Tami Reiss is the founder of The Product Leader Coach where she works with product leaders and teams to realize their potential by focusing on their strengths.
What do Product Managers do?
I’ve got a short definition for you.
Living in NYC, the first question most of of us are asked is “What do you do?” When I reply “I’m a Product Manager” I’m often met with confused looks.
Most people follow up with, “I’ve got a friend who does that” or “Yeah, we have some Project Managers at my company”.
Neither are sure what a Product Manager is.
Which is why I’ve created my short definition:
A Product Manager decides what to do next.
That’s all you have to know to understand the basics of what we do.
But, now you want to know how we do it.
The two most important skills of a Product Manager are: Prioritization and Communication. This is something I drill into students at General Assembly. To be a good product manager you must excel at both.
The two most important skills of a Product Manager are: Prioritization and Communication.
They are inherently tied at the hip. How can you know what to prioritize without talking to people and how can what’s next get done without explaining it to your team?
How do good Product Managers prioritize?
They understand business goals, user needs, customer desires, financial implications, and technical risks associated with each opportunity. To gain this understanding you must listen to a lot of team members and clients.
My friend Janice Frasier refers to this as being the Scales of Justice. On one side are the designers and customer advocates fighting for the user. On the other are the builders and lawyers protecting the company from risk. Above is the business vision and goals.
It’s the Product Manager’s job to weigh all of these and decide what to do next.
How do good Product Managers communicate?
For PMs communication is bi-directional and must be tied to understanding. They employ active listening techniques when learning and confirm their message is understood when explaining.
They ask open-ended questions and listen to the detailed responses. They set up regular meetings with sales and support team to understand the market.
They draw pictures and write clear requirements so that teammates know what to build. They answer challenging questions about their plan and adjust accordingly. They ITERATE based on feedback from users and market trends.
(Yes, this is starting to sound a lot like Ben Horowitz’s post, but I think of this as the simplified version.)
So, all you need to understand what a Product Manager does is that they decide what’s next AND they prioritize and communicate whatever that is.
Hi! I’m Tami, the founder of The Product Leader Coach where I work with product leaders and teams to realize their potential by focusing on their strengths.
If you enjoyed this post, I am available for product leadership coaching or team training. Learn more about my services and upcoming children’s book.
