067. MYR-CDG: Product Meets Sales // A huge challenge for one rooted in product development is transitioning to understanding mechanics/processes as well as the culture of sales. Today in "Hardcore Software" is a story of intersecting w/ sales culture 1/ …rdcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com/p/067-myr-cdg-…
2/ Scaling to lead a product dev organization of a couple thousand (dev, pm, design, test, marketing) led me to the idea of "Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience" by Csikszentmihalyi. Walking the halls, async communication, few meetings, minimal formal process. 
3/ That is nothing like a field sales organization distributed across 100 countries, speaking many languages, w/many cultures. The need for a strong top-down culture, quantifiable goals, rigid processes is essential for scale. The culture of sales could not be more different.
4/ Process created by SteveB and my then (2001) new manager JeffR was called "mid year review". For second half of FY, sales painstakingly planned budgets for next FY. Numbers go up/down chain, across product groups. Budgeting process not at all like planning Eng work items 🤣
5/ At FY midpoint (January) for 3+ weeks, sales executives would meet with *every single* sales office around world and go through the exact same template of numbers, pivots, budget v actual, market compares, and more. Hundreds of hours of meetings surpassed only by prep time.
6/ Meetings were held in regional locations, usually hotels. For days at a time, 14-16+ hours a day each subsidiary would present the deck.
To close the loop, each major product group was represented at those meetings. Attending meant you're accountable.
To close the loop, each major product group was represented at those meetings. Attending meant you're accountable.
7/ By accountable I really mean it. Failing to have command of data, understand the market, or to be on top of issues could easily result in firing--there was even a legend of a Sub GM being fired at the lunch break. The team returned to an empty chair. Hardcore accountability.
8/ Unlike "Flow", sales meetings like this are as much about culture, alignment, and "in this together" as they are about right answers. Failing to recognize and address problems immediately and to do so in a culturally appropriate way essentially "dug a deeper hole".
9/ The story I tell is about the German subsidiary wanting to make a big bet on the retail launch of what would be Office XP in the spring of 2001. Product was due to ship in 3 months. Except we did not have an approved name yet due to Windows XP (shipping late summer).
10/ I made a big mistake in thinking I would randomize dev team by trying to lock down a date that could easily be missed by a single hiccup (a late bug, virus on the DVD, or a manufacturing error by Sony). I would not commit. They could not wait. Their numbers were at stake.
11/ How bad was this mistake? How did it manifest itself? Was I about to be fired? So many cultural lessons. It is a fun story. Please consider subscribing. …rdcoresoftware.learningbyshipping.com/about
PS/ I run across the challenge of product people not quite appreciating or understanding enterprise sales culture that I wrote this essay aimed at product leaders. blog.learningbyshipping.com/2015/05/22/a-p…
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