Does Your Startup Need a Project Manager?

Worries about teaming up with Project Managers

When it comes to software development, you might be tempted to bring in a Project Manager (PM) or Scrum Master to help keep things on track. However, in the fast-paced, ever-changing world of startups, these roles may not be the best fit. 

The Desire for Direct Communication

One of the primary reasons startup founders prefer not to work with Project Managers or Scrum Masters is the desire for direct communication with their development team. In the fast-paced world of startups, silos, and communication barriers can be detrimental to progress. By working directly with developers, founders can ensure that everyone is on the same page, feedback is received promptly, and decisions are made swiftly.

Without intermediaries, founders can foster a culture of transparency and collaboration, enabling the team to work together seamlessly towards a common goal. This direct approach allows for quicker problem-solving, as issues can be addressed immediately without the need for multiple layers of communication.

Avoiding Overhead and Delays

Another concern among startup founders is that Project Managers and Scrum Masters can slow down the development process and add unnecessary overhead. In the early stages of a startup, time is of the essence and every minute counts. Founders often fear that introducing additional roles will lead to more meetings, procedures, and negotiations, ultimately hindering progress.

Embracing Agile Methodologies

Startup founders often prefer to embrace agile methodologies, which emphasize flexibility, collaboration, and rapid iteration. They want to move fast, experiment, and adapt based on customer feedback and market dynamics. Traditional project management approaches, which rely on extensive planning and predictability, may not align with the startup mindset.

Instead of trying to predict everything far in advance, startup founders prefer to work in short sprints, focusing on delivering value incrementally. They prioritize quick releases, gathering user feedback, and making data-driven decisions to refine their product or service. This iterative approach allows startups to validate their assumptions, learn from their customers, and continuously improve their offerings.

Optimizing Costs and Resources

Startups operate on tight budgets, and founders are always looking for ways to optimize costs and resources. Hiring dedicated Project Managers or Scrum Masters can be seen as an additional expense that may not provide immediate value. In the early stages, founders often believe they can handle project management responsibilities themselves, saving valuable resources that can be allocated elsewhere. Moreover, in a small startup team, there may not be enough work to justify a full-time Project Manager or Scrum Master. 

The Software Development Roles and Areas 

Despite all the worries about teaming up with Project Managers, the role is important. Let's consider the software development process as triumvirate with three key areas: product, tech, and delivery. Each of these roles approaches the work from a unique perspective and carries distinct responsibilities:

Product

The PO is responsible for building the right thing. They provide direction and a roadmap for the product, ensuring that it meets the needs of the market and the business.

Tech

The development team is responsible for building the thing right. They provide direction and leadership on how to execute the roadmap, ensuring that the product is built to a high standard of quality.

Delivery

This part is responsible for building the thing fast and ensuring that the team's velocity is at optimal levels to execute the roadmap efficiently without sacrificing quality. Delivery is an equally important component in startups' efforts to maintain a sustainable development pace. This is a well-known XP practice for teams that are in the game for a long run. It suggests that teams should work hard but at a pace that is sustainable and can be maintained indefinitely. It is there to keep people fresh so they can be more creative.

These three areas of the triumvirate are typically managed by four roles:

• Product: Product Manager (or Product Owner)
• Delivery/Process: Project Manager (or Program Manager)
• Delivery/Team: Team Lead (or Scrum Master)
• Tech: Tech Lead

If one of these roles fails, the development process can break down. 

• Without a strong PO, the team may build something that nobody in the market needs.
• Without a skilled development team, the product may be built quickly but with poor quality, leading to future problems. 
• Without effective management, the team may miss market opportunities by failing to deliver at the right pace. 

On the other hand, if we have a small team of 4–5 developers, having 4 managers wouldn't be appropriate. The good news is that combining roles is a viable solution.

Combining Roles in a Startup Environment

Option 1: Product Manager + Tech Lead

In this scenario, the product manager takes on a broader set of responsibilities, including:

• Product: Vision, strategy, and roadmap
• Process: Build processes, removing impediments, improving processes, reporting, and tracking progress
• Team: Growing team members, building a high-performing team, and fostering a positive culture

The tech lead, on the other hand, focuses on:

• Technology: Tech vision, architecture, and development standards

While this option places significant responsibility on the product manager, it can work well if the person in this role possesses the necessary skills and abilities.

Option 2: Product Manager + Tech Lead (Shared Responsibilities)

Another approach is to split the responsibilities between the product manager and the tech lead:

• Product Manager: Product vision, strategy, roadmap, build process, removing impediments, improving processes, reporting, and tracking progress
• Tech Lead: Tech vision, architecture, development standards, growing team members, building a high-performing team, and fostering a positive culture

This option distributes the workload more evenly but requires close collaboration between the product manager and tech lead to ensure alignment and effective execution.

Option 3: Product Manager + Tech Lead (Tech Lead-Centric)

In this scenario, the tech lead takes on a more expansive role, covering:

• Process: Build process, removing impediments, improving processes, reporting, and tracking progress
• Technology: Tech vision, architecture, and development standards
• Team: Growing team members, building a high-performing team, and fostering a positive culture

The product manager focuses solely on product vision, strategy, and roadmap. This option works well when the tech lead has strong leadership and project management skills.

Option 4: Product Manager + Delivery Manager + Tech Lead

For startups that require a more structured approach, introducing a delivery manager can be beneficial:

• Product Manager: Product vision, strategy, and roadmap
• Delivery Manager: Build processes, removing impediments, improving processes, reporting, tracking progress, growing team members, building a high-performing team, and fostering a positive culture
• Tech Lead: Tech vision, architecture, and development standards

This option provides a clear separation of responsibilities and allows each role to focus on their core competencies.

Conclusion

Combining roles in early-stage startups is not only viable but often necessary to maintain a lean and agile operation. However, it's essential to remember that even if there is no dedicated Project Manager, project management responsibilities must still be carried out. By carefully considering the team's skills and abilities and distributing roles accordingly, you can create a highly effective and efficient startup environment without the need for dedicated Project Managers or Scrum Masters.

Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to project management in startups. As a founder, it's essential to assess your team's needs, consider your resources, and choose the approach that best aligns with your startup's culture, goals, and stage of development. 

Curious about optimizing your development process and propelling your startup forward? Let's chat about how MEV can support your unique needs.