Technical Product Management
Technical Product Management (TPM) is the discipline of defining, building, and delivering technical products that solve real problems at the intersection of engineering depth and business strategy. In energy and infrastructure contexts, this means products like ADMS platforms, DERMS, grid analytics tools, and agentic AI systems.
Core Topics
Product Strategy & Vision
Defining product vision, market positioning, value proposition, competitive analysis. Translating business goals into product strategy.
Discovery & Requirements
User research methods, jobs-to-be-done (JTBD) framework, customer interviews, defining problems vs. solutions, writing effective requirements.
Roadmapping & Prioritization
RICE, ICE, Kano model, MoSCoW prioritization. Managing roadmap trade-offs and communicating decisions.
Working with Engineering Teams
Writing user stories and acceptance criteria, sprint planning, technical design collaboration, managing scope and technical debt discussions.
Technical Depth for PMs
Reading architecture diagrams and ERDs, understanding APIs, sitting in on technical reviews, knowing enough to ask the right questions without over-specifying solutions.
Stakeholder Management
Managing up, across, and out. Executive communication, aligning cross-functional teams, navigating utility and enterprise procurement.
Metrics & Outcomes
Defining OKRs and KPIs for technical products, instrumentation and analytics, measuring product success beyond delivery.
Go-to-Market for Technical Products
Positioning technical products for utility, government, and enterprise buyers. Procurement cycles, RFP responses, pilot-to-scale strategies.
AI Product Management
Managing products with ML components: training data, model performance, confidence thresholds, explainability requirements, feedback loops.
Key Questions These Notes Answer
- How do I write a product requirement that doesn’t over-specify the solution?
- How do I prioritize across a backlog when everything seems urgent?
- How do I communicate a technical trade-off to an executive audience?
- What does good product discovery look like for a utility software product?
- How do I manage a roadmap when the engineering team’s velocity is uncertain?
Prerequisites
- Programming Foundations — technical credibility
- Software Engineering — understanding the build side
Connects To
- Distribution System Operator — domain context for grid products
- Agentic AI — AI product management
- MIT Sloan MBA — strategy, leadership, finance
- Technical Consulting — product advisory services