Product managers are the unsung heroes in startups.
The Wikipedia definition of product management states:
Product management is an organizational lifecycle function within a company dealing with the planning or marketing of a product or products at all stages of the product lifecycle.
Product management (inbound focused) and product marketing (outbound focused) are different yet complementary efforts with the objective of maximizing sales revenues, market share, and profit margins. The role of product management spans many activities from strategic to tactical and varies based on the organizational structure of the company. Product management can be a function separate on its own or a member of marketing or engineering.
Jacques Murphy goes through the Product Management role in startups very nicely. He says very succinctly: “A Product Manager is like a CEO of the product.”
It’s clear that the product management role in most startups is not filled by a dedicated person. More often than not it’s the CEO or CTO (or one of the founders, if you’re not using official C-level titles) that acts as product manager (even if it’s not explicitly defined that way.)
Not defining the Product Manager role clearly in a startup, and dedicating someone to it as quickly as possible is a mistake.
Niel Robertson talks about this issue as the #1 startup mistake in an interview with TechStars.
Part of the problem is the definition of a Product Manager isn’t totally clear. What do they do? How do they do it? How is it different from the CEO, CTO or founders of the company?
And the second major problem is that most startups don’t think it’s necessary to have a dedicated person in this role.
So what does the Product Manager do?
I encourage you to look through the links provided on this post for much more in-depth summaries of Product Managers and their roles, but here’s a snapshot:
- Translate vision into execution. A lot of startup CEOs are great visionaries but not effective in terms of product execution. Part of this is that a startup CEO is inevitably “distracted” by managing all aspects of the business – including funding, recruiting, operations, marketing and more. Product Managers have to be able to process vision (which often comes in spurts, crazed beer-induced meetings, late night sessions, etc.) into actual product execution.
- Remain insanely disciplined. Product Managers are “NO” people, not “YES” people. They have to be able to say “no” to a lot of people and resist the temptation to add just one more feature.
- Manage people. Product Managers are in charge of the product, but really, they’re in charge of people – developers, designers and even marketers / salespeople. A great product manager has to be comfortable managing people (and all the challenges that come with it.)
- Customer-focused. Product Managers can’t rely exclusively on their gut for making decisions. They have to be customer-focused and have the ability and confidence to get out of the office and speak to customers. This is where a customer development approach is essential.
- Metrics-oriented. Along with being customer-focused and not relying on your gut, the same holds true when it comes to tracking metrics about product performance, usage, etc. And this also includes metrics, analysis and involvement in marketing, sales, conversions, etc.
- Business-driven. Product Managers need to be involved in business-related decisions around the product. A good example is pricing. How should you price your product? Product Managers need to be involved in these discussions and decision-making processes because they’re the ones that are most familiar with the product and opportunities for applying business models, marketing tactics, etc.
- Tech-savvy. I can’t find the link (might have been a tweet), but I read a recommendation that said (paraphrasing), “Product managers should know how to code, and use HTML/CSS at least…” — and I tend to agree. Product managers need to be tech-savvy enough to understand the possibilities and limitations of technology. They have to be able to involve themselves in technical discussions, and make sure the engineers and developers aren’t getting caught in tech-weeds. And the more hands-on a Product Manager can be, the better. This isn’t a role where you sit and manage people from the sidelines; certainly not in a startup.
Ivan Chaliff recommends a number of interesting books that can help product managers in startups (along with some that he feels won’t help.) These include The Art of Product Management: Lessons from a Silicon Valley Innovator
Without a doubt the role of Product Manager is essential in a startup. And just as clear is the fact that it’s not a very well-defined role, and not prominent enough early on in a startup’s life.
What do you think? How important is a Product Manager in startup? What makes a great Product Manager?
that is the REALLY tricky thing right? i am the PM for my startup, but many times, the amount of satisfaction i get from writing a piece of code far exceeds the amount of satisfaction i get from writing a spec. the former is tangible, the latter is fuzzy. But getting the product insights right is so crucial, far more so than getting a piece of code written.
Ming – As much as personal satisfaction is important, I think you can weigh those two things by asking, “Which one is more important for customers? The spec/product management work or coding?”
I don't think they're mutually exclusive either, but if you put the customer first (which isn't just thinking about “how to be nice to customers” but how to get more, convert more, get more to pay, etc.) then it helps prioritize things.
Ming – As much as personal satisfaction is important, I think you can weigh those two things by asking, “Which one is more important for customers? The spec/product management work or coding?”
