Organizing product management

What’s the best way to organize product management teams?

The most common format I see for successful product teams is comprised of three roles: a strategic product manager, one or more technical product owners, and a market-facing product marketing manager. Many also add a UX designer to the team so all the necessary skills reside in one group with aligned perspectives.

This organizational approach has the added benefit of being able to expand easily. That is, this type of product management team includes the necessary expertise to handle a few products (or a single portfolio) without relying on other teams to fill a skills void. As the company expands, additional teams meet the expanded requirements of new products and initiatives.

When organizing product management, look for ways to ensure shared goals. Typically, the product manager is focused on strategy while the product owner is focused on technology.

It can be difficult if the product manager, product owner, and product marketing manager are in different departments with differing (and usually conflicting) departmental goals.

Job descriptions

Here are some draft job descriptions for each of the key roles.

• Product manager
• Product owner
• Product Marketing Manager

Each requires some modification to fit the needs your organization. I’d love to hear your comments.

Roles and responsibilities are key elements of your product playbook — ensuring your team is systematic in their methods and consistent in their deliverables. Learn more at www.under10consulting.com/software.