Escaping the Build Trap: The Key to Being a Great Product Manager
Is it possible to become a great Product Manager right after starting your new role?
No, there are many uncertainties in this role that can make it challenging to be great right away.
However, what if you start thinking from Day 1: How can you become a great product manager and work towards improving every single day?
In this blog post, we'll explore what makes a great product manager and how they can avoid getting stuck in the build trap.
We'll break it down into simple terms, so even if you're not familiar with product management, you'll be able to understand and appreciate its importance.
If you prefer a video format instead of reading the blog post, you can check out this session: A Great Product Manager
Understanding User Problems:
A great product manager wears many hats. They need to understand the market and how the business works. But most importantly, they need to empathize with the users they're building products for.
By putting themselves in the users' shoes and truly understanding their needs, product managers can create products that make a real difference.
Influence and Leadership:
Product managers are not just managers, they're also influencers. They work with a team and recognize everyone's strengths to achieve common goals.
They need to convince their team and the rest of the company that what they're building is the right thing.
By fostering a collaborative and inclusive environment, product managers can avoid being bossy and dismissive, and instead, inspire their team to do great things.
Owning the "Why" and Balancing Team Ownership:
One misconception about product managers is that they own the entire product and can tell everyone what to build. But in reality, they own the "why" of what they're building.
They understand the company's vision and goals and guide the team in the right direction. It's a collective effort, where the team owns the product together.
By balancing ownership and fostering teamwork, product managers can avoid the trap of taking all the credit and create a stronger product.
Strategic Approach and Validation:
Figuring out what to build requires a strategic and experimental mindset. Product managers connect the dots by gathering information from customer research, market analysis, and data.
They analyze this information to create a clear vision for the product that solves customers' needs and helps the company succeed.
It's important for product managers to be humble and embrace a learning mindset because they don't have all the answers.
By reducing risk through continuous learning and experimentation, they can build products that truly work.
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Tech Expert vs. Market Expert:
Great product managers know how to work with different departments, including business, technology, and design.
They understand that they can't do everything alone and that it's important to take advantage of the expertise within their team.
By collaborating with UX designers to understand user workflows and developers to launch products quickly, product managers can create well-rounded solutions.
It's not about being a technical or market expert, but about finding the right balance and making informed decisions.
Starting with Why and Asking the Right Questions:
A common mistake is diving into solutions without thinking about the risks and the "why" behind them.
Product managers need to ask questions like why they're making a product digital or what success looks like.
By validating ideas and learning from users through experiments, they can ensure that they're building the right things.
It's all about focusing on the problem, questioning assumptions, and making informed choices.
Product Ownership and Product Management:
Product ownership is just a part of product management. A good product manager knows how to prioritize work based on clear goals.
Product management goes beyond a specific methodology like Scrum. It's about marrying the company's goals with the customers' goals to create value.
By dedicating time to product vision and research, organizations can foster a strong product management culture and avoid falling into the build trap.
The Importance of Validation and Thinking Like Product Managers:
Validation is a crucial part of successful product management. Product managers need to constantly test and validate ideas to ensure they're on the right track. Even if you're not a product manager, it's important to think like one.
By prioritizing validation and thinking critically about the products we build, we can avoid wasting time and resources on the wrong things.
Conclusion:
Product management is about creating the right products that solve user problems. It requires empathy, collaboration, and a strategic mindset.
By understanding users, influencing teams, owning the "why," validating ideas, and embracing a learning mindset, product managers can escape the build trap and deliver exceptional products.
So, whether you're a product manager or not, embracing these principles can lead to better outcomes and success in the world of product management.