Reasons to become a Product Manager - Wrong answers only
A list of misconceptions about the role.
Are you considering a career as a software product manager? While the role offers tremendous opportunities for growth and impact, it's crucial to have the right motivations. Here are 16 wrong reasons to become a product manager:
Reason 1: "I want to be in charge." In reality, product managers facilitate collaboration and empower cross-functional teams, not micromanage. It's all about teamwork. When in doubt, product managers should talk to users.
Reason 2, related to #1: “I'm going to be the CEO of the product.” In reality, you're not the CEO of anything. You can't hire people, you can't fire people, and in most cases you can't change product strategy on your own, let alone company strategy.
Reason 3: “I have the final say on every decision.” In reality, product managers collaborate with various stakeholders and make decisions based on data, feedback, and team input, not unilateral authority. An important skill for product managers is the ability to compromise at the right time.
Reason 4: "I get to implement all the cool tech." In reality, product managers focus on strategic decisions and customer needs, not technical delivery. Leave that to the engineers. Besides, even new technology has to prove its worth.
Reason 5: "I have a great vision and will build a product to fulfill it.” In reality, product managers must constantly validate their ideas with customers and users. Many visions have failed; only contact with actual users can validate the vision and the solution.
Reason 6: "Others will do what I say because of my role.” In reality, product managers have to convince their colleagues and their team with a good vision, strategy and roadmap. The title alone does not guarantee that people will follow you.
Reason 7: "I can manage my time." In reality, being a product manager often means juggling multiple responsibilities and being available for urgent issues. A product manager's schedule is more like a manager's schedule than a maker's schedule.
Reason 8: "I'll be the hero who always saves the day." In reality, good product managers share share praise with their team, but take all the blame themselves.
Reason 9, related to reason 8: "I'll get all the credit for successful products." In reality, credit is shared among the entire team, as product success is a collective effort.
Reason 10: "I want to write code." Product managers rarely write code. Their focus is on defining requirements and guiding development teams, not coding.
Reason 11: "I have deep technical knowledge of this product". In reality, product management requires a diverse set of skills, including communication, empathy, and business acumen, in addition to technical knowledge.
Reason 12: "I'll always have a clear roadmap and everything will go as planned.” In reality, product management often involves adapting to changing circumstances, pivoting, and dealing with unexpected challenges.
Reason 13: "I'll be able to make everyone happy.” In reality, product managers often have to make tough decisions that may not please everyone and prioritize the most important features. Product managers are under a lot of pressure, and they will inevitably disappoint others (but they can still build understanding).
Reason 14: "I can skip the market research and rely on my instincts.” In reality, successful product managers rely on data-driven insights and lots of customer feedback rather than gut instinct.
Reason 15: "I'll be the star of the company's success stories.” In reality, product managers often work behind the scenes, and their contributions may not be highly visible. The public tends to celebrate CEOs and engineers, but rarely product managers.
Reason 16: "I'll have a low-stress work environment." In reality, product management can be very stressful, with the responsibility of delivering successful products. You're responsible and accountable, yet you need other functions to deliver the product.
In reality, a good product manager focuses on building the best product for the customer through good discovery = understanding user needs, fostering collaboration, strategic thinking, and adaptability. If your motivations align with these principles, you're on your way to becoming an effective product manager.
Don't be fooled by being the star of the company - you need to make other people the stars!
What I read
This is separate section of this newsletter. I will list some of the best articles I read on the internet. They may or may not be related to the topic of this article. I will keep a list of the best articles (currently >800) at https://www.digital-product-management.com. These are today’s picks:
Determining the right price: 25 questions to ask customer to find your pricing.
Getting better feedback on your work: Ask for feedback the right way, depending on your stage of completion.
Six Weapons of Influence: How you can influenced and how you can be influenced.