33 Anti-Patterns That Transform Product Managers Into Backlog Managers

Understanding common traps to rock the product world

Too many product managers are demoted to backlog managers without even noticing it. I’ve ranted a lot about it because it drives me nuts.

Most of the time that happens because companies don’t know other ways of working, but we’re here to change the world. Bowing to the status quo isn’t for us; we’re the game-changers.

Let’s set expectations for this episode:

• We will explore 33 anti-patterns and provide an alternative to overcome them (20 minutes reading)

Shall we rock it?

You may ask yourselves, “Why is David the best person to talk about such anti-patterns?” Honesty is the word.

Before we jump into the anti-patterns, I have something for you. I’ve compiled a 5-day free e-mail course to give you actionable insights most product people miss. Ultimately, it will help you become a robust product manager.

Confessions from a Former Backlog Manager

When I started my product adventure, I didn’t know exactly what the job was about, so I followed others. I invested most of my time into:

• Bridging communication between business and development
• Writing user stories
• Pushing teams to accelerate delivery