What does a product manager do?

Quite simply a Product Manager is responsible in looking after a product for a business through strategic business alignment, user discovery, feature delivery and go to market initiatives

In my decade-long experience in Platform Integration Engineering and Platform as a Product, effective product leadership is pivotal in shaping the vision and strategy, and in clearly communicating them to the product development team as well as internal and external stakeholders. Generally, the head of the product is responsible for crafting and cascading the vision and strategy to product managers, who subsequently convert them into roadmaps, considering customer priorities as the measure of the product's value to a significant customer base. These roadmaps encapsulate the core elements of vision and strategy at the specific product level, spanning from short-term to long-term objectives.

Just as a director collaborates with various departments in filmmaking, a product manager works cross-functionally with design, engineering, and marketing teams. They orchestrate the entire production, making sure each team plays their part seamlessly. Like a director refining scenes, product managers iterate on features to ensure they resonate with the audience and align with the overall vision. Both roles require creative vision, effective communication, and the ability to navigate unexpected plot twists, whether it's a sudden market shift or a production hiccup. Ultimately, their goal is to deliver a product that exceeds expectations, earning applause from satisfied users akin to a standing ovation at the box office.

A product manager in a holistic sense owns a problem space for which they create a vision that justifies why an organization has to solve a given problem and further motivates the team to build a relevant solution(The Product). A product roadmap is typically formed based on the vision and customer needs.

A PM is responsible for a product throughout its life-cycle from ideation to launch and maintenance. A PM is a multi-tasker, co-ordinates with various teams to perform the following jobs: 1. Conduct market analysis and gather requirements 2. Define product strategy and develop roadmap that aligns with the customer requirements and business goals 3. Co-ordinate with UI and development team to ensure timely delivery 4. Track KPI to measure the success and incorporate user feedback for continuous development. 5. Identify potential risk and develop mitigation strategy to maintain the trust of the stakeholders.

Product discovery and validation are critical in shaping a product that truly meets user needs. Take Apple, for example, where product managers often focus on meticulous user research to create intuitive and user-friendly designs. At Google, they might leverage A/B testing extensively to validate new features. In Amazon, the emphasis could be on analyzing customer behavior data to optimize the user experience. It's this iterative process of hypothesizing, testing, learning, and refining that helps product managers develop solutions that not only solve problems but also delight users.

?I think product discovery and validation are similar to a compass guiding product managers through the development journey. ??Similar to how sailors use navigation tools for successful voyages, product managers conduct user interviews, surveys, and experiments to understand customer needs, adjusting their course based on insights. ??This is an iterative process, just like how sailors adjust their sails, product managers ensure the product meets user needs and market trends. ??Just like how sailors adapt to changing conditions, product managers iterate to deliver solutions that resonate with users. ??This approach is crucial for a successful product launch, focusing not just on features but on crafting products that truly meet user needs. ?

PM's core job is discovery of right problems and great problem solving starts by crystallising your goal really well. Here are few effective ways to begin with -Start with understanding your goal - >your KPI. -Identify the right problems by looking at -> Past data trends, customer feedback and competitor benefits. -Prioritize the list of problems by impact they have on your goal. -Align with the team to get feedback.

In product management, conducting discovery and validation is like using a compass to navigate. It's a systematic exploration of user needs and market trends. During discovery, we collaborate to ideate and prototype, ensuring alignment with customer demands. Validation involves real-world testing and iterating based on insights. This process, refined through experience, is key to mitigating risks and delivering the right features that address customer needs. It's about more than features; it's about resonating with users, a cornerstone of successful product launches in my career.

The product discovery and validation is the process of identifying, testing, and validating the customer problems and needs, and the potential solutions and value propositions. For example, the product discovery and validation of Dropbox involved creating a video that demonstrated the product concept and measuring the user interest and sign-ups.

In this role, the product manager essentially becomes the glue that holds the product team together. For instance, at Amazon, this might involve focusing on operational excellence and ensuring seamless integration across platforms. At Apple, the emphasis could be on ensuring that every product iteration aligns with their high standards of design and functionality. Meanwhile, at Google, it could involve managing a diverse set of stakeholder expectations while fostering innovation. It's their ability to juggle different responsibilities while keeping the team on track towards a common goal that makes a product manager indispensable.

