I have to admit, I normally come home from networking events and tell my wife that I just wasted another hour and a half of my life, but ProductCamp Atlanta was completely different. They marketed it would be different and they held up their end of the bargain. I wasn’t even going to go, but I saw an old colleague of mine post on LinkedIn that he was helping to organize the ProductCamp Seattle and I figured this phenomenon is sweeping the nation and I best not miss it.

So what was it? It was an earnest attempt to let product managers discuss topics on their mind without being told what to think by the major PM training companies. Of course the major PM training companies were there in full force as sponsors – but someone has to pay for it so I welcomed them. It worked like this. Product Managers lined up and told the audience what they thought would be good topics of discussions and then the audience voted on what which topics they wanted to attend the most. Then in a flurry of organized chaos, the organizers scrambled to assign topics to conference rooms. Attendees got up and walked to the rooms and started discussions. Each discussion was lead by the facilitator (the one that came up with the topic idea), but for the most part the attendees did most of the talking.

The best part to me was that you got to hear perspectives from Product Managers that came from all different types of markets and arenas. I have a broad background of industry experience, but to hear points from the auto industry, media, environmental, and others really was interesting. They have the same basic big picture challenges to solve (how to build a product someone wants to buy), but they are immersed in very different constraints in how to reach that goal. Other positives were hearing product managers’ perspectives on Agile vs. Waterfall, new market opportunities (like the GREEN revolution), and of course the ever so important networking (which I actually networked with some key folks that I wanted to meet).

Of course, it wasn’t perfect. The PM training companies were still there in full force – trying to act like they were only facilitators – but it really didn’t work. One even was blatantly promoting his new book (maybe when I write my first book I will feel differently). If you know me – then you can guess that future blogs will mention my concerns about PM training companies and how they are hurting the profession (but I also think they are helping in other ways).

So let’s conclude with this – if you get a chance to go to a ProductCamp – do what you can to attend. My hat is off to Jason Brett and the organizers of ProductCamp Atlanta. Fantastic job and I hope you can now get some much deserved rest.