So You Want to Be a Product Manager?

SO YOU WANT TO BE A

PRODUCT MANAGER?

A brief introduction to the product management role

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SO YOU WANT TO BE A

PRODUCT MANAGER?

A brief introduction to the product management role

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Introduction 1. W hat is Product Management? 2. Key Product Management Responsibilities 3. A Day in the Life of a Product Manager 4. Is Product Management Right for You? 5. Conclusion About ProductPlan

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INTRODUCTION

SO YOU WANT TO BE A PRODUCT MANAGER?

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE PRODUCT MANAGEMENT ROLE In recent years, the product management role has grown increasingly popular. Between 2018 and 2019, the number of job openings for product management roles increased by nearly 30%, a trend that's continued over the course of multiple years. After working closely with product management professionals and product-forward organizations for many years, we can assure you that the role will continue being in high-demand for many more years to come. Worldwide, demand for product management talent is driven by many factors and new industries and organizations begin to recognize the value of product management every day. Meanwhile, the product management career itself has captured the interest of professionals from various backgrounds as a viable career path to pivot to. Despite being one of the top career paths at the moment, the product management role comes with a bit of ambiguity. The role itself is open to a wide assortment of interpretations and variations, and we often hear about the lack of clarity on the role from even the most experienced businesspeople. One reason for this is that product management encompasses a wide-ranging area of responsibilities, and the role itself typically means very different things in different organizations. With no universally-accepted and understood answer to the "what is product management?" question, and even less clarity on what the responsibilities of product managers are, we've set out to clear up any confusion. In this brief guide we'll give you a detailed overview of the role and outline key responsibilities of product managers.

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1 WHAT IS PRODUCT MANAGEMENT?

In the most simple of terms, we can define product management as follows.

Definition: Product management is the practice of strategically driving the development, market launch, and continual support and improvement of a company's products.

Of course, that is a highly abstract explanation of the role. Chances are you're still wondering what exactly product management is and what the job itself actually entails. So, we'll get into key responsibilities and look at the day-to-day activities of product managers in the sections that follow. But first, it's also worth exploring what product management is NOT.

WHAT ISN'T PRODUCT MANAGEMENT?

One area of responsibility that people often assume belongs to product management--but, in an ideal business environment, shouldn't--is managing the day-to-day details of a product's development. This is the role of a project manager. Product management and project management are completely different beasts.

PRODUCT MANAGEMENT VS. PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Product Management

? High-level strategic thinking ? Focus on shared organizational goals ? Determines "Why?"

Project Management

? Detail-oriented tactical thinking ? Focus on project-oriented goals ? Determines "How?"

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