I don't think they're mutually exclusive either, but if you put the customer first (which isn't just thinking about “how to be nice to customers” but how to get more, convert more, get more to pay, etc.) then it helps prioritize things.
Ming – Absolutely. You can email me at byosko@gmail.com – I have an account on Mr. Tweet already as well.
Ming – Absolutely. You can email me at byosko@gmail.com – I have an account on Mr. Tweet already as well.
Well explained job nature of the product manager. I can easily understand how the product manager should be? after reading your blog. Thanks.
Ming – As much as personal satisfaction is important, I think you can weigh those two things by asking, “Which one is more important for customers? The spec/product management work or coding?”
I don't think they're mutually exclusive either, but if you put the customer first (which isn't just thinking about “how to be nice to customers” but how to get more, convert more, get more to pay, etc.) then it helps prioritize things.
Ming – Absolutely. You can email me at byosko@gmail.com – I have an account on Mr. Tweet already as well.
I like this, probably partly because I see myself as a Product Manager-type.
It's the role where you have to ask “Why” and not just “What” and “How”.
The classic model sees founders as either Tech or Business people. This line of thinking adds Product people as a distinct thing, which is great. How many startups have collapsed because they built out their Technology (over-scaling and over-speccing) or Business (the corporation and all its structures) before they really had a handle on their Product?
I like this, probably partly because I see myself as a Product Manager-type.
It's the role where you have to ask “Why” and not just “What” and “How”.
The classic model sees founders as either Tech or Business people. This line of thinking adds Product people as a distinct thing, which is great. How many startups have collapsed because they built out their Technology (over-scaling and over-speccing) or Business (the corporation and all its structures) before they really had a handle on their Product?
They are unsung, because the are replaceable cogs. Just like this blog post they are constantly trying to take credit for anything and everything under the sun. The credit should go where it is due, the founders that put blood sweat and tears into the company, and the engineers that slave away.
They are unsung, because the are replaceable cogs. Just like this blog post they are constantly trying to take credit for anything and everything under the sun. The credit should go where it is due, the founders that put blood sweat and tears into the company, and the engineers that slave away.
Ouch. It sounds like you've had some unpleasant experiences with Product Managers.
I certainly do give plenty of credit to startup founders – I'm one myself. My point about Product Managers is that their value is under-appreciated in startups, and that deserves attention, along with the importance of Product Managers in startups.
Ouch. It sounds like you've had some unpleasant experiences with Product Managers.
I certainly do give plenty of credit to startup founders – I'm one myself. My point about Product Managers is that their value is under-appreciated in startups, and that deserves attention, along with the importance of Product Managers in startups.
I like this, probably partly because I see myself as a Product Manager-type.
It's the role where you have to ask “Why” and not just “What” and “How”.
The classic model sees founders as either Tech or Business people. This line of thinking adds Product people as a distinct thing, which is great. How many startups have collapsed because they built out their Technology (over-scaling and over-speccing) or Business (the corporation and all its structures) before they really had a handle on their Product?
They are unsung, because the are replaceable cogs. Just like this blog post they are constantly trying to take credit for anything and everything under the sun. The credit should go where it is due, the founders that put blood sweat and tears into the company, and the engineers that slave away.
Ouch. It sounds like you've had some unpleasant experiences with Product Managers.
I certainly do give plenty of credit to startup founders – I'm one myself. My point about Product Managers is that their value is under-appreciated in startups, and that deserves attention, along with the importance of Product Managers in startups.
Ya it's depends upon company and nature of product, administration syle to determine the role of product manager, some companies dont have designation 'Product Manager' but the works of him done by supervisor of Factory manager, and some works by Marketing manager…..
Ya it's depends upon company and nature of product, administration syle to determine the role of product manager, some companies dont have designation 'Product Manager' but the works of him done by supervisor of Factory manager, and some works by Marketing manager…..
Great post! Thanx for sharing…
Ya it's depends upon company and nature of product, administration syle to determine the role of product manager, some companies dont have designation 'Product Manager' but the works of him done by supervisor of Factory manager, and some works by Marketing manager…..
