Product management is a function that isn’t as well-understood, at least initially, as many other jobs. If I’m being honest, I’m writing a blog about this role and I’m ~50% confident I know what they do. So I did what I always do, and I asked people smarter than me. Here’s what they said:
“I don’t know that I can articulate what someone in that function does and make it less nebulous-sounding.” –Senior Project Manager at Udacity
“Generically, PMs plan, develop, and launch a product or service. However, there are so many nuances to this role, so you really need to dive into exactly how the PM fits into the org and what partners they are working with.” –Senior Recruiter at Udacity
“A product manager makes sure that a company’s product is planned out, works well, but most importantly is something that is needed and wanted by its users.” –Paralegal at Udacity
“A product manager is someone who has to say no a lot so that they can say yes to the right things.” –Attorney at Udacity
“Product managers translate user feedback into stories about the product that guide engineering teams to developing features users value most.” –Director, Content Development at Udacity
“Ask ChatGPT” –Senior Manager, Engineering at Udacity
“A product manager is responsible for overseeing the development, design, and marketing of a company’s product or product line. They are typically responsible for creating and implementing a product strategy that aligns with the company’s overall business objectives. Overall, the product manager’s goal is to ensure that the company’s products are successful in the market and meet the needs of customers, while also aligning with the company’s business goals and objectives.” –ChatGPT
“Product managers play a critical role in making sure that the right product gets built. This starts by deeply understanding your users and the problems that you are solving for, then working with a number of different teams to identify and build a solution. After launching a product, it’s an amazing feeling when you see people using your product in the real world.” –Alex King, Program Instructor and Product Manager at Google
Looking for more insights? This webinar from a couple years back can help paint a picture of what a day in the life of a product manager looks like.
If this sounds like something you’re interested in, or something you’d like to learn more about, check out our newly updated Product Manager Nanodegree program today.
