Unpacking Shapeup

Since its release, Shapeup (the book that describes software development at Basecamp) has caused quite the stir. For many Product Managers, Shapeup paints a vision of how their job could be. In this vision:

• The PM has an influence on the product strategy rather than being told what to do
• The PM is not a project manager coordinating other peoples time
• There actually is time and space to do research and shaping

This vision stands in contrast to the daily reality of features being pushed down the line, priorities that shift…