My initial impression of a product manager is a figure that communicates between teams working on a product and the people who will be using the product. Yet, this chapter made me realize that the communication between the people in the teams itself is actually a stronger focus. The author’s explanation that Product Managers are always in the middle of being sensitive to many different people and their needs and desires, even in data-driven environments, made me realize the immense responsibility of Product Managers in keeping a team afloat. Not only are PMs communicators, but they are the support team emotionally, physically, and technically. Additionally, a part of the text which really drew me in and shaped my perspective on Product Managers was the explanation that good product managers are a sum of their experiences. I am a strong believer in the impact of life experiences on every aspect of a person’s actions, but I have never seen this idea explicitly mentioned in professional contexts. This reinforces my perception of Product Management as a static role where projects are connected in ways of personal growth.
For questions I would have for the author — firstly, the author emphasizes how much of product management involves being able to communicate between people and support your team, but I am wondering how the product development fits into this. I would love to ask how much of the product building a PM actually experiences, or if it is the teams that one is overlooking that are doing the true product building.
Another question I would have for the author is the boundary between being headstrong and leading with conviction, but not being a “Hero Product Manager.” Through the text, it is emphasized that it is necessary to be the glue of all groups and truly act as a leader in formulating everyone’s thoughts, needs, and desires. Yet, how do you ensure that you strike a perfect balance between avoiding being a people pleaser and being too adamant about your ideas?
