Skills

I understand the underlying “why” is important to uncover – Conceiving successful solutions is more likely to happen when you’ve really defined the root problem. Using techniques like the five whys in customer interviews can really help in making sure you’re trying to solve the right problem.

I understand coding. I am not a software developer, but I have developed software. From assembly language in microcontrollers through modern web frameworks and databases, I have written and tested code. I wouldn’t presume to advise a competent developer on how to do something, but I can understand the challenges they face in doing it, and help derive alternative solutions which meet both the business and technical needs.

I understand markets. I see what they are trying to accomplish, I recognize their pain points, and I can put our solutions in their terms. I think it’s important for a Product Manager to be a subject matter expert in their market. I’ve done it for multiple markets.

I understand the importance of roadmaps. I know the market, the sales and marketing teams, the executives, the analysts, the customers, and the development teams all need roadmaps. And they all need a different view of the roadmap which speaks to their concerns. Roadmaps should be clearly communicated and as predictable as possible.

I understand training is an often overlooked key to success. Marketing needs to understand the feature-benefit messaging. Sales needs to understand who is and who is not a good prospect, and how to sell to the good ones. Customers need to understand how to use the product to their greatest benefit in order for them to become loyal fans. Customer support needs to know what to expect from the each release so they can prepare for customer inquiries. Developing training materials is an important part of communicating the value of the product to various audiences.

I understand how to get things done in a cross-functional organization. I have managed other product managers, engineers, techs, developers, writers, and even salespeople. But in 99% of Product Management, no one who can help you accomplish your objectives reports to you. You have to know what you’re talking about, you have to have real facts to support your case, and you have to have empathy. I wouldn’t ask someone to work on something that I didn’t truly believe was the right thing to be working on.

I understand that UX can make or break a product. Even if the product does accomplish the job, no one is going to use it if it’s complicated, awkward, or laborious. I like to include UX as early as possible in the development of a new feature or enhancement of an existing one. It’s a lesson I’ve learned the hard way, and I’m not likely to ever forget it.

I understand business. Both the business I work for, and the businesses who are my customers. I’ve owned my own company a couple of times in my life. I’ve been responsible from everything from sales to delivering the product to supporting it. I’ve been responsible for cash flow, budgets, and balance sheets.

I understand how to analyze and interpret data. I’ve collected online mentions for big brands and analyzed what was said and where it was said. Providing tone, degree, authority, and trend analysis for a brand’s online discussions involves finding actionable takeaways from tens of thousands or more data points. Understanding which products are cross-selling, and for what types of customers can inform new initiatives to increase adoption among your existing customer base. Collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data can allow you to establish success criteria for a product launch, track those metrics, and celebrate success.

I understand how to prioritize. I once had a boss who gave me big new projects to work on two or three times a week. I would say “I can do anything. I just can’t do everything”. He just continued to pile on the work, so I learned to prioritize. Most of the time, I find it’s not an all-or-nothing proposition. Dedicating different sized time slices to different projects, leaning on other resources, or coming up with some out-of-the-box solutions have generally worked for me. Of course, knowing how to say “no”, or “Maybe, but not now”, is an important skill for a Product Manager to have too.