- One of the first things a great product manager should do before even thinking about a product, is to understand the company that makes it.
- Every company is a little bit different and they have different priorities, values, strengths and weaknesses.
- Knowing these details about a company, understanding the full context of its current situation is the starting point to find and evaluate product opportunities and make strategic product decisions.
- And the product manager sits at this intersection with the responsibilities for building the right product, and building the product right. On the left hand side working from the bottom. It all begins with the opportunity of developing and evaluating and validating the hypothesis for what product makes sense to build.
- And then from there, working upward into defining and evaluating the priorities. Doing the research, engaging with product owners, meeting with users and examining the analytics.
- From there, once the product requirements document have developed, it move to the right hand side of building the product right. It examines the process, works with design, works with the architecture, collaborates with engineering and technology, and in the end testing.
- And so what's here that the product manager sets and engaging in both sides of these challenges. As we've discussed before, it is all about the customer and figuring out what product best solves the problems they encounter or the opportunities they wish to pursue.
- Product managers engaged in the technology, the building of the thing, figuring out how to translate that idea into reality. While working with the business teams to do it profitably, to do it in a way that makes economic sense for the company now and in the future. And it's at that intersection that product management exists.
