What do companies look for in a new Product Manager?

Admin on 05/12/2022

  1. Technical Knowledge and Expertise: Companies look for product managers who have a deep understanding of the technical aspects of their product. This includes knowledge of coding languages, software development, and design.
  2. Business Acumen: Companies want product managers who understand the business side of their product, such as market trends, customer needs, and developing strategies to increase profitability. They should also be able to develop pricing strategies, create go-to-market plans, and manage the product portfolio.
  3. Communication Skills: Product managers must be able to clearly communicate their vision for the product to the development team and stakeholders. They need to be able to explain product requirements, features, and objectives.
  4. Leadership Skills: Product managers must be able to lead their team to success by setting clear goals and providing direction. They should be able to make tough decisions and provide guidance when needed.
  5. Problem-Solving: Product managers need to have a knack for solving complex problems, and should be able to identify and address potential issues before they become major problems.
  6. Collaboration: Product managers must be able to collaborate with other departments and stakeholders to ensure the success of the product. They should be able to foster relationships and build consensus.

What do you see as a Product Manager’s main role within product development?

Admin on 04/12/2022

A Product Manager’s main role within product development is to work with stakeholders, such as the product team, customers, and other stakeholders to define and prioritize the product’s features, roadmap, and strategy. They must also be able to understand customer needs and build product features that fulfill those needs. They must also be able to collaborate with engineering teams to ensure that products are built to specification and shipped on time. Finally, a Product Manager should be able to use data to inform decisions and be able to track and measure product performance.

How do product managers prioritizing tasks?

Admin on 03/12/2022

Product managers typically prioritize tasks using a combination of tools and techniques. These can include a task list or spreadsheet, a project management tool such as Trello or Asana, or a Kanban-style workflow. They may also use a scoring system to rank tasks according to their importance, or use a method such as the Eisenhower Matrix to decide which tasks to focus on first. Product managers should also consider the impact each task will have on the product, customer feedback, and the team’s overall goals.

Why product managers create roadmaps?

Admin on 02/12/2022

Product managers create roadmaps to clearly define a product’s vision and direction, and to communicate the product’s progress to stakeholders. Roadmaps can help product managers to plan the product’s development cycle, prioritize features, and track progress. They can also help to identify areas of the product that need improvement, as well as helping to identify potential new features. Roadmaps can also provide a useful tool for managing customer expectations, and for aligning the product strategy with the company’s overall strategy.

What is the difference between a project manager and product manager?

Admin on 01/12/2022

A project manager is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of a project, while a product manager is responsible for the overall success of a product. The product manager is responsible for the product strategy, roadmap, and feature definition, while the project manager is responsible for the execution of the project.

Team health measures

Admin on 30/11/2022

Each team should develop it’s own measures for what the team members think is important to them. But here are some ideas:

Goals

We’re clear on the goals we’re trying to achieve.

Impact

We understand how to achieve outcomes that we want.

Processes and practices

We have the right processes and practices to help us work effectively.

We have the right tools to be experts in what we do.

Collaboration

We know how to work together to get things done.

Learning

We share knowledge, and take time to learn new things.

We help each other understand what skills we lack, and look for opportunities to learn.

Challenge

We are challenged by the problems we tackle.

Fun

We enjoy our work, and enjoy working with each other.

Speed

We can deliver quickly and easily.

Risks

We know how the recognise risks and what to do about them.

Support

We know when, how and who to ask for help.

Metrics

We know how to measure our work and use it to improve.

Difference & diversity

We seek out, accept and appreciate different ways of thinking and being.

Skills

We have all the skills we need to do our work.

Baseline skills for modern knowledge work

Admin on 29/11/2022

Modern knowledge workers need certain skills to work effectively.

Planning

Scheduling work.

Communicating

Writing and diagramming clearly, choosing appropriate channels.

Analysing

Understanding data, drawing conclusions.

Decision-making

Prioritising, hypothesising, managing risks.

Problem-solving

Considering opportunities, understanding constraints, assigning resources.

Collaborating

Facilitating workshops, empowering team members, agreeing responsibilities.

Instructing

Learning skills and information, training others.

How charities create change

Admin on 28/11/2022

Charities are too ‘respectable’ to win change, by Janey Starling, is a really interesting article about the role charities play in creating change in society through campaigning and political influencing.

Campaigning might not be the best means for charities to create change anymore.

I’ve written before about how charities are stuck in the ‘squeezed middle’ between social movements and socially responsible businesses, meaning they need to justify their place in the for-good landscape. Perhaps the place of charities in the political landscape is changing too.

Starling talks about how charities should re-establish their place in the political landscape by confrontation, but charities don’t decide the rules of that game, they can only choose or not choose to play the game. Confrontation of the political system might not lead to a change in that system. Why would it? Has it ever?

So, how can charities create change? Perhaps by intervening in other systems.

Why we need to be continually learning

Admin on 27/11/2022

Drucker coined the phrase ‘knowledge worker’ in 1959. Later, he said that knowledge workers should “continue innovation as part of their work, their task and their responsibility”. He saw “innovation as the specific tool of entrepreneurs, the means by which they exploit change as an opportunity for a different business or a different service”.

Being innovative also implies the need for “continuous learning on the part of the knowledge worker,” “continuous teaching,” and prioritizing quality over quantity of output, activities which we can link with love of knowledge, love of learning, and tenacity.

Knowledge work demands continual learning. Without learning we aren’t in the position to create new knowledge that allows us and the organisations we work to keep pace with the changing world.