Some Core Technical Concepts For The Non-Technical Product Manager

Know your APIs from your dbs

I’m not alone in this, but I’ve been working in product management for a while and have never completed a Computer Science degree, and I have no technology certifications.

I am, in fact, a non-technical product manager.

The good news is, that this is absolutely fine. You can have a product management career without being from a technical background.

HOWEVER …

This is definitely not an instruction to not take the time to learn something about technical subjects.

To be a successful product manager, you should know how to solve problems using computers. You should know how technologies interact. You should know how to understand the data that is derived from technical products.

So here are some basic concepts for those starting out on the journey to understanding.

APIs

You’ve probably heard the engineering team mention APIs (Application Programming Interface), as its a method for applications to talk to each other and pass data and messages.

They will typically be used in three scenarios:

• Integrating with third party systems
• Allowing third party systems to integrate with
• Making it easier for your own product to function