5 skills a Product Manager should have
Product manager is one profile that most of the hiring managers are seeking. This is one of my favorite profiles as it demands a lot of skills. The PM needs to work closely with company executives, her own team (which is not necessarily directly reporting to her) & end users or target audience. While juggling all these stakeholders and their demands, the PM also needs to comprehend the business requirements, understand the engineering technology behind it and optimize the user experience. It does not end here, what is the use of the product if it is not delivered on time ? So she needs to effectively manage time, overcome unexpected challenges and make things happen. While doing so, she may face a big dilemma of prioritizing tasks.
“If you continue to improve a product enough, you’ll eventually ruin it.”– David Pogue, the New York Times
Engineering team, in most of the organizations, is always willing to solve the most challenging problems. The PM has to decide whether it is worth giving that much attention based on the consumer insights.
The PM should always look for problems. The biggest problem of any problem is that it is not identified on time. Once the problem is analyzed, it has to be resolved expeditiously after doing an exhaustive risk analysis. This problem solving skill develops with the experience, however, it should be honed progressively.
The PM should be able to read, analyze and relate to the user’s requirement. This has to translate into the solution/product that needs to be built. Hence, the PM should have adequate knowledge of technology to work with the engineering team & add value. The PM plays a very important role in providing insights to the design team. A knowledge of design is not mandatory, but is facilitative as she needs to design an experience based on the understanding of the market.
The products/solutions are built for the users who are sponsoring the show. Hence, she should keep in mind the business perspective and should be able to quantify it analytically.
“When we create stuff, we do it because we listen to the customer, get their inputs and also throw in what we’d like to see, too. We cook up new products. You never really know if people will love them as much as you do.”– Steve Jobs
In short, I feel that the role of the Product manager is the most complicated role. The PM needs to think like a CEO and be a hustler. During the last 10 years of my experience, I have worked in this situation a lot. I understand the need of this position in an organization and have also shortlisted a few very essential skills that a PM must have in order to positively contribute and add value. Following are self-explanatory skills that I have come up with.
- Problem resolving
- Good understanding of users, design & technology
- Business Perspective & Analytical Skills
- Leadership, Teamwork & Communication
- Ability to effectively prioritize