Today, Rick Webb (pictured above) wrote a WAILING blog post for Boards Mag praising interactive producers. Below are some of my favorite quotes and my reactions.

There’s not been any traditional training for great interactive producers, so the people who end up in the business have usually taken a non-traditional, and thus non-replicable, path.

It’s really nice of Rick to call-out the non-traditional path we’ve all travelled. It’s difficult to pin-point how, where or when I’ve learned all of the crap I know — development design patterns, SEM strategies, latest goings-on in social media, etc. — but all of it is useful on a day-to-day basis.

And this post isn’t all about gloating. There are times when this “non-traditional path” has left me feeling like the consummate “jack of all trades, master of none.” This is a bad thing when I’m sitting down with super talented designers, developers and strategists!

[The producer's role is] as vital as the creative, much to the chagrin of traditional creatives.

As producers, we get the awesome opportunity to help create awesome ideas in the agency. But let me be very clear — being a Creative is fucking tough. Anyone who’s sat down and tried to concept or design by themselves will tell you the same.

Where Rick is dead-on, though, is that the traditional creative approach gets a little messy when you’re producing digital objects. It takes an agile team willing to break ideas down to their core, adjust on-the-fly and accept input (criticism, praise) at all times. My best projects have exemplified this work atmosphere and it is the producer’s role to facilitate this environment.

What’s more, I personally loved being able to contribute even on the most miniscule level to the creative product. I admire it. I respect it. And I love working hard with a great group to get things right. It’s fun.

[Producers have] got to have a willingness to spend a significant chunk of their time managing, and not doing what attracted them to the business to begin with: building cool stuff.

Never been said more clearer. As I mention above, I adore having courtside seats to the creative process and “building cool stuff”. But within our realm of digital production, I’m amazed by those who truly manage a project. It’s a gift not to be taken for granted. For all the work I’ve put into learning more about technology, design and development — I’ve had to double my efforts in making sure the management was in tip-top shape for each and every project; projects big and small.

I continue to work on this facet today.

But more than that, the producers in the business have taught a new generation of producers.

I wanted to end with this one because there have been a ton of people that have helped me in my career. At Fallon, I worked with David Annis, of Zeus Jones, and he really gave me a ton of insight — not only in techy aspects of producing, but also the important aspects of the profession. Also helpful has been Jennifer Helm, of Carmichael Lynch, who’s been a producing mentor since I started.

Any producers out there have any feedback to Rick’s article, or additional commentary (praise) for us producers?!