Ask HN: Product Management Resources
I've recently been tapped to become a product manager for a mobile product in a specific industry.
I have been a SME on the product for the past 7 years or so and I am very comfortable using the product, showing it to clients, and supporting implementations.
Are there some good resources for product managers out there? Any advice?
2 comments
[ 3.0 ms ] story [ 16.9 ms ] threadIt's critically important that you understand what the title of "Product Manager" means within your company, because the title varies greatly from one company to the next. Some companies treat product managers like mini-CEOs with significant control over their department. Other companies treat product managers as glorified Jira ticket pushers who are along for the ride. Best to understand what your company expects at the start, and then slowly push them in a direction that aligns your goals (deliver good product) with your control (who listens to you?).
Your wins might not be remembers, but your losses certainly will. To counteract this, work on tracking each of your initiatives and their ultimate success or failure. Keep this in your back pocket in case you end up being blamed for failures that weren't necessarily your fault.
Networking within the company is critical. You probably won't have direct authority over the people who will be accomplishing the work you need to reach your goals, so you'd better become as persuasive as possible.
The tough thing about management advice, of any form, is that the best advice is often unpopular with the general internet population. Most product management bloggers err on the side of not stepping on any toes or angering any readers, which means most of the best advice will be harder to find. Prepare to make some unpopular decisions and stick with it through objections. If you're managing a product for the average consumer, be prepared to push back against a lot of request from your techie engineers to make the product more complicated or to cater to features that only 1% of your most technical audience will use.
At my employer the Product Manager is the CEO of the product. They detail the roadmap, get input from clients, drive the vision of the product, etc. I don't have any direct reports, but the product team delivers what I prioritize.
My specific product is a mobile solution in a set of specific industries. We don't have a public facing application but have a large customer base with each client wanting something a little different. It seems like there is quite a bit of technical debt and a developer population that is reluctant to make big strides forward with the product, so I think my work is cut out for me.