Now that I have laid out my thoughts enough about TPM to “open to floodgates” so to speak, I want to discuss a topic that immediately comes up: what’s your recommended organizational (org) structure? I have lived both the integrated team structure at Amazon, where TPMs, Software Development Engineers (SDEs), and Software Development Engineers in Test (SDETs) all report to Engineering Managers (EMs/SDMs). But I have also lived the functional team structure at the company formerly known as Facebook, where TPMs report to TPM managers (Group TPMs) and SDEs report separately to EMs. The org overlaps at the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) level, but not before; from the TPM perspective, I sometimes call this model a Technical Program Management Office (TPMO).
So, which is better? Or is there a hybrid in between the two models you recommend? Let’s dig in!
This is the second part of a series about defining the Technical Program Manager (TPM) role. There are “four P’s” we need to address and reconcile with one another: 1. Program 2. Product 3. Project 4. Portfolio
Throw in the “technical” adjective to the above terms, and there are eight separate industry roles that are inconsistently defined that are often the same thing. Spoiler alert: I do not believe there are eight separate roles in this space. Which roles do make sense together, well, that’s what this post is for.
If you see my About page, you’ll notice that I am a Technical Program Manager (TPM). “So uh, what is that?” you might wonder. This post is the first of a series to define the role. As much as I would love to immediately dive in and start explaining the role, some initial context is required up front.
If you read tech blogs at all, you’ll come across hundreds of “do these simple things to elevate your career,” or some other buzz-worthy headline. And you’ll read it, and if you’re like me, think “thanks for the high level information I already knew with no examples or data to explain or prove the value…” /sarcasm. So, what’s this post, then? Well, my own version, of course! But with a few key differences…
