta is a passionate product manager with a diverse project management and business analysis background. She discovered her love for product management when she landed her first role leading a team for a flagship CRM that was sold to external customers. Since then, she has worked on products of all sizes, from large enterprise-scale products to smaller projects for universities.

 

Currently, Kirsten is working at LinkedIn, where she is focused on sales technology. She thrives in the product management role because it allows her to do everything she loves, from developing strategies to executing and delivering projects. Her experience has given her a unique perspective on the tension between product managers and engineers.

 

In this episode, Rebecca and Kirsten discuss:

• What engineers need from product managers
• Communication strategies to better collaborate with engineers
• Why advocating for the product is also advocating for your team
• How to repair your relationship with the engineering team if it isn’t ideal

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