Google's Program for Associate Product Managers

Steven Levy написал статью в Wired о leadership program at Google called Associate Product Manager (APM) иницированной Мариссой Майер: "Mayer invented this program, led it and never gave it up". Конспектирую, чтобы не потерялось.

Don’t be fooled by the modest title, prefixed by that timid word “associate.” The most coveted entry post at Google is spelled APM. This is an incubation system for tech rock stars. “The APM program is one of our core values — I’d like to think of one of them as the eventual CEO of the company,” Google’s Executive Chair Eric Schmidt...

о первых наборах:

... the first APM, a fresh Stanford grad named Brian Rakowski. He became a key leader of the team that built the Chrome browser and now is the VP of the Chrome operation. The second was Wesley Chan, who made Google Toolbar a success, then launched Google Analytics and Google Voice. He’s now picking winners for Google Ventures. Another early APM was Bret Taylor, who earned his bones by launching Google Maps. He left Google and co-founded Friendfeed, then become the Chief Technical Officer of Facebook

статистика и роль Мариссы:

there are over 40 APMs active in the two-year program. And since Google has been hiring them since the early 2000s there are over 300 who have been through the program. And the glue to the whole shebang was Marissa Mayer, who was the APM boss, mentor, den mother and role model. 

О разнице в управленческих культурах

Mayer thought up the program in early 2002. Google had been struggling to find PMs who could work within the peculiar company culture — team leaders who would not be bosses but work consensually with the wizards who produce code. Ideally, a Google product manger would understand the technical issues and sway the team to his or her viewpoint by strong data-backed arguments, and more than a bit of canny psychology.

управление в Яндексе выглядит похожим образом, как я понимаю.

The ideal applicants must have technical talent, but not be total programming geeks — APMs had to have social finesse and business sense. Essentially they would be in-house entrepreneurs.

Менторство, кураторство за пределами Google:

Many, if not most, of the APMs keep in touch with Mayer after they graduate from the program, meeting with her periodically for a career check, and consulting with her when they considered a move. This occurs even after APMs leave Google... In short, Marissa Mayer has developed a deep connection to over three hundred of most talented tech people in Silicon Valley.

И да, сеть сетей:

It would be not be surprising if some of these baccalaureate APMs wind up at Yahoo. In addition, former APMs all have their own networks, and can tip off Mayer to promising hires.