Paul Ford has posted an awesome read at Bloomberg on code and the culture that surrounds it: What Is Code? For a new Product Manager, it’s a fantastic way to get a foundation about what code and computers really are. Product Managers use computers all the time, but we rarely take the moment to think about what’s actually happening between our fingers touching the keyboard and pixels sending light to our eyes. Paul breaks it down bit by bit such that any non-developer can understand. And if you think you know computers and code, I’m sure you’ll learn at least something.
Paul’s take on computing culture is also well done, and gives a new Product Manager a good look at programmer culture as a whole. Articles like this deliver the wider industry context for new Product Managers, helping them understand their role and software projects. A new Product Manager has probably worked for one or two companies, and thus may not have the experience of working on a poorly run Agile project as their developer team members have. Industry articles such as this give them this perspective to better relate to their team.
The article is also great as an example of incorporating style and interactivity into what would traditionally be a long, dry read. [Spoiler Alert] You even get a certificate of completion at the end! [End Spoiler]
So get a snack, a drink, and give it a read; it’s worth the time – What Is Code?