Why User Researchers Make The Best Product Managers
This article is part of the series “Why X make the best product managers”. In this series, we hear from our colleagues here at XING as well as from external product managers to learn about the many ways into this field.
Product managers are a famously varied bunch of people. The role is so multi-faceted and broad that basically any background can serve you well in this generalist role. You used to work in Engineering? Business? UX Design? Come on in, I guarantee you there is the perfect position for you somewhere in Product Management.
Today it’s my pleasure to tell you about my journey from user research into product — and why researchers make the best product managers, of course!
Aside from the obvious experience in “all things UX” and a deep understanding of the benefits and constraints of research, I want to highlight 5 skills you use daily as a researcher that will prove invaluable in a product management role. You cannot pick these up by reading a book or taking a seminar. You can, however, make a conscious effort to practise and improve them.
Skill #1: Empathy
Having interviewed hundreds of people from all walks of life over the years, I’ve learned to put myself in their shoes and consider their needs and wants. As a product manager, empathy does not only help you understand your users (and realize you yourself aren’t always the best example of your own user!), it also facilitates bonding with your engineering team and being mindful of where your stakeholders are coming from when they urgently demand feature X to be completed now.
Skill #2: Listening
Actually listening, instead of already thinking about the next point you want to make, is something you learn when conducting user interviews.
It should not come as a surprise to you that a big part of a product manager’s day is usually spent in meetings — most of which would be so much more efficient if everybody knew how to really listen…
Skill #3: Diplomatic communication
When presenting research insights, you’re inadvertently put in situations where not everyone in your audience will be happy about your findings. You may have to tell people their idea isn’t working or that it’s time to go back to the drawing board. So you learn to diplomatically navigate the delicate waters of people’s egos and assumptions — a practical skill once you deal with all sorts of stakeholders with varying expectations.
Skill #4: Connecting the dots
As a researcher, you’re aware that what you bring to the table is just one data bucket of many. You connect qualitative with quantitative research, deep-dive interviews with surveys, and learn to collaborate with colleagues from Analytics to paint a bigger picture.
This helps you keep the necessary bird’s eye view and connect all the different sources of information you need to have in mind as a product manager.
Skill #5: Feeling comfortable in the problem space
Most of us are trained problem-solvers and pride ourselves in being able to find solutions to any hurdles that may arise. In product management, however, jumping into the solution space can make you miss out on valuable opportunities.
Not having all the answers can be difficult, but keeping an open mind and taking the time to understand and focus on the problems we’re discovering is a researcher’s skill that comes in handy when you transition into product management.
And that is why user researchers make the best product managers.
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About me & my journey
Originally wanting to become a journalist, I studied one of those Media courses that sets you up as a generalist and lets you do pretty much nothing and everything — maybe foreshadowing my later career in Product Management. I first went into qualitative TV research, mostly conducting interviews and focus groups for trashy reality TV (just think about all the stuff my recommendations kept off the air — you’re welcome, world!).
When I realized I myself hadn’t watched regular TV in a year, it was time to switch to something more future-proof. At XING, I got to dive into qualitative UX research, and got to know our products as well as our users. After 2 ½ years — and almost a decade in research in total — I was ready to work on one product with one team, concentrating on a set of goals instead of jumping in and out of new products all the time. I was lucky to find a lot of support and get this opportunity at XING in early 2019.
