Building a Strong PM & EM Partnership: Insights from Segment’s Rules of Engagement Framework

Landing a Product Manager (PM) role is an exciting career milestone. You’re ready to shape product strategy, guide development, and ultimately deliver value to your customers. On your first day, you meet your Engineering Manager (EM) counterpart, who will be your closest partner in this journey. Together, you’re responsible for driving product development forward, but as you dive into your first project, questions arise: Who owns which decisions? How should we collaborate? What’s the best way to achieve our goals together?

Understanding and defining the PM and EM partnership early on is crucial. A strong PM & EM relationship is at the core of successful product development teams, yet too often, these relationships are formed through trial and error, leading to confusion and inefficiencies. To combat this, Segment created the PM & EM: Rules of Engagement Framework to guide these partnerships. This framework has been invaluable at Segment and is now being shared to help more teams across the industry build effective collaborations.

Why the PM & EM Partnership Matters

The relationship between a PM and an EM is foundational to any software team’s success. While their roles are distinct, their responsibilities are intertwined, requiring close cooperation. The PM focuses on what to build, aligning it with customer needs. Meanwhile, the EM is responsible for how the product is built, ensuring the technical solutions align with both short-term goals and long-term sustainability. I my opinion both should be concerned with why, defining the vision and aligning it with business goals.

However, having these roles clearly defined does not inherently lead to a successful partnership. It requires intentional effort and a shared understanding of each other’s domains, which Segment’s framework seeks to establish.

The Three Foundational Rules of Engagement

Segment’s framework identifies three foundational rules that define a successful PM & EM partnership: Trust, Joint Accountability, and Separate Ownership.

1. Trust

Trust is the bedrock of any effective PM & EM relationship. It enables open communication, reduces the need for constant oversight, and fosters a collaborative environment where both partners can freely share ideas, concerns, and feedback. Trust allows PMs and EMs to navigate challenges together, confident in each other’s expertise and commitment to the team’s success. Without trust, even the most well-intentioned partnerships can falter.

2. Joint Accountability

PMs and EMs must be jointly accountable for the outcomes of their team. This shared accountability means that both roles are responsible for the success and failure of their projects. It encourages collaboration and ensures that both the product strategy and technical execution are aligned towards the same goals. By being accountable together, PMs and EMs can better navigate trade-offs, such as balancing speed with quality or technical debt with new feature development.

3. Separate Ownership

While PMs and EMs should collaborate closely, it’s crucial to have clear ownership over different aspects of the project. Separate ownership prevents confusion and ensures that decisions are made efficiently. Each decision should have a clear owner who is responsible for making the final call, though it’s important that this decision-maker seeks input and alignment from their partner.

Defining these ownership areas is key to preventing overlap and ensuring both PMs and EMs can lead in their areas of expertise without stepping on each other’s toes.

Defining Ownership Areas: Who Owns What?

The framework provides a clear division of responsibilities, allowing PMs and EMs to focus on their strengths while also collaborating effectively. Here’s how to break down ownership:

  1. The Why? - Owned by both Both are responsible for defining why the team is working on a specific problem. This involves setting the product and technical vision, understanding customer needs, and aligning with broader business objectives. The “Why?” answers the strategic questions that guide the team’s direction.

  2. The What? - Owned by the PM Once the “Why?” is established, the PM determines what features or products need to be built to achieve these goals. This includes specifying requirements, creating the Product Requirements Document (PRD), and outlining the key deliverables.

  3. The How? - Owned by the EM The EM decides how to implement the product features. This involves creating the Solution Design Document (SDD), choosing the architecture, and determining the technical approach. The EM must consider factors like technical debt, development velocity, and system scalability.

  4. The Who? - Owned by the EM The EM also determines who on the engineering team will work on the project. This decision takes into account the skills required, team dynamics, career development opportunities, and workload distribution.

  5. The When? - Owned by both The EM sets the timeline for delivering the product, working closely with the PM to understand business priorities and constraints. This ensures that both technical and strategic considerations are factored into the timeline.

How to Be a Great Partner: Key Behaviors

To foster a successful PM & EM partnership, it’s not just about defining roles and responsibilities—it’s about showing up as a great partner every day. Here are some key behaviors for both PMs and EMs:

If You’re a PM:

  • Build a Compelling Roadmap: Clearly articulate the team’s goals and how they align with the company’s objectives. This helps motivate the team and provides a clear vision for the future.

  • Clarify Priorities: Help the team focus on the most important tasks. Be decisive about what needs to be prioritized to achieve the strategic goals.

  • Define a Minimum Viable Product (MVP): Identify what is necessary for the initial release to allow for quick iteration. This helps maintain momentum and enables faster learning from customer feedback.

If You’re an EM:

  • Deliver a Predictable Development Process: Establish a reliable process that builds trust with both internal stakeholders and customers. Meeting deadlines and maintaining consistency are crucial for building credibility.

  • Drive the Technical Vision: Ensure that the team balances new feature development with maintaining a clean, scalable codebase. Advocate for technical investments that support long-term growth and stability.

  • Maintain Transparency: Keep all stakeholders informed about project progress and potential risks. This helps manage expectations and fosters a culture of openness and accountability.

Conclusion

Building a strong PM and EM partnership is not an overnight process. It requires trust, clear communication, and a deep understanding of each other’s roles and responsibilities. By following Segment’s PM & EM: Rules of Engagement Framework, teams can establish effective collaborations from the start, leading to more successful products and a more cohesive, motivated team.

By defining clear ownership areas and embracing joint accountability, PMs and EMs can navigate the complexities of product development more effectively. Remember, the key to a successful partnership lies in mutual respect, a shared commitment to the team’s goals, and an ongoing effort to improve how you work together.

Start implementing these rules of engagement in your teams today, and let us know how they transform your product development process!