Writing this article takes me back to the time when I learned about this role. These are five aspects of product management that I wish I knew earlier.

Photo by Dawid Zawiła on Unsplash

1. The product manager role is definitely a T-shaped role

Product management needs T-shaped skill - depth of product skills and ability to work with different functions such as marketing, sales, legal, advocacy, design, user research, and engineering.

• Learning the basics of these functions will give you a common ground to collaborate.

• Reach out to your cross-functional teams to help you get started. For instance, request the engineering lead to provide a walk-through of architecture. Or shadow your user researcher, when they conduct interviews or develop surveys, etc.

2. Influencing without authority is a key skill

As PMs, we work with cross-functional teams and other PMs. These teams do not report to us. Yet, we need to align these stakeholders to our vision. This requires ability to influence without authority.

• Leverage your vision and your subject matter expertise to align your stakeholders.

• Develop those T-shaped skills mentioned above.

• Be open to feedback. Adjust your plan based on feedback from cross-functional teams.

Check out our earlier post to see how to influence without authority.

3. It’s a humbling experience

It takes a village to ship a product. It is a humbling experience when all the teams come together to shape and ship a product.

4. Relationships are paramount

Building relationships with the people we work with is important.

• Create a safe space where you and your peers can brainstorm and ask questions.

• Ensure you honor your commitments.

• Be willing to take feedback, provide honest feedback and be transparent about communicating changes.

5. Product management may seem like a lonely job

Product management may seem like a lonely job at times. A single person is responsible for aligning and working with all those various collaborators.

• You will have doubts - did you make the right decision, is your presentation communicating what it should, are you missing a key aspect of the problem? Every Product Manager has these doubts.

• Reach out to other PMs in your organization. Ask them if they can brainstorm with you, or listen to a presentation and provide feedback, or review a scope document. I have been lucky enough to have support from amazing peers in every organization I worked in.

What did I miss? Was there anything else you wish you knew earlier as a Product Manager?

Share

👋 We’re trying to improve our content. Please give us one-click feedback.

Did you learn something new?

😎 Already knew everything
🤔 Some new things, I already knew some
🤯 Totally new information to me