# A quick intro to product management --- 1. [A quick intro to managing software projects](https://hackmd.io/@fac/S1wGfV2M8#/) 2. [Issue management and estimation](https://hackmd.io/@fac/B1AL4V3ML#/) 3. [The Build Sprint](https://hackmd.io/@fac/S1ZTP6UcI#/) 4. **A quick intro to product management** 5. [The Design Sprint](https://hackmd.io/@fac/rySEBaUq8) --- > “Project management is the art of getting things done… Product management is the art of deciding what to do in the first place” ###### Jennifer Pahlka, author of [Recoding America](https://www.recodingamerica.us/), on [The Ezra Klein Show](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/06/podcasts/transcript-ezra-klein-interviews-jennifer-pahlka.html). --- #### Inconvenient truths about product development - Most product ideas won't work - Those that might work will take several iterations to get right ---- Central to the product development process is the role of ***product manager***. --- ## The product manager ---- _"The CEO of the product"_ ---- The only role in the product team that should not be outsourced. ---- Their task is to spot ideas that won't work early in the process, reduce the risk of failure, and make sure the organisation is learning at every stage of development. --- ### A quick note about naming ---- There is a difference between the roles of ***product manager*** and **product owner**. ---- #### Product manager A role that didn't really exist a few years ago, but is increasingly used in job adverts when a company is looking for somebody who is familiar with modern methods of project management, particularly in the area of software development. ---- #### Product owner The single source of information for a product development team about the product they are trying to build. This term comes from the Scrum(TM) method that is very widely used in software development and that we use at Founders and Coders. ---- All good ***product managers*** should be good at playing the role of **product owner**. It is one of their 6 key competencies. --- ### The six key competencies of product managers ---- #### 1. Objective setting and outcome measurement Needs: *Clarity of vision* ---- #### 2. Product development the *“product owner”* role Needs: *Responsiveness* ---- #### 3. Data analysis both collecting and interpreting data Needs: *Attention to detail* ---- #### 4. User knowledge professional experience, user research, user testing Needs: *Empathy* ---- #### 5. Organisational knowledge and stakeholder engagement Needs: *Authority* ---- #### 6. Domain expertise and knowledge of the sector Needs: *Experience* ---- ### RECAP: Competencies 1. Objective setting 2. Product development 3. Data analysis 4. User knowledge 5. Organisational knowledge 6. Domain expertise --- ## Further reading - [The Lean startup](http://theleanstartup.com/) by Eric Reis - [Inspired](https://svpg.com/inspired-how-to-create-products-customers-love/) by Marty Kagan --- 5. [The Design Sprint](https://hackmd.io/@fac/rySEBaUq8)