Apparently I’m a Product Manager
This simple graphic changed my life
“What am I?”, I asked my wife.
It was a strange question to ask, but I wanted to have a simple, concise answer prepared for when people ask what I do for a living.
Let’s see, here’s my background:
- Went to school, got an Engineering degree.
- Started a business, graduated in 2008.
- Decided to stick with my business full-time.
- Kept learning, building and bootstrapping for 6 years.
- Finally found what I love to do…manage software projects, specifically Strides, an app I created to track my goals & habits.
That’s when I realized that I have no idea what to call myself.
So, I did what any one would do when they don’t know something. I searched for answers online.
And what did I find? This glorious graphic on MindTheProduct:
This was my “Aha!” moment. It made me feel like I was on to something:
- I love User Experience. In fact, I’ve always been obsessed with it. Check.
- Tech is what makes it all work, and it’s in my background. Check.
- Business is what it’s all about. It’s what gets me fired up. Check.
“That’s it! I’m a Product Manager.”
It might sound silly to have to search for your own job title, but this career path has only been around in its current form for 5-10 years, and having bootstrapped my way into this there was no formal process involved.
The Product Management for software industry is quite young compared to each of its parts, but it’s so fun being in the middle of the entire process:
Balancing the art and intense focus of designing a fantastic user experience with the technical aspects like development & architecture is challenging, but to turn it all into real a business is exhilarating.
If you enjoyed this article, say hi on Twitter and let me know which Product Management story you’d like to hear next:
a. Why I love bad reviews - Good reviews are great, but bad reviews are better
b. I didn’t build an MVP - …and I’m so thankful for that.
c. Simple vs Flexible - How to cover both ends of the spectrum
