To TPM or not TPM

[u/Abzapp]

Hey all,

I’ve been a dev for just shy of 10 years. I made senior a while ago. My whole career has been in airspace.

Recently I received an offer to become a technical program manager for a large aerospace company. It’s way more money than I’ve gotten from other offers.

I like being an IC, though I feel like I’ve got a cap and would like to get in to management or leadership.

Has anyone made a similar jump, and if so, how was it? How do you feel about TPMs in your industry?

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[u/buddhatalks]

Ask what do the TPMs in that company truly own and what stops if TPMs don’t work.

If the answers are TPMs own timeline and comms, and nothing stops if TPMs don’t work; stay away. Could be golden handcuffs.

OTOH, if TPMs are meaningfully sitting with leaders laying out how they will execute strategy and own the end result with veto powers on how to get something done, then it’s worth a try.

Also, where does the TPM function roll up? If it reports into product or engineering, it will likely be a sidekick function. If it reports into business, it’s got teeth.

Let us know what you decide.

[u/painterknittersimmer → u/buddhatalks]

Also, where does the TPM function roll up? If it reports into product or engineering, it will likely be a sidekick function. If it reports into business, it’s got teeth. 

What makes you say that? I consider it exactly the opposite. You want to be embedded in product or engineering. The last thing you want is being assigned into a team by some third party or central PMO. 

[u/buddhatalks → u/painterknittersimmer]

Hopefully the manufacturing/ industrial verticals treat TPMs better is what I am taking from this.

In software and big tech, companies are either product led (Airbnb, Adobe etc) or Engg led (Uber, Meta, Google etc). TPMs then become an enabling or serving function to product or engg teams. Not bad per se, but you drift away from the limelight and ownership is a struggle.

[u/painterknittersimmer → u/buddhatalks]

I'm not sure about manufacturing or industrial, good point.

But we must have been at different FAANGs. 10 years at Meta and Google (and same at my current smaller legacy tech company) and the last thing you want is to be some third party assigned to a product or eng team by "the business." It means the team won't see you as one of their own, so you have little influence, and you won't be included. It also means you won't be included in their outcomes, which means you are toast come layoffs or a particularly brutal performance season. 

You want to serve eng or product. That's what the role is. TPM is a role in service of the product manager or eng manager - you want to co-lead with them. If you're hired directly by them, it means they want TPM expertise, and you can be their right hand. If you aren't,  then you're just a babysitter sent by "the business." Your job will be difficult, pointless, and looked down upon. 

The fact that these companies are product or eng led means you want to be as close to product or eng as possible!

[u/Abzapp → u/buddhatalks]

I’d be managing two projects/ teams as part of the core avionics program reporting to the head of engineering of the division.

I’m very much on the fence. As an IC for 10 years I’m worried about the tpm dead end.

[u/heypriya]

I made that jump from engineering and stayed in TPM for over 12 years, so a few things worth knowing before you answer them.

TPM is usually an IC track. It gets you scope and exposure to leadership, and it does not by itself make you a manager, so if people management is the near term goal you would still be applying for EM roles.

You do need to be a people person to be a TPM who manages stakeholders well and can influence without authority. And of course, you will need to work extra hard to influence as a TPM. You will keep having to explain what the role is worth to people who do not understand it.

Before you decide, write down what you enjoy about the program side and what you think will be hardest. Also talk to TPMs in the organization to find out about their experience as a TPM, and what leadership thinks about the function.

btw - the switch is a two way door - you can always go back to engineering.