The learning Curve for a Software Product Manager
Or Mastering the Essential Product Management Skills at Every Stage of Your Product Management Journey
When I started thinking about this article, I decided not to write it solely from my own perspective, but to ask other fellow PMs to provide their feedback. I wanted to gather their opinions on what skills and competencies are truly important for every product manager.
Before submitting my questions on social media, I determined that these skills should be divided into three levels:
1️⃣ Essential skills for those just starting out.
2️⃣ Intermediate skills for mid-level PMs with at least three years of experience.
3️⃣ Advanced skills for seasoned product managers.
So, I created a few posts on LinkedIn and Reddit, and I was surprised by the results. I have included users' feedback as quotations together with my original text.
Entry-Level Skills for PMs
These competencies are crucial for aspiring PMs who are beginning their journeys and building a solid foundation in the field of product management.
Communication
This is the first necessary skill for PMs and is crucial at all levels of experience. It’s an obvious "must-have" if you want to be a Product Manager, as you will need to effectively communicate with different teams, understand their needs, and convey your vision of the product clearly.
Communication, collaboration, influence and alignment: communicating (both processing & output) clearly across all mediums, being able to work across a variety of different stakeholder groups, selling ideas and getting buy-in, aligning everyone on the same goals / outcomes - this is how you actually get shit done.
Technical literacy
The second basic skill for anyone who wants to get into product management is technical proficiency. Now, I’m not talking about advanced knowledge like making API requests or composing SQL queries. You should at least be able to understand and apply core technical concepts. This includes understanding the SDLC (Software Development Lifecycle), the basics of Agile methodology, and having some knowledge of front-end, back-end, and related topics.
Understanding the fundamentals of how technology and software work, including basic concepts like APIs, databases, and system architecture, helps you speak the same language as your development team.
Good listener with quick grasp | Especially newbies need to take in a lot of new information about users and technologies as they have less pattern recognition
Organizational skills
Software product development is all about time. Product management shares some similarities with project management, and to succeed, you should be able to manage your time and tasks effectively.
As a PM, I worked on a few highly dynamic startup projects that demanded exceptional attention to detail and time management skills.
You can´t be a good product manager if you can’t manage your time.
Being customer-centric
Every product exists to solve specific problems. As a Product Manager, you must understand your customers' needs and pain points to translate them into valuable product features. A key part of a PM's duties is maintaining a close connection with customers, continuously gathering their feedback, and improving the product based on their input.
Business acumen: product development is inherently a business process that cuts across business concepts.
Skills for Mid-Level Product Managers (3+ Years of Experience)
These skills are important for mid-level product managers who already have certain experience and abilities.
Product discovery
This skill refers to the possibility of conducting market research, testing hypotheses and work over product development and improvement. I have a separate article on this topic.
Empathy: extremely useful for understanding market / customer needs and stakeholder priorities.
Product analytics
Working with the product data and metrics is an essential skill for every intermediate Product Manager. Of course, metrics vary from product to product, but you should be able to identify them, track and improve.
Data fluency & numeracy: being able to work with data and numbers - this helps you back up your intuition & thinking with concrete validation.
Prioritization and roadmapping
Building software products is about prioritizing and deciding what features should be developed first, what features should come next and what features should not be developed at all. There are different techniques of prioritization that work great; and prioritized features that are laid down on a calendar create a roadmap.
Thinking: logical / structured, critical, conceptual, analytical, problem solving, etc - this is the backbone of the main competencies (insights gen / context building, strategy formulation & direction-setting, prioritisation & roadmapping, discovery, shaping, shipping & supporting, measuring/learning/acting).
Writing PRDs (Product Requirement Documents)
Writing is an art. Writing good stories is an art. Writing great product requirements documents (PRD) is an art. A PRD is the main document that describes the purpose, features, functionality, and behavior of a product/feature.
A Product Requirements Document (PRD) may seem like a tool primarily for product managers, but its impact extends far beyond a single role. It becomes the source of knowledge for developers, designers and even testers, who have a well-defined set of requirements to verify against.
Cross-functional collaboration
A Product Manager is an important link that connects different product teams and departments - Development, Marketing, Sales, Support, etc. They serve as subject matter experts who know everything about their product and may lend a hand when needed, whether it involves preparation for the next release, pre-sales activities, or joining a call with an important customer.
Leverage the crystallized intelligence | You’ve seen a lot and ideally that experience has crystallized into invisible 3D boundaries around your problem space. You know if you’re too close to one edge and too far from the other and gently nudge the team and the product in the right direction.
Skills for Senior Product Managers
Skills that become critically important for senior product managers who lead large teams and scale products.
Strategic thinking
This skill lies in determining long-term goals and directions of product and company development. Senior Product Managers must be able to evaluate market trends in order to formulate product strategies that are aligned with the business needs. They also analyze competitive landscape and use the obtained data to make important decisions.
This area falls under business intelligence and is supported by various frameworks that help guide strategic decision-making.
Leadership and mentorship
Every seasoned PM becomes a teacher, often voluntary. Having collected a significant product experience they begin to develop junior Product Managers, helping them to grow professionally. Such help also includes transferring knowledge and skills and helps to create team culture within the company.
You need to be able to teach other do the job. This is your ultimate responsibility as a product manager.
Business acumen
As a Product Manager, you must deeply understand business models of your product, monetization and other financial aspects. By possessing this knowledge, you begin applying it to maximize income and minimize expenses. This knowledge helps you to create valuable offers to the clients and improve product competitive edge.
It´s all about making money. Find an idea that works and replicate it to multiple customers. Ask them if they are happy. If not - make them happy and repeat.
Business acumen: product development is inherently a business process that cuts across business concepts
Risk Assessment
The ability to assess prospective risks is of extreme importance when it comes to the execution of duties related to product management. As a Senior Product Manager, you will have to identify and analyze risks that could impact the product and the team.
Showing ways to mitigate such risks keeps stability on track and ensures the success of your initiatives. In addition, proactivity from this angle encourages transparency and accountability within your team. This might be achieved by integrating risk assessment into your regular planning cycles so that you are able to make informed decisions that always align with your overall product strategy.
Bonus - Soft Skills for All Levels
These are important skills at any stage in your career, as they really help product managers do their jobs better:
Critical thinking. To have the ability to look at different perspectives and make an informed decision.
Empathy. To understand the needs of the users and employees; this will help in making and building products that solve real problems.
Adaptability. The ability to adapt immediately to any market changes or internal process adaptation within the company.
Communication and influence. Being able to convince, sell ideas, and find common positions among stakeholders.
If you have questions or suggestions, please drop me a message in LinkedIn using the button below:
Great article, thank you!