Where does Agile Product Management come from?

The history of Product Management is a fascinating journey that stretches back to the dawn of time. Ever since humans began trading goods and services with one another, Product Management has evolved to become a central discipline within companies.

Over the centuries, Product Management has undergone numerous transformations, shaped by agricultural, industrial, social, technological, and managerial revolutions. These shifts were driven by contextual constraints and opportunities, as well as by the changing expectations of populations.

The Industrial Revolution of the 19th century led to an unprecedented rise in mass production, creating new challenges for companies in terms of quality management, logistics, and product commercialization.

In the 20th century, the rise of consumer culture and mass media ushered in a new era for Product Management. This marked the historical transition from a society where demand exceeded supply to one where supply outpaced demand. Companies began focusing more on the needs and desires of consumers, which led to an explosion of new products on the market and growing pressure on cost. Products now had to be both more efficient and more affordable in order to win customer acceptance and succeed in the marketplace.

Today’s Product Management is a response to the shift from a world where supply was lower than demand to a world where demand is lower than supply.

When it comes to customer and market adoption, two major movements have influenced Agile Product Management: marketing driven by Public Relations, and production inspired by the Toyota Production System (Lean). Indeed, the advent of Public Relations, initiated by Edward Bernays, enabled some companies to become competitive against technically superior firms by investing in marketing. Meanwhile, Lean Manufacturing (the Toyota Production System) marked the starting point of what we now call the ‘agile’ approach. It is a production philosophy centered on customers and focused on valuing human contribution, in contrast to Taylorism, which sought to diminish it.