Reposted - originally from June 26, 2015

Picture this, a beautiful January day in Phoenix, Arizona, circa 2005.  The sun is shining, and it’s a lovely 72 degrees.  I am with my family at the end of the Rock N Roll Arizona half marathon cheering on a good friend.  I am watching all the runners coming to the finish line and thinking, “man there sure are a lot of runners, how will we pick our friend out in the crowd”.  Finally she comes down the last quarter mile toward the finish and we are cheering our faces off.  She finishes and gets her medal and proceeds through the finishers area.  We meet at the other end and we say “Great Job!” and I add, “But you will have to do the Marathon next year because there are far too many runners in the half marathon.”  To which she replies, “Fine, I will do it if you do it!”

Challenge accepted!

I signed up for the Marathon the next year and began training.  I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but training for a marathon and PM work are strikingly similar.  Both have an ultimate goal to cross the finish line, both require training, up front planning and the accomplishment of milestones in order to reach the goal.  Some of the benefits of Marathon running are visible, such as;

  • physical fitness
  • improved mental health
  • weight management

There are also numerous intangible benefits, such as;

  • improved self-image
  • sense of accomplishment
  • confidence

These are all pretty well known.  I enjoy all of these and so much more than I ever thought.

Marathon training requires a strong will and determination because there will be adversity.  Life and work tend to get in the way of training and there is always the risk of injury.  Overcoming these challenges not only makes you a better runner but also makes you better at life.

So how does this apply to Program and Product Management?  One of the first things that I learned is that it is not as simple as just signing up for the race and then running it.  You have to have a plan.  The plan may include anything from signing up, through how you will get physically ready, to your race day preparations and how you plan to finish.  Most of the planning needs to be completed months in advance of the actual race start.  Effective planning, just like in  Program or Product Management, ensures that you are ready when the starters pistol or horn sounds.  Planning out what steps you will take to prepare is like laying out a product strategy.  Defining the “what” you need to do, not the “how” you are going to do it.  The planning cycle will begin outlining the required milestones as you look forward to the goal of crossing the finish line.

Once you have outlined the plan you take a baseline of your fitness with a couple of workout sessions which are similar to requirements gathering or needs analysis with a customer advisory group.  In these sessions you are identifying fitness gaps that help guide where/what you need to focus your training.  Once you have the focus areas identified you can start to narrow the gap through training sessions.  The training sessions become the details of the plan and will roll up to the milestones.

Another aspect of running marathons that translates well to Program and Product Management is relying on others.  As a Product Manager you define the requirements and what the output should do, but you have to rely on other people to create how it will do it.  In marathon running you have to have a support network to help you reach your goals.  During training and even during the race you may need medical attention.  You will need the volunteers at water and fuel (like GU) stations.  There will be numerous other people who will help you at some point along the way with something you need.  You will not be the only one asking for their precious resources and you may have to queue up and wait your turn.  In the end most will support and help you as you reach for your goals.