Role And Best Practices For Beginners

Question 1

What is a Product Manager?

Answer 1

A product manager is the person who identifies the customer need and the larger business objectives that a product or feature will fulfill, articulates what success looks like for a product, and rallies a team to turn that vision into a reality.

Question 2

What is a Product Manager’s responsibilities?

Answer 2

A good product manager will spend his or her time on a handful of tasks.

• Understanding and representing user needs.
• Monitoring the market and developing competitive analyses.
• Defining a vision for a product.
• Aligning stakeholders around the vision for the product.
• Prioritizing product features and capabilities.
• Creating a shared brain across larger teams to empower independent decision-making.

Question 3

Product Manager vs. Product Owner

Answer 3

Product Manager
- Works with outside stakeholders
- Helps to define the product vision
- Outlines what success looks like
- Owns vision, marketing, ROI
- Works at a conceptual level

Product Owner
- Works with internal stakeholders
- Helps teams execute on a shared vision
- Outlines the plan for achieving success
- Owns team backlog and fulfillment work
- Involved in day-to-day activities

Question 4

Best practices and tips for being a great product manager

Answer 4

1. Prioritize ruthlessly
2. Know the lay of the land
3. Empower your team to make their own decisions
4. Learn to influence without authority
5. Develop a thick skin

Question 5

What makes a great Product Manager?

Answer 5

It’s the rare breed that’s forward-thinking, highly influential, and can walk people through the rationale behind a decision and convince them - even without data.

Question 6

How would you spend your first week on the job here?

Answer 6

Any product manager’s first week should include directly engaging and talking with users.