I remember the time I started as a product manager
I was overwhelmed.
Before that I was an engineering manager and before that a developer. That was simpler, if not easier. Mostly I was told what to do. Usually had a clear definition of what I wanted my team to deliver. I had to figure out how to do it efficiently.
As a product manager, if I wanted to see my product successful, there was a lot to do:
– Guide development: requirements, stories, review spec, test suites, progress, daily meetings
– Understand what’s happening in the field: support issues, consulting challenges, enable sales, keep everyone apprised of new releases..
– Keep an eye on customer needs – problems, what more, make product more useful/valuable
– Manage expectations of upper management
– Work with marketing, PR, legal
Building products in startups and dynamic industries gets crazier.
Over 20 years of building products and helping others, I realize that prioritizing your time and energy spend is as important as prioritizing product scope.
How do you prioritize?