Choosing the Right Product Expert for Your Company by Robert Otto at New England Product Group helps readers who are unsure which type of product expert to engage for assistance with product management. It provides an understanding of the nuances of each type of product expert: Product Management Consultant, Fractional Product Executive, Interim Product Executive, and Advisor, and how they engage with companies. It covers when and why you would choose one over the others to help your company.
The book draws upon Robert's 25 years in product management, including over 12 years advising companies and over 5 years providing Fractional and Interim Product Leadership and Product Management Consulting. It distills practical knowledge and advice to help your company choose a product expert whose strengths match your organization’s unique challenges, needs, and objectives.
Chapters 1 to 4 provide an overview of Product Management Consultants, Fractional Product Executives, Interim Product Executives, and Advisors. These chapters go into detail regarding typical engagements and situations for when and why you would choose each type of product expert, illustrated with 26 mini case studies. Chapters 5 and 6 delve deeper into the decision process of choosing one type of expert over another and cover human factors like cultural fit, communications, and team dynamics. Chapter 7 provides guidance and suggestions about where to find product experts to help your company. Chapters 8 and 9 are concerned with onboarding your product expert and monitoring the effectiveness of the engagement. Chapter 10 provides a recap and some final thoughts.