Ask Joel – Non-Technical Program Managers: “My organization has in recent years been overrun with program managers who seem better-equipped to make decisions about polo shirts and khaki pants than about technical matters.

They foment confusion by misusing distinct technical terms as if they were interchangable. They’re oblivious to technical nuance. Worst of all, they have no natural defenses against the influence of weak engineers. (Hmmm, maybe the weak engineers are the real problem here… Maybe software companies don’t need technical PM’s.)”

Great writing in the answers. I wish I could write like that.