The 4 Qualities of a Great Product Manager

I am incredibly proud of the team that Dan and I have managed to assemble over the last year and a half at Managed by Q, and I am blessed to work with some of the most talented people in our industry. Recently, while building out the product organization at Q, I have been thinking a lot about what makes a great Product Manager. I’ve shared my thoughts below, and hope that it will be useful to others.

Fundamentally, there are four things that a Product Manager needs to do exceptionally well.

1. RESEARCH THE PROBLEM

• A great PM works with the user to understand the problem.
• A great PM reframes the problem over and over again, until the true problem is as clear as the midday sun.
• A great PM does not just ask the user, but observes them in their environment.
• A great PM cares more deeply about the problem than the solution.
• A great PM breaks down a complex problem into smaller problems.
• A great PM understands that when the user is proposing a (bad) solution, it is their way of communicating a problem.
• A great PM can explain to the user why their problem should or should not matter.
• A great PM has empathy and makes the user feel heard.
• A great PM can explain the true problem in a short sentence.

2. COLLABORATE ON THE SOLUTION

• A great PM works with great designers and engineers on a solution.
• A great PM is a facilitator with an opinion.
• A great PM can whiteboard.
• A great PM uses data to make a point.
• A great PM uses intuition to make another point.
• A great PM knows how to prioritize solutions.
• A great PM understands the power of iteration.
• A great PM is always validating an hypothesis.
• A great PM decides how to measure success.
• A great PM makes designers and engineers more productive.
• A great PM can explain the solution in a short sentence.

3. COMMUNICATE TO THE TEAM

• A great PM is a great communicator.
• A great PM keeps the user up-to-date.
• A great PM provides clarity when there is confusion.
• A great PM knows who else needs to be kept up-to-date.
• A great PM produces scalable documentation — FAQs, WiKis, tutorial videos, etc.
• A great PM uses a variety of tools to communicate — user stories, wireframes, flow charts, etc.
• A great PM speaks differently to the user than to the engineer.
• A great PM can communicate in short sentences.

4. PURSUE THE VISION

• A great PM thinks ahead.
• A great PM connects the dots.
• A great PM has a flexible vision in mind.
• A great PM inspires people.
• A great PM thinks about the first step and strives for the big finish.
• A great PM has a map for the now and a compass for the future.
• A great PM can explain the vision in a short sentence.

If you want to chat more about product management or if you’re interested in a product management role at Q, drop me a line at saman@managedbyq.com.