People interested in tech careers often ask me about the differences between various functional roles within a company. I answer them by sharing my water metaphor. Here is how different functions view a glass of water:
Sales: “You’re thirsty. Buy my water."
Engineering: "Two hydrogen atoms bonded to one oxygen atom – we need to QA this water."
Product Management: “12 ounces of water will quench our customer’s thirst."
Product Design: “We need to observe people drinking water."
Corporate Marketing: “Let’s brand this water."
Product Marketing: “This water will enhance your performance."
Customer Success: “We need to teach our customers how to drink this water."
CEO: “There are oceans full of this water!"