Thrust Into Product Management

Michael Thom never expected to be in product management, but that’s where he ended up. He’s spent the last seven years at DK Pierce, a healthcare reimbursement firm in Zionsville. Michael used to work primarily in IT, but he now oversees other operational and facilities projects, as well as all the firm’s client project management efforts, processes, and tools. Michael joined us to share his journey into product management. While his role is not explicitly in product management, many of his responsibilities are directly related to serving users of a custom software platform. He has had to learn how to work with the business, serve his users, and collaborate with a product development team to build something that uniquely allows DKP to provide their clients with the best solution in the market; all while not having been ‘classically’ trained as a product manager. Our talk with Michael reminded us that whether you’re building for a customer or your internal team, trust in the software is critical. Your team has to trust that the software will work as intended and that you won’t lose valuable data. Otherwise, people will simply stop using it. Join us to hear Michael’s insights on developing software products at a smaller company. You’ll also hear his thoughts on how to juggle work and parenting. And why he can’t get enough of playing the trombone. You can find more information about this podcast at sep.com/podcast and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you!