We have all read Good Product Manager/Bad Product Manager written almost 15 years ago by Ben Horowitz! If not, you can read it here (or re-read it): https://a16z.com/2012/06/15/good-product-managerbad-product-manager/
Taking a cue from it and from all the learnings I have had, here is what I think a Product Manager does.…and honestly it applies to just about everybody irrespective of any job role.
- A Product Manager Adapts (to changing business conditions, environments, work place, competitor moves, customer needs)
- A Product Manager Learns
- A Product Manager takes risks (is willing to be misunderstood)
- A Product Manager Listens
- A Product Manager Takes notes
- A Product Manager Implements
- A Product Manager copes up with failure and gets up
- A Product Manager Negotiates
- A Product Manager thinks creatively
- A Product Manager reads voraciously
- A Product Manager moves out of his comfort zone
- A Product Manager doesn’t run after every new shiny thing
- A Product Manager shares
- A Product Manager writes
- A Product Manager teaches
- A Product Manager Markets, Sells, Promotes
- A Product Manager knows that price is what customers pay and value is what they get — Value is everything!
- A Product Manager looks inward
- A Product Manager Meditates
- A Product Manager Connects two unrelated things
- A Product Manager stays humble (Looks out of the window and gives credit to successes, looks inward and accepts failure — Thanks Jim Collins!)
- A Product Manager has fun
- A Product Manager spots trends
- A Product Manager asks for help
- A Product Manager helps
- A Product Manager thinks in abundance
- A Product Manager obsesses over the customers experience
- A Product Manager builds (products, relationships, communities, customers)
- A Product Manager makes decisions
- A Product Manager prioritizes
- A Product Manager knows his competition
- A Product Manager plays in a Blue Ocean Space (Competition is for losers! — Peter Thiel)
- A Product Manager Exercises
- A Product Manager gets things done without authority
- A Product Manager motivates the team
- A Product Manager radiates Energy
- A Product Manager has clarity of thought
- A Product Manager sleeps 7–8 hours every night and knows its importance.
- A Product Manager knows that time is precious
- A Product Manager has multiple identities (Customer, Early Adopter, Late majority adopter, Product Owner, Techie, Business Analyst, Business Owner, min-CEO, Father, Mother, Grand Parent, Son, Daughter, Friend, Colleague, The gym enthusiast, creative, investor, speculator, sports fan, leader, cheer leader)
- A Product Manager is human and knows that not everyday one gets to launch an iPhone and goes through the grind and executes things even if it is not the next big thing.
