How Ben Horowitz defines Good Product Manager vs Bad Product Manager?

Who is this article for?

This blog is for you if you are looking to hire a Product Manager, or want to become one. If you are looking to hire the best PM out there, make sure to add a link to this article in your job post so that the person applying knows what you are looking for.

When it comes to product management, Ben Horowitz has some solid insights on what separates a good product manager from a bad one. If you’re aspiring to be a top-notch product manager, or just curious about what makes someone excel in this role, here’s a breakdown that’s easy to understand. I am going to go over every aspect of the comparison, one by one.

Market Knowledge

Good Product Manager: A good product manager knows the market inside and out. They understand the product, the product line, and who their competition is. This means they do their homework and stay updated on industry trends. If you are a chef in a competitive restaurant scene. You need to know not only your recipes but also what other chefs are cooking, what customers are craving, and any new food trends. This knowledge helps you make better decisions and stay ahead of the game.

Bad Product Manager: A bad product manager, on the other hand, doesn’t keep up with the market. They don’t really understand their product deeply or how it stacks up against the competition. Like the chef who keeps cooking the same old dishes without checking if customers still like them or if other restaurants are offering something better. This lack of awareness leads to poor decisions and missed opportunities.

Imagine you’re managing a smartphone app that tracks fitness activities. A good product manager would regularly check out other fitness apps, see what features they have, read customer reviews, and stay on top of new fitness trends like wearable tech or virtual workouts. This knowledge helps them decide what features to add or improve in their own app. A bad product manager wouldn’t bother with this. They might miss out on adding important features or fail to fix issues that users are complaining about, simply because they’re not paying attention to what’s happening in the market.

Knowing the market deeply helps a product manager make smarter decisions and keep their product relevant and competitive. Not doing so means falling behind and making choices that don’t serve the product or the customers well.

Role Perception and Responsibility

Good Product Manager: A good product manager acts like the CEO of the product. This means they take full ownership and responsibility for the product's success or failure. They see themselves as the person in charge, making sure everything runs smoothly and goals are met. Imagine you’re the owner of a small business..

.

.

.

.

read the full blog here: https://www.productgrowth.blog/p/how-ben-horowitz-defines-good-pm-vs-bad-pm

.

.

.

.

Imagine you’re managing a new product development. A good product manager will set clear objectives, like, “By the end of the quarter, we will have a beta version ready for user testing with at least 50 users signed up.” They regularly review their progress and adjust their plans as needed to stay on track. A bad product manager might wait for upper management to tell them what the next steps are, leading to delays and missed opportunities because they aren’t driving the project forward themselves.

Defining your job and setting your own measures of success leads to proactive management and continuous improvement. Relying on others to define your role results in a lack of initiative and slow progress.

Discipline

Good Product Manager: A good product manager values discipline and demonstrates it consistently. They send their status reports on time every week, showing that they are organized and reliable. Discipline means sticking to schedules, meeting deadlines, and maintaining a steady workflow.

Bad Product Manager: A bad product manager lacks discipline. They often forget to send in their status reports on time and may neglect other routine tasks. This inconsistency can lead to a lack of accountability and trust. It’s like a runner who skips training sessions, doesn’t track their performance, and wonders why they’re not improving. Without discipline, it’s hard to achieve long-term goals and maintain progress.

Imagine you’re leading a project to launch a new feature in an app. A good product manager will have a clear schedule, keep track of milestones, and provide regular updates to stakeholders. They send their status reports on time, detailing what has been accomplished and what needs attention. This keeps everyone informed and ensures the project stays on track. A bad product manager, however, will miss deadlines for updates, provide vague or incomplete reports, and fail to keep the team and stakeholders informed. This leads to confusion, delays, and a lack of confidence in the project’s progress.

Maintaining discipline through consistent reporting and adherence to schedules builds trust and ensures steady progress. A lack of discipline leads to missed deadlines, poor communication, and a chaotic work environment.

That is All.

This article is inspired by Ben Horowitz’s Book “The Hard Thing About Hard Things”.