What Is Digital Product Management?
Roy Franke
Head of EB Digital & Connect | AI | Digital Innovation & Product Management | Digital Learning
Have you ever wondered what goes into creating a successful digital product? What skills and knowledge are required for someone to be a successful digital product manager? In this blog post, we will answer these questions and more! We will discuss what digital product management is, the skills and knowledge required for the role, and some common challenges that digital product managers face. Stay tuned - it's going to be a great read!
What Is Digital Product Management?
Digital product management is a field that is concerned with the development and marketing of digital products. This can include anything from software to websites to mobile apps. A digital product manager is responsible for overseeing the entire process of creating a digital product, from conception to launch.
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There are many different aspects to digital product management, but some of the most important duties of a digital product manager include:
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●??????Understanding the needs of customers.
●??????Creating detailed specifications for products.
●??????Developing product strategies.
●??????Creating go-to-market strategies.
●??????Working with developers to create and launch products.
●??????Working with engineers to develop products.
●??????Overseeing sales and marketing efforts.
●??????Become the contact point for the product.
●??????Owning the product roadmap.
8 Stages of the Digital Product Management Process
Product management is a process that helps organizations develop and bring new products to market successfully. The digital product management process generally consists of eight distinct stages:
Customer Analysis
In this stage, digital product managers work to understand the needs and wants of their target customers. This involves conducting market research, surveying customers, and analyzing customer data.
Schematic Illustration
After they understand their target customers, digital product managers create a schematic illustration or blueprint of the product they want to create. This helps them map out the features and functions of the product and plan for its development.
Planning and Prioritizing
After the product blueprint is complete, digital product managers begin to plan and prioritize the development of the product. They create timelines, milestones, and budgets for the project.
User-Interface Design
In this stage, digital product managers design the user interface for the product. This includes creating wireframes, prototypes, and user flows.
Prototyping
After the user interface is complete, digital product managers create prototypes of the product. These prototypes are used to test the product with users and get feedback on its design and functionality.
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Programming
Once the prototypes are approved, digital product managers begin to work with developers to program the product. This includes coding the product, testing it, and fixing any bugs.
Quality Assurance
After the product is programmed, digital product managers work with quality assurance teams to test the product and ensure it meets all customer requirements.
Launching, Maintaining, and Supporting
After the product passes all quality assurance tests, it is launched to the public. Digital product managers then work on maintaining and supporting the product. This includes managing customer feedback, fixing any issues that arise, and updating the product as needed.
7 Tasks Successful Digital Product Managers Do
As a digital product manager, you are responsible for the success of your product. This means that you need to be able to wear many hats and juggle many tasks.
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Here are seven tasks that successful digital product managers do:
Formation & Validation of Product Hypothesis
A good product manager should be able to take an idea and form a hypothesis around it. They should then be able to validate that hypothesis through market research and customer feedback.
Finding a Product-Market Fit
A successful product manager will be able to find a market for their product and ensure that the product is a good fit for that market. They will need to be able to understand the needs of their target market and create a product that meets those needs.
Defining & Tracking Measurable Objectives
A good product manager will be able to set objectives for their product and track the progress of those objectives. They will need to be able to identify what metrics they need to track and how to interpret the data they collect.
Making Data-Based Decisions
A successful product manager will be able to make decisions based on data. They will need to be able to collect and analyze data to make informed decisions about the product and the customer experience.
Collaborating with Cross-Functional Teams
A good product manager will be able to work with cross-functional teams to bring their product to life. They will need to be able to communicate effectively and collaborate with teams such as engineering, design, and marketing.
Exploiting Data Capabilities
A successful product manager will be able to exploit the capabilities of digital data. They will need to be able to track and improve critical drivers such as customer acquisition, retention, and pricing.
Continually Developing Skills
A successful product manager will be continually developing their skills. They will need to be able to stay up-to-date on trends and best practices. They will also need to be able to identify areas where they need to improve and take steps to improve their skills.
Conclusion
In conclusion, if you want to be a successful digital product manager, you need to be able to do more than just manage products. You need to be able to form hypotheses, find product-market fits, define and track objectives, make data-based decisions, collaborate with cross-functional teams, exploit data capabilities, and continually develop your skills. If you can do all of these things, you will be well on your way to success in this field.
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What other skills do you think digital product managers need? Let me know in the comments!