Product management was born during the great depression when a 27-year-old marketer proposed the idea of a “brand man”– an employee to manage a specific product rather than a traditional business role. Since the 1930s, the continued success of this function has led to the growth of product organizations across industries and geographies.
1931 — Neil H. McElroy, a marketing manager at Proctor & Gamble, writes a 300-page memo on the need for “brand men,” who manage specific products.
The late 1930s — McElroy is an advisor at Stanford University, where he influences two young visionaries: Bill Hewlett and David Packard.
1943-1993 — Hewlett-Packard sustains 50 years of 20% Y/Y growth by implementing the “brand man” philosophy in their new company.
The late 1940s — Toyota develops JIT manufacturing principles, later adopted by Hewlett-Packard.
1953 — Toyota develops the Kanban method.
The 1970s — Tech companies in the U.S. start developing lightweight processes, in opposition to cumbersome processes that emerged from manufacturing industries.
The 1980s — Developing agile processes The s, combined with greater acceptance of “brand management” roles, takes hold in many technology and software companies.
2001 — The Agile Manifesto is written, which, in large part, broke down department silos and outdated processes, to make room for a unified product management role.
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