Product people are often likened to mini-CEOs, but I think that overstates the control most product people have. My Product Roadmaps Relaunched co-author, Evan Ryan (now a GM at Wayfair), prefers the analogy of an executive chef.
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This is the person who brings together kitchen staff, menu, and purchasing in order to attract customers, satisfy their hunger, and make money for the business. Evan says it is not enough for an executive chef to simply distribute the work, but each team member must understand whom they are serving, and why they are doing things a certain way, so as to create a seamless experience for the customer.
Do you like this analogy? Got a better one? From sports? From chess? From life? Tell me a story.