(2021-05-13) Norton Product Management Was Born90 Years Ago Today Maybe Sort Of

Ken Norton: Product Management Was Born 90 Years Ago Today (Maybe, Sort Of). On May 13, 1931, an up-and-coming 26-year-old Procter & Gamble (P-and-G) employee named Neil H. McElroy issued his famous “Brand Men” memo.

his proposed job description was novel for 1931: the new hires should be accountable for an individual brand from top to bottom. This brand- or product-centric approach was a departure from the top-down, functional organizations that typified workplaces in the 1930s.

McElroy wanted to drive decision-making as low in the organization and as close to the customer as possible

Sounds a lot like modern product management!

The memo is also a terrific lesson in clear, written communication. In only three pages he described the problem, proposed a clear solution, and got the outcome he wanted.

See earlier/longer 2015-10-28-TheHistoryAndEvolutionOfProductManagement.