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Product Managers in Startups: What’s their Role?…
Product Managers are essential in startups, to focus exclusively on the product. Oftentimes this is the CEO or CTO (or founders) but they can’t give the product manager role enough attention. Product managers are the unsung heroes in startups. Not defi…
thanks for the post, this will definitely help me with my startup =)
thanks for the post, this will definitely help me with my startup =)
[...] Product Managers in Startups: What's their Role? Some insight to the role of the product manager. In some organizations the product manager can be in the business unit, they can also be in the IT/IS unit. (tags: productmanagement) Bookmark and Share: sociallist_c6dec788_url = 'http://www.theblueshirt.org/blog/2009/10/links-for-2009-10-17/'; sociallist_c6dec788_title = 'links for 2009-10-17'; sociallist_c6dec788_text = ''; sociallist_c6dec788_tags = ''; [...]
thanks for the post, this will definitely help me with my startup =)
thanx alot
This reminds me of the stories about Marissa Mayer at Google tracking the number of words on the home page. She's got all the tech chops in the world and she's focused on the user experience, on how 50 bajillion people use the product.
It’s great to meet experts who are willing to share both their experiences and knowledge to other people.
Thanks for this very thoughtful and detailed post regarding the role of Product Managers. So often, I work with start-up companies and this role is not clearly defined — and you're absolutely right, the entire business suffers as a result of this oversight. I have never been able to quantify this need as well as you have articulated it here, so I will pass this article along to them. Thanks for the great post!
Thanks for this very thoughtful and detailed post regarding the role of Product Managers. So often, I work with start-up companies and this role is not clearly defined — and you're absolutely right, the entire business suffers as a result of this oversight. I have never been able to quantify this need as well as you have articulated it here, so I will pass this article along to them. Thanks for the great post!
Thanks for this very thoughtful and detailed post regarding the role of Product Managers. So often, I work with start-up companies and this role is not clearly defined — and you're absolutely right, the entire business suffers as a result of this oversight. I have never been able to quantify this need as well as you have articulated it here, so I will pass this article along to them. Thanks for the great post!
Good article. A product manager in my eyes has to have technical and business expertise, as well as being able to interpret and present a clear vision that everyone can understand.
It's a very difficult role IMO, you have to be all things to all men in a sense.
Good article. A product manager in my eyes has to have technical and business expertise, as well as being able to interpret and present a clear vision that everyone can understand.
It's a very difficult role IMO, you have to be all things to all men in a sense.
Good article. A product manager in my eyes has to have technical and business expertise, as well as being able to interpret and present a clear vision that everyone can understand.
It's a very difficult role IMO, you have to be all things to all men in a sense.
Great post. While I don’t necessarily agree with all your points, I absolutely agree with the essence of your post. Specifically, the notion that Product Management eludes too many start-ups. Moreover, I pin the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Founder/CEO. A common mistake early start-ups make is to wait too long to formalize the role of product management. In general, product management continues to struggle to find legitimacy in software — let alone in start-ups. Few founders have the aptitude, experience, and courage to delegate product management. Fearing I would run on… I picked-up the topic on my own blog: http://www.quantumwhisper.com/product-managemen...
It would be great to get your feedback. BTW, I’ll be sure to introduce myself at the next Start-up Camp.
Best Success,
B.
Great post. While I don’t necessarily agree with all your points, I absolutely agree with the essence of your post. Specifically, the notion that Product Management eludes too many start-ups. Moreover, I pin the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Founder/CEO. A common mistake early start-ups make is to wait too long to formalize the role of product management. In general, product management continues to struggle to find legitimacy in software — let alone in start-ups. Few founders have the aptitude, experience, and courage to delegate product management. Fearing I would run on… I picked-up the topic on my own blog: http://www.quantumwhisper.com/product-managemen...
It would be great to get your feedback. BTW, I’ll be sure to introduce myself at the next Start-up Camp.
Best Success,
B.
Great post. While I don’t necessarily agree with all your points, I absolutely agree with the essence of your post. Specifically, the notion that Product Management eludes too many start-ups. Moreover, I pin the blame squarely on the shoulders of the Founder/CEO. A common mistake early start-ups make is to wait too long to formalize the role of product management. In general, product management continues to struggle to find legitimacy in software — let alone in start-ups. Few founders have the aptitude, experience, and courage to delegate product management. Fearing I would run on… I picked-up the topic on my own blog: http://www.quantumwhisper.com/product-managemen...
It would be great to get your feedback. BTW, I’ll be sure to introduce myself at the next Start-up Camp.
Best Success,
B.
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Barry – I'll definitely check out your post.
Out of curiosity, what points DON'T you agree with?
Barry – I'll definitely check out your post.
Out of curiosity, what points DON'T you agree with?
Barry – I'll definitely check out your post.
Out of curiosity, what points DON'T you agree with?
Barry – I'll definitely check out your post.
Out of curiosity, what points DON'T you agree with?