After establishing a clear vision and understanding of your goals and product-market fit (PMF), you embark on the product development journey. This stage focuses on identifying and monitoring key metrics that drive growth, such as education-led or community-led growth strategies. Determining the specific growth cohort for your product is critical in building a comprehensive offering that not only reaches the market first but also delivers the most crucial features. For instance, in an e-commerce platform, the initial focus might be on securing a substantial number of SKUs, eventually transitioning to subscription services to enhance customer lifetime value (CLTV).

In the orchestration of product development, a product manager acts as the conductor, ensuring harmony across cross-functional teams. Collaborating closely with engineering and other stakeholders, they translate the product vision into actionable tasks. This involves breaking down the vision into manageable components, setting priorities, and maintaining a dynamic roadmap. Throughout the development process, the product manager facilitates communication, resolves impediments, and keeps the team aligned with overarching goals. It's about fostering a collaborative environment that empowers the team to deliver high-quality products efficiently. I've found this orchestration to be a key factor in successful product development cycles. ????

The product development and delivery is the process of designing, building, and launching the product, and ensuring its quality and reliability. For example, the product development and delivery of Spotify involves using agile methods, design sprints, and continuous integration and deployment.

So is a company has both PM and PO role merged then as a PM you’re required to closely work with the development, design and delivery teams. This will include running sprints, stand up calls, defining sprint scope. Also require to develop sales enablement kits, product launch marketing materials, etc while closely working with all the stakeholders.

Once a product is in-market, PMs bear responsibility for tracking its performance and identifying improvement opportunities. PMs closely monitor user behavior, engagement metrics, and direct feedback to understand how new features are being received. By continuously analyzing this data, they pinpoint areas for refinement to better meet user needs. Product improvement is a balancing act between fixing immediate pain points and anticipating future requirements. PMs must stay attuned to user interactions and expectations to ensure the product delivers value today while evolving to offer more over time. Their goal is to continually align the product experience with user needs and business goals through incremental improvements.

Building a Team of Champions: No product manager achieves success alone. Fostering a collaborative environment where engineers, designers, and other stakeholders are empowered to contribute to improvement initiatives leads to a more comprehensive and effective approach. . The Voice of the Customer: Obsessing over internal metrics can lead to losing sight of the most important voice: the customer. Actively seeking and incorporating user feedback in all stages of the product lifecycle – from development to post-launch – ensures the product remains relevant and valuable.

In my capacity as a product manager, a significant aspect of my role revolves around the continuous monitoring and evaluation of product performance and enhancement. Employing diverse metrics and indicators, I delve into comprehensive analyses encompassing user behavior, feedback, revenue, retention, growth, and overall product impact. This involves constant comparison with anticipated outcomes and established benchmarks. Identifying and prioritizing opportunities and challenges, I propose and implement strategic changes and enhancements to elevate the product's effectiveness. Fostering a culture of learning and experimentation is integral, as I consistently seek avenues for improvement in both the product and the development process.

Once the product is launched, PM also focuses on scaling the product, making it stabilised, and continuous performance improvement with new features and user journey enhancements.

As a PM, a person is a detective of the product who analyzes usage and feedback to constantly improve the product and stay ahead of the curve. For example: "Monitoring user engagement with new features and iterating based on performance data"

Leadership is not only the art of convincing the teams to 'do what they need to' but also to 'think why and how to achieve this, outside their comfort zones'. This is best explained when you work with a host of ENG, Design, Researchers, Marketers and Client advocates. Everyone brings in a perspective, a Product Manager encourages open discussions, evaluates all variables and champions the team, to lead them to a path of success. Many decisions may have a risk involved, its the leader who influences the best case scenario with careful evaluation to ensure the teams buy in and march towards a common goal.

The product leadership and influence is the ability to lead and motivate the product team and stakeholders, and to communicate and align the product vision, strategy, and roadmap. For example, the product leadership and influence of Steve Jobs involved inspiring and challenging his team and customers, and creating a culture of innovation and excellence.

PM is not the mini ceo of the product, and has to lead the discussions, influence the decisions without authority. To do this, PM needs to stay abreast of the market trends, competitors, new tech, and enhance the knowledge in a way that it makes path for the PM to communicate clearly to the stakeholders, and influence the decision making.

* Defines the product vision, strategy & roadmap. Gathers, manages & prioritises?customer/market requirements. * Is the customer advocate articulating the user’s and/or buyer’s needs. * Partners closely with engineering, sales, marketing, & support to ensure?business case?& customer satisfaction goals are met. * Defines what to solve & why, articulating the valuable market problem to solve along with priorities & reasoning for each part of the solution. * Defines the KPI’s to track. Validates solutions with customers. * Is a market expert including understanding why customers purchase products & a deep understanding of competitive landscape. * Acts as the product’s leader within the org & influences without the necessary authority.

