Couverture de TPM Podcast with Rhea – Episode II Part I

TPM Podcast with Rhea – Episode II Part I

TPM Podcast with Rhea – Episode II Part I

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 Episode Overview In this episode of the TPM Podcast, Mario Gerard sits down with Rhea Frondozo to talk about what it really looks like to run large scale programs inside big tech companies. Both of them draw from their time at Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), and Rhea also references experiences at Salesforce and elsewhere. The focus of the conversation is on: What counts as a “large scale program”The difference between breadth TPMs and depth TPMsThe skills you actually need to run these programsHow executive sponsors fit inWhy these efforts matter so much to the businessWhy constant problems and ambiguity are normal in this kind of work The whole episode paints a pretty realistic picture of a TPM acting as the person in the middle of a huge, complex effort, trying to keep everyone aligned and moving. What Is a Large-Scale Program? Rhea describes a large scale program as something that: Spans multiple organizationsInvolves hundreds or even thousands of engineersIs aimed at a complex, high stakes outcome Mario gives an example from their time at OCI, where they had programs that required moving around 200 teams over a period of two years. When you add up the effort, you are talking about thousands or tens of thousands of person hours. From a TPM point of view, you might only be working directly with a core group of 20 to 30 stakeholders. But each of those people represents entire organizations underneath them. That is where the scale really shows up. You are essentially trying to get a huge group of people, spread across many functions, to row in the same direction. Breadth TPM vs Depth TPM They spend some time on the difference between two kinds of TPM roles. Depth TPM Focuses on a single team or a small areaWorks very closely with engineers on that teamUnderstands the technical problem space in detail Breadth TPM Works across many teams and organizationsInteracts with points of contact for different functional areas, such as security, operations, infra, platform teams, and so onRelies on those functional owners to be the subject matter expertsFocuses on connecting all of these functions to solve a much bigger problem Large scale programs are usually handled by breadth TPMs. They are the ones tying things together across many moving parts, rather than going deep on one specific system. Skills You Need To Run Large Scale Programs Rhea and Mario highlight three main skills that matter the most. 1. Strong Communication For a breadth TPM, communication is basically the core of the job. You have to be able to: Explain complex programs clearly and concisely to executivesTalk to engineering leaders and individual engineers about what needs to be done and by whenAdjust the message depending on the audience, without changing the underlying facts Mario points out that most of a large scale TPM’s day is spent in conversations. You are: Giving directionClarifying problemsRepeating the overall story of the program in different ways so that different teams can translate it into their own workWriting reports and updates If you cannot communicate crisply, you will struggle to keep a program of this size aligned. 2. Defining Clear Objectives and Scope For a big program, a fuzzy problem statement is a recipe for chaos. The TPM has to: Nail down a clear, specific objectiveDefine the scope so people know what is in and what is outMake sure all stakeholders understand the same problem, even though they see it from very different angles Security, operations, various product teams and platform teams will each interpret the goal through their own functional lens. Because of that, you end up repeating and refining the objective many times, so each group can translate it into concrete work. Good scoping becomes the reference point for whether everyone is actually solving the right problem. 3. Problem Solving in Ambiguous, New Situations Large scale programs are usually doing something the company has not done before. That means: You do not know what problems will show up tomorrowYou can plan a lot, but you cannot plan everythingThere are always surprises, dependencies, and unknowns Rhea stresses that TPMs need to be comfortable operating in ambiguity and reacting in real time. There will be curveballs, and the TPM is expected to assess the situation, figure out options, and help steer to a new plan. Mario compares it to playing against a team you have never seen before, or exploring an unknown space. Every day brings some new challenge, and that is just part of the nature of the work. The TPM As The “Quarterback” Rhea uses a sports analogy to describe the TPM role. Being a TPM on a large scale program is like being the quarterback of a team. You are calling the playsYou are responsible for how the team moves toward the goalYour decisions and judgment are a big factor in whether the program ultimately succeeds Mario adds that a breadth TPM makes a lot of decisions on a daily or weekly basis. These might involve ...
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