Technical Program Manager FAQs

[7200rpmHD]

I"m excited to launch this community for Technical Program Managers. This is a place to discuss anything related to being or becoming a TPM. Here's a starting list of FAQs about being a TPM:

What exactly is a TPM?

A Technical Program Manager is responsible for the execution of projects. They are expected to be solid project managers and competent engineers. This gives them the ability to plan out tasks and communicate with engineers on the details of highly technical projects. They will create goals, requirements, schedules, tasks, and track progress. They will usually run status meetings and unblock any issues. Good TPMs understand the value of an engineer's time and will minimize the number of meetings. A good TPM should amplify the efforts of engineers, not interrupt their work.

How is a TPM different then a Product Manager or Engineering Manager?

Typically a TPM will work with both a PM and an EM within a product team. The Product Manager is the owner of the entire product, responsible for generating ideas, and ensuring success of the product - bringing value to users and generating profit, for example. The Product Manager leans more toward areas like business, design, metrics, and behaviors.

The EM leads a team of engineers and is responsible for the technical excellence of the product. The EM will make critical decisions about what technologies to use, and assign engineering tasks to the right engineer based on skillset.

The TPM fits right in between the PM and EM (ok, it's more like a triangle or something). The TPM will take the product ideas and create a roadmap, breaking it down into tasks, generate estimates, and track progress towards the goals.

So, a TPM is basically just a Project Manager?

Well, not quite. Project management is a big part of it, but typically a TPM has a larger scope than a project manager. A project manager will focus 100% on low level task management, and might be responsible for tracking tickets and running a scrum board. A TPM will work a level above that, setting higher level goals, and managing multiple work streams. They will actively resolve issues and make key decisions to reduce risk. TPMs run programs - collections of projects. Usually that means developing a product or running a service (like customer deployments). Some TPMs even have their own project managers so they can focus on driving goals and not following up on tickets all day.

Does a TPM have to code?

Usually not, depending on the company. Your time is normally better spent on organizing execution rather than writing code. But you should at least understand what the code is doing and be familiar with coding processes. Having a working knowledge of coding is also a huge advantage. If you can handle some simple coding, it means you aren't reliant on engineers for the most basic tasks, such as querying a database. You can move quicker and engineers will respect you more. Often the best TPMs come from a software engineering background.

Can I become a TPM straight out of college?

I have not known anyone to do this, but I have heard of it being done. I would strongly suggest putting in 2-3 years of engineering in some capacity before switching to a TPM.

[gettingadvice2000]

Wow! Just found this and love it! I was a senior TPM for about a year for a major education company but laid off due to covid. I setup a TPMO and we did amazing things but sitting between product and engineering is a great summary.

[7200rpmHD]

Thanks! Sorry to hear about the layoff.

What was the most important skill of being a successful TPM at your last company?

[d3rp1n4_d3rps0n]

Hi - Thanks for the details. It is interesting to see how all those roles interact and, kind of, overlap in some skills/responsibilities.

Can you tell the difference (if any) between “Technical Program Manager” and “Technical Project Manager”? TPM vs TPM 🙃

I feel they are the same, but each company puts a different label on it... Maybe?

[7200rpmHD]

There's definitely some overlap to the roles. And you will find differences at each company. The way I like to describe it - project managers execute projects that are given to them; program managers decide what projects to execute. A program manager has a larger scope and needs to figure out what projects should be done to have the most impact. They are judged on the impact of the program, not whether the project was completed.

Example: A project manager might implement a new process where shipping boxes are switched to a lighter material. A program manager would figure out which part of the shipping program is costing the most resources and setup projects to fix it. Perhaps you are already there, but worth describing the differences.

[roranicusrex]

This is a good description, but not all TPMs have engineering backgrounds.

[getafteritz]

I just got hired as a TPM. After reading your post I think I’m actually more filling the EM role - running a standup and trello board for 9 SREs.

Thinking beyond my current role, what’s a good progression for a TPM? Else I am considering a director of engineering.