Its not said enough but you need to create long term processes so that your team can focus on more impactful tasks rather than fire-fighting everyday. Your product is successful only when you are able to experiment fast

I often see the product manager as a go getter... apart from crafting the vision and strategy, doing discovery and research, writing stories to get the development going and then validating and measuring the outcomes. They are ones that bring the team together and fill in any gaps there may be. They are not afraid to get their hands dirty or quickly learn a news skill to get the project moving keep the customer's goals and company's values in mind.

Product managers should indeed cultivate a 'T-shaped' skill set. This approach involves: 1. Broad Foundation: A strong foundation across various competencies like customer understanding, product strategy, execution, and leadership is crucial. 2. Deep Specialization: Additionally, developing deep expertise in specific areas aligned with their strengths and the nature of the product they manage. For instance, consumer-facing product managers might focus on UX research and design, whereas those managing API products might specialize in technical architecture. This combination of broad knowledge and specialized skills enables product managers to be versatile and effective in their roles.

A product manager, whether an individual contributor or a team leader, navigates the intricacies of product management. At the intersection of execution and vision-setting, their essential skills encompass: 1. Proficient prioritization of features that aligns with company objectives. 2. Effective presentation of problem statements with detailed analysis for decisive and timely action. 3. Robust relationship-building and seamless collaboration across various teams and functions. 4. Expertise in the product and a solid understanding of the industry/domain. 5. Timely escalation to resolve conflicts or clear roadblocks. Being a Product Manager isn’t just a role; it’s a dynamic blend of leadership and execution.

Picture a product manager as a maestro, conducting a symphony of engineers, designers, business, marketers, and customers. They wave their baton, not to dictate, but to harmonize the strengths of each team member into a beautiful product masterpiece. They juggle roadmaps, user feedback, and a budget tighter than a magician's rabbit hole, all while keeping the product vision front and center. It's a demanding yet thrilling act, and when they nail it, the applause comes in the form of happy users, teammates, and skyrocketing business impact.

In my experience, one of the top skills for a PM is Product Sense. Good Product Sense is the foundation of a detailed view and understanding of the market, the competition, and the member's needs. I believe it can be broken down into three categories: 1. Empathy: for the consumer and their needs. 2. Curiosity: fueling a desire to go deeper continually. 3. Craft: developing something purpose-built, with detail and focus. Lastly, I’ll say this: far too often in today’s data-heavy environment, I see PMs leaving Craft to the side. Focus on discovering the art of developing something purpose-built for a problem. Find that passion because your passion will drive the team, and it will show in the product.

A product manager is like the parent of a product, but instead of one child, you have a whole brood that never sleeps. You're the ringmaster in a circus where the acrobats, clowns, and lions (a.k.a. engineers, designers, and sales teams) all have their own ideas about what the audience (the customers) wants to see. You're a translator, a peacekeeper, and a fortune teller rolled into one, predicting what users will need before they know they need it, and then somehow making it a reality. And just when you think you've got it all under control, surprise! The market changes, a competitor releases something new, or your feature launch is as smooth as a skateboard ride down a staircase. But hey, at least it's never boring!

Another example is a product manager being a conductor of an orchestra. Sometimes parts of the orchestra have to be louder or quieter than others and it’s up to the conductor to control that and make it harmonious at the same time.

Quite simply, understanding what problem your product solves in real life. 1. Customer pain points: We don't stop at the main gig; we dig through it, identify similar lapses in a transferrable market, and then go back and see how we can provide value there. 2. Segmentation: Turn them into features, take the new feature to market, preferably to the new customer base and tell them why it solves this new problem and that we understood it. 3. The product itself: The UI, the CX, and performance. We evaluate if what we promised is actually useful. We collect performance metrics and tons of feedback. I usually open up an early-bird access as Beta. 4. Convince our team that all your ideas are worth building on before we convince the market.

A product manager, is an individual with a unique skillset that lies at the intersection of: 1. Technical / Engineering Understanding 2. Strong Business Acumen 3. Awareness of Empathy in User Experience In addition, A Product Manager is a Master of one, but a Jack of all.

In simple words, a product manager acts as the captain of a ship for a product, guiding it from the initial idea all the way to the customer's hands. They figure out what customers need and work with a team of designers, engineers, and marketers to build and improve products that solve those needs. It's like being the bridge between the world of creating a product and the people who use it, making sure the product is useful, enjoyable, and successful